Woe to those who enact unrighteous laws, and to the writers who write oppressive regulations,
to deprive the needy of justice and to rob the poor among my people of their rights, so that widows may be their spoil, and so that they may make the fatherless their prey!
What will you do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation that will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth?
Nothing remains but to crouch among the captives or fall among the slain. In spite of all this His anger does not turn away, and his hand is still stretched out.
Judgment on Arrogant Assyria
Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger, the staff in whose hand is my indignation!
I will send him against a godless nation, and against the people of my wrath I will give him a command, to take the spoil and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
But this is not what he intends, and his heart does not think that way; but it is in his heart to destroy and to cut off nations—not a few.
For he says, “Aren’t all of my officials kings?
Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?”
As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols, whose carved images exceeded those of Jerusalem and of Samaria,
will I not, as I have done to Samaria and her Worthless Ones, do also to Jerusalem and her idols?
Therefore it will happen that when the Lord has performed his whole work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastfulness of his haughty looks.”
For he has said, “By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding, and I have removed the boundaries of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures. Like a valiant man I have brought down their rulers.
My hand has found the riches of the peoples like a nest, and like one gathers eggs that are abandoned I have gathered all the earth. There was no one who moved their wing, or that opened their mouth, or chirped.”
Should an axe brag against him who chops with it? Should a saw exalt itself above him who saws with it? As if a rod could lift those who lift it up, or as if a staff could lift itself up as if it were not wood.
Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will send leanness among his fat ones, and under his glory a burning will be kindled like the burning of fire.
The Light of Israel will be a fire, and their Holy One a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briars in one day.
He will consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body. It will be as when a standard bearer faints.
The remnant of the trees of his forest will be few, so that a child could write their number.
The Remnant of Israel Will Return
It will come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
A remnant will return, even the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.
For though your people, Israel, are like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. A destruction is determined that is overflowing with justice.
For the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will make a full end, and that determined, in the midst of all the earth.
Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, says “My people who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian, though he strike you with the rod and lift up his staff against you as Egypt did.
For yet a very little while, and the indignation against you will be accomplished and my anger will be directed to his destruction.”
Yahweh of Armies will stir up a scourge against him, as in the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb. His rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it up like he did against Egypt.
It will happen in that day that his burden will depart from off your shoulder and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.
He has come against Ai. He has passed through Migron. At Michmash he stores his supplies.
They have gone over the pass. They have taken up their lodging at Geba. Ramah trembles. Gibeah of Saul has fled.
Cry aloud with your voice, daughter of Gallim! Listen, Laishah! You poor Anathoth!
Madmenah is a fugitive. The inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety.
This very day he will halt at Nob. He shakes his fist at the mountain of Daughter Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
Behold, the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will lop the boughs with terror. The tall will be cut down, and the lofty will be brought low.
He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.