Isaiah 31
GOD’S WORD Translation
The Lord, Not the Egyptians, Will Protect His People from Assyria
31 How horrible it will be for those
who go to Egypt for help,
who rely on horses,
who depend on many chariots,
who depend on very strong war horses.
They don’t look to the Holy One of Israel.
They don’t seek the Lord.
2 He is wise and can bring about disaster.
He doesn’t take back his words.
He rises against wicked people
and against those who help troublemakers.
3 The Egyptians are humans, not gods.
Their horses are flesh and blood, not spirit.
When the Lord uses his powerful hand,
the one who gives help will stumble,
and the one who receives help will fall.
Both will die together.
4 This is what the Lord said to me:
A lion, even a young lion, growls over its prey
when a crowd of shepherds is called to fight it.
It isn’t frightened by their voices
or disturbed by the noise they make.
So the Lord of Armies will come to fight for
Mount Zion and its hill.
5 The Lord of Armies will defend Jerusalem like a hovering bird.
He will defend it and rescue it.
He will pass over it and protect it.
6 You people of Israel, return to the one
whom you have so violently rebelled against.
7 When that day comes, all of you will reject
the silver and gold idols
that your sinful hands have made.
8 Then Assyrians will be killed with swords not made by human hands.
Swords not made by human hands will destroy them.
They will flee from battle,
and their young men will be made to do forced labor.
9 In terror they will run to their stronghold,
and their officers will be frightened at ⌞the sight of⌟ the battle flag.
The Lord declares this. His fire is in Zion and his furnace is in Jerusalem.
Isaiah 31
The Voice
31 O how bad it will be for you who look to the south
to Egypt for help and depend on her horses,
Who trust in its many chariots and fix your hopes on its strong drivers.
Yet you do not look to the Holy One of Israel for relief
or even bother to consult Him.
2 God is both wise and willing to wreak disaster;
He does not second guess Himself or backtrack on what He says.
God will amass all divine power against those who do evil
and against whoever aids and abets them.
3 As for Egypt, why do you rely on them?
They are great, yes,
but merely human, not God—their steeds just creatures, not spirits.
But when the Eternal reaches out and makes His power felt,
those who lent their help will stumble; those who looked for help will fall.
Together they will be routed and killed.
4 Eternal One (to Isaiah): Just as a lion or a young lion fiercely growls over his prey,
even while shepherds band together to fight him off,
A lion won’t be scared off by their shouts
or deterred by their noise and threatening gestures.
So, too, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, will descend
to defend Mount Zion and its hill without fail.
In Scripture God is often described as having the strength of a lion. The power and skill of the lion are legendary. Here the picture Isaiah paints is of a hungry lion fixated on his prey, refusing to be distracted by the threats of its victim’s would-be protectors. The prophet uses this picture to inspire and encourage the faithful. Zion and the people of His holy mountain are God’s great prize; they are His possession, and He is not about to give them up. He will defend His prize and not share it with the predator-nations that surround Judah. Isaiah is clear in declaring that God will use these predators for His purposes, but He will not be frustrated by their schemes.
5 As birds hover protectively over their nests
so the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, will guard Jerusalem from all harm.
Not only that, but God will protect and save it,
rescue and keep it.
6 So give up, children of Israel. Return, people of promise, to God against whom you so blatantly rebelled. 7 For in that day you’ll see the worthlessness of the idols you so wickedly made, and everyone will throw away their gods of silver and gold.
8 Eternal One: And then, the one you fear, Assyria, will fall and be defeated,
not by the sword of man but by the sword of God.
It will try to escape the edge of the blade,
but its young men will be captured and put to forced labor.
9 The very thing the Assyrians thought was permanent
will disappear into thin air, fleeing in fear;
And the discipline of their military will come to nothing.
They’ll panic and run.
This is what the Eternal, whose fire burns in Zion, whose furnace blazes in Jerusalem, has said.
Isaiah 31
New American Standard Bible
Help Not in Egypt but in God
31 Woe to those who go down to (A)Egypt for help
And (B)rely on horses,
And trust in chariots because they are many
And in horsemen because they are very strong,
But they do not (C)look to the (D)Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord!
2 Yet He also is (E)wise and will (F)bring disaster,
And does (G)not retract His words,
But will arise against the house of (H)evildoers,
And against the help of the (I)workers of injustice.
3 Now the Egyptians are (J)human and not God,
And their (K)horses are flesh and not spirit;
So the Lord will (L)stretch out His hand,
And any (M)helper will stumble,
And one who is helped will fall.
And all of them will come to an end together.
4 For this is what the Lord says to me:
“As the (N)lion or the young lion growls over his prey,
Against which a band of shepherds is called out,
And he will not be terrified at their voice nor disturbed at their noise,
So will the Lord of armies come down to wage (O)war on Mount Zion and on its hill.”
5 Like [a]flying (P)birds so the Lord of armies will protect Jerusalem.
He will (Q)protect and save it;
He will pass over and rescue it.
6 (R)Return to Him against whom [b]you have been (S)profoundly obstinate, you sons of Israel. 7 For on that day every person will (T)reject his silver idols and his gold idols, which your hands have made for you as (U)a sin.
8 And the (V)Assyrian will fall by a sword not wielded by a man,
And a (W)sword not of man will devour him.
So he will [c](X)not escape the sword,
And his young men will become (Y)forced laborers.
9 “His (Z)rock will pass away because of panic,
And his officers will be terrified by the (AA)flag,”
Declares the Lord, whose (AB)fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 31:5 Or hovering
- Isaiah 31:6 Lit they
- Isaiah 31:8 Lit flee
Isaías 31
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
31 ¡Ay de los que descienden a Egipto por ayuda(A)!
En los caballos buscan apoyo(B),
Y confían en los carros porque son muchos,
Y en los jinetes porque son muy fuertes,
Pero no miran(C) al Santo de Israel(D), ni buscan al Señor.
2 Pero Él también es sabio(E), y traerá el mal(F),
Y no se retractará de Sus palabras(G);
Sino que se levantará contra la casa de los malhechores(H)
Y contra la ayuda de los que obran iniquidad(I).
3 Pues los egipcios son hombres, y no Dios(J),
Y sus caballos(K) son carne, y no espíritu.
El Señor, pues, extenderá Su mano(L),
Y el que ayuda tropezará,
Y el que recibe ayuda caerá(M);
Todos ellos a una perecerán.
4 Porque así me dice el Señor:
«Tal como gruñe el león(N) o el leoncillo sobre su presa,
Contra el que se reúne una multitud[a] de pastores,
Pero que no se atemoriza de sus voces ni se acobarda por su multitud,
Así descenderá el Señor de los ejércitos para combatir(O) sobre el monte Sión y sobre su colina».
5 Como aves que vuelan[b](P), así protegerá el Señor de los ejércitos a Jerusalén;
La protegerá y la librará,
La perdonará y la rescatará(Q).
6 Vuelvan(R) a Aquel de quien tan profundamente se han apartado[c], oh hijos(S) de Israel. 7 Porque en aquel día cada uno repudiará sus ídolos de plata y sus ídolos de oro(T), que les han hecho sus manos pecadoras(U).
8 El asirio caerá por espada(V), no de hombre,
Y la espada no humana lo devorará(W).
No escapará(X) de[d] la espada,
Y sus jóvenes serán sometidos a trabajos forzados(Y).
9 «Su fortaleza[e](Z) a causa del terror pasará,
Y sus príncipes se espantarán ante el estandarte(AA)»,
Declara el Señor, que tiene Su fuego(AB) en Sión y Su horno en Jerusalén.
Footnotes
- Isaías 31:4 Lit. plenitud.
- Isaías 31:5 O revolotean.
- Isaías 31:6 Lit. se apartaron.
- Isaías 31:8 Lit. Y huirá ante.
- Isaías 31:9 Lit. Su peña.
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