Woe unto them that decree
unrighteous
decrees
, and that write
grievousness
which they have prescribed
;
To turn aside the needy
from judgment
, and to take away
the right
from the poor
of my people
, that widows
may be their prey
, and that they may rob
the fatherless
!
And what will ye do in the day
of visitation
, and in the desolation
which shall come
from far
? to whom will ye flee
for help
? and where will ye leave
your glory
?
Without me they shall bow down
under the prisoners
, and they shall fall
under the slain
. For all this his anger
is not turned away
, but his hand
is stretched out still
.
O Assyrian
, the rod
of mine anger
, and the staff
in their hand
is mine indignation
.
I will send him against an hypocritical
nation
, and against the people
of my wrath
will I give him a charge
, to take
the spoil
, and to take
the prey
, and to tread them down
like the mire
of the streets
.
Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart
think
so; but it is in his heart
to destroy
and cut off
nations
not a few
.
For he saith, Are not my princes
altogether
kings
?
Is not Calno as Carchemish
? is not Hamath
as Arpad
? is not Samaria
as Damascus
?
As my hand hath found
the kingdoms
of the idols
, and whose graven images
did excel them of Jerusalem
and of Samaria
;
Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria
and her idols
, so do
to Jerusalem
and her idols
?
Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed
his whole work
upon mount
Zion
and on Jerusalem
, I will punish
the fruit
of the stout
heart
of the king
of Assyria
, and the glory
of his high
looks
.
For he saith, By the strength
of my hand
I have done
it , and by my wisdom
; for I am prudent
: and I have removed
the bounds
of the people
, and have robbed
their treasures
, and I have put down
the inhabitants
like a valiant
man :
And my hand hath found
as a nest
the riches
of the people
: and as one gathereth
eggs
that are left
, have I gathered
all the earth
; and there was none that moved
the wing
, or opened
the mouth
, or peeped
.
Shall the axe boast
itself against him that heweth
therewith? or shall the saw
magnify
itself against him that shaketh
it? as if the rod
should shake
itself against them that lift it up
, or as if the staff
should lift up
itself, as if it were no wood
.
Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord
of hosts
, send
among his fat ones
leanness
; and under his glory
he shall kindle
a burning
like the burning of a fire
.
And the light of Israel
shall be for a fire
, and his Holy One
for a flame
: and it shall burn
and devour
his thorns
and his briers
in one
day
;
And shall consume the glory
of his forest
, and of his fruitful field
, both soul
and body
: and they shall be as when a standardbearer
fainteth
.
And the rest of the trees
of his forest
shall be few
, that a child
may write
them.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant
of Israel
, and such as are escaped
of the house
of Jacob
, shall no more again
stay
upon him that smote
them; but shall stay
upon the LORD
, the Holy One
of Israel
, in truth
.
The remnant shall return
, even the remnant
of Jacob
, unto the mighty
God
.
For though thy people Israel
be as the sand
of the sea
, yet a remnant
of them shall return
: the consumption
decreed
shall overflow
with righteousness
.
For the Lord GOD
of hosts
shall make
a consumption
, even determined
, in the midst
of all the land
.
Therefore thus saith the Lord
GOD
of hosts
, O my people
that dwellest
in Zion
, be not afraid
of the Assyrian
: he shall smite
thee with a rod
, and shall lift up
his staff
against thee, after the manner
of Egypt
.
For yet a very little while
, and the indignation
shall cease
, and mine anger
in their destruction
.
And the LORD of hosts
shall stir up
a scourge
for him according to the slaughter
of Midian
at the rock
of Oreb
: and as his rod
was upon the sea
, so shall he lift it up
after the manner
of Egypt
.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden
shall be taken away
from off thy shoulder
, and his yoke
from off thy neck
, and the yoke
shall be destroyed
because
of the anointing
.
He is come to Aiath
, he is passed
to Migron
; at Michmash
he hath laid up
his carriages
:
They are gone over the passage
: they have taken up their lodging
at Geba
; Ramah
is afraid
; Gibeah
of Saul
is fled
.
Lift up thy voice
, O daughter
of
Gallim
: cause it to be heard
unto Laish
, O poor
Anathoth
.
Madmenah is removed
; the inhabitants
of Gebim
gather themselves to flee
.
As yet shall he remain at Nob
that day
: he shall shake
his hand
against the mount
of the daughter
of Zion
, the hill
of Jerusalem
.
Behold, the Lord, the LORD
of hosts
, shall lop
the bough
with terror
: and the high ones
of stature
shall be hewn down
, and the haughty
shall be humbled
.
And he shall cut down the thickets
of the forest
with iron
, and Lebanon
shall fall
by a mighty one
.