1 WOE unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;
2 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!
3 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?
4 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.
5 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.
6 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.
7 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.
8 For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings?
9 Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?
10 As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;
11 Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?
12 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.
13 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:
14 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.
15 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.
16 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.
17 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;
18 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.
19 And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.
20 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.
21 The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.
22 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.
23 For the Lord God of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.
24 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.
25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.
26 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.
27 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.
28 He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages:
29 They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.
30 Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth.
31 Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.
32 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.
33 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.
34 And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.

1Woe vnto them that decree vnrighteous decrees, and that write grieuousnesse which they haue prescribed:

2To turne aside the needy from iudgement, and to take away the right from the poore of my people, that widdowes may be their pray, and that they may robbe the fatherles.

3And what wil ye doe in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from farre? To whom wil ye flee for helpe? And where will yee leaue your glory?

4Without mee they shall bowe downe vnder the prisoners, and they shall fall vnder the slaine: for all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

5¶ O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staffe in their hand is mine indignation.

6I will send him against an hypocriticall nation, and against the people of my wrath will I giue him a charge to take the spoile, and to take the praye, and to tread them downe like the mire of the streets.

7Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart thinke so, but it is in his heart to destroy, and cut off nations not a few.

8For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings?

9Is not Calno, as Carchemish? Is not Hamath, as Arpad? Is not Samaria, as Damascus?

10As my hand hath found the kingdomes of the idoles, and whose grauen images did excell them of Ierusalem and of Samaria:

11Shall I not, as I haue done vnto Samaria and her idoles, so doe to Ierusalem and her idoles?

12Wherefore it shall come to passe, that when the Lord hath performed his whole worke vpon mount Zion, and on Ierusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high lookes.

13For hee saith, By the strength of my hand I haue done it, and by my wisedome, for I am prudent: and I haue remooued the bounds of the people, and haue robbed their treasures, and I haue put downe the inhabitants like a valiant man.

14And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth egges that are left, haue I gathered all the earth, and there was none that moued the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.

15Shall the axe boast it selfe against him that heweth therewith? Or shal the sawe magnifie it selfe against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake it selfe against them that lift it vp, or as if the staffe should lift vp it selfe, as if it were no wood.

16Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leannesse, and vnder his glory hee shall kindle a burning, like the burning of a fire.

17And the light of Israel shall bee for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burne and deuoure his thornes and his briers in one day:

18And shall consume the glory of his forrest, and of his fruitfull field both soule and body: and they shall bee as when a standerd bearer fainteth.

19And the rest of the trees of his forrest shall be few, that a child may write them.

20¶ And it shal come to passe in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Iacob, shall no more againe stay vpon him that smote them: but shall stay vpon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel in trueth.

21The remnant shall returne, euen the remnant of Iacob, vnto the mightie God.

22For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall returne: the consumption decreed shall ouerflow with righteousnesse.

23For the Lord God of hostes shall make a consumption, euen determined in the middest of all the land.

24¶ Therfore thus saith the Lord God of hostes, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraide of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift vp his staffe against thee, after the maner of Egypt.

25For yet a very litle while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.

26And the Lord of hostes shall stirre vp a scourge for him, according to the slaughter of Midian at the rocke Oreb: and as his rod was vpon the Sea, so shall he lift it vp after the manner of Egypt.

27And it shall come to passe in that day, that his burden shalbe taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy necke, and the yoke shalbe destroyed because of the anointing.

28He is come to Aiath, hee is passed to Migron: at Michmash he hath laid vp his cariages.

29They are gone ouer the passage: they haue taken vp their lodging at Geba, Ramah is afraid, Gebeah of Saul is fled.

30Lift vp thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to bee heard vnto Laish, O poore Anathoth.

31Madmenah is remooued, the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselues to flee.

32As yet shall hee remaine at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Ierusalem.

33Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hostes shall lop the bough with terrour: and the high ones of stature shal be hewen downe, and the haughtie shalbe humbled.

34And he shall cut downe the thickets of the forrests with yron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mightie one.

I == Ps 58:2 ; 94:20

 

 

 

 

III == Job 31:14 ; Hos 9:7 ; Luke 19:44

 

 

IV == Isa 5:25 ; 9:12 , 17 , 21

 

 

V == Jer 51:20

 

VI == Isa 9:17 ; Jer 34:22

 

 

 

VII == Gen 50:20 ; Mic 4:12

 

VIII == 2nd Kings 18:24 , 33 ; 19:10

IX == 2nd Kings 16:9 ; 2nd Chr 35:20 ; Amos 6:2

 

 

 

XII == 2nd Kings 19:31 ; Jer 50:18

 

 

 

XIII == Isa 37:24 ; Ezek 28:4 ; Dan 4:30

 

 

 

XIV == Job 31:25

 

 

 

XV == Jer 51:20

 

 

 

 

XVI == Isa 5:17

 

 

 

XVII == Isa 9:18 ; 27:4

 

XVIII == 2nd Kings 19:23

 

 

 

 

XX == 2nd Kings 16:7 ; 2nd Chr 28:20

 

 

 

XXI == Isa 7:3

 

XXII == Isa 6:13 ; 28:22 ; Rom 9:27

 

 

XXIII == Isa 28:22 ; Dan 9:27 ; Rom 9:28

XXIV == Ex 14 ; Isa 37:6

 

 

 

 

 

XXVI == Ex 14:26-27 ; Judg 7:25 ; 2nd Kings 19:35 ; Isa 9:4

 

 

XXVII == Ps 105:15 ; Isa 14:25 ; Dan 9:24 ; 1st John 2:20

 

 

 

XXIX == 1st Sam 11:4 ; 13:23

 

XXX == Josh 21:18 ; Judg 18:7 ; 1st Sam 25:44

XXXI == Josh 15:31

XXXII == 1st Sam 21:1 ; 22:19 ; Neh 11:32 ; 37:22

 

XXXIII == Amos 2:9

 

 

 

 

1 Woe to those who enact unjust statutes and who write oppressive decrees,

2 Depriving the needy of judgment and robbing my people's poor of their rights, Making widows their plunder, and orphans their prey!

3 What will you do on the day of punishment, when ruin comes from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth,

4 Lest it sink beneath the captive or fall beneath the slain? For all this, his wrath is not turned back, his hand is still outstretched!

5 Woe to Assyria! My rod in anger, my staff in wrath.

6 Against an impious nation I send him, and against a people under my wrath I order him To seize plunder, carry off loot, and tread them down like the mud of the streets.

7 But this is not what he intends, nor does he have this in mind; Rather, it is in his heart to destroy, to make an end of nations not a few.

8 "Are not my commanders all kings?" he says,

9 "Is not Calno like Carchemish, Or Hamath like Arpad, or Samaria like Damascus?

10 Just as my hand reached out to idolatrous kingdoms that had more images than Jerusalem and Samaria,

11 Just as I treated Samaria and her idols, shall I not do to Jerusalem and her graven images?"

12 (But when the LORD has brought to an end all his work on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, I will punish the utterance of the king of Assyria's proud heart,

13 and the boastfulness of his haughty eyes. For he says:) "By my own power I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I am shrewd. I have moved the boundaries of peoples, their treasures I have pillaged, and, like a giant, I have put down the enthroned.

14 My hand has seized like a nest the riches of nations; As one takes eggs left alone, so I took in all the earth; No one fluttered a wing, or opened a mouth, or chirped!"

15 Will the axe boast against him who hews with it? Will the saw exalt itself above him who wields it? As if a rod could sway him who lifts it, or a staff him who is not wood!

16 Therefore the Lord, the LORD of hosts, will send among his fat ones leanness, And instead of his glory there will be kindling like the kindling of fire.

17 The Light of Israel will become a fire, Israel's Holy One a flame, That burns and consumes his briers and his thorns in a single day.

18 His splendid forests and orchards will be consumed, soul and body;

19 And the remnant of the trees in his forest will be so few, Like poles set up for signals, that any boy can record them.

20 On that day The remnant of Israel, the survivors of the house of Jacob, will no more lean upon him who struck them; But they lean upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

21 A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.

22 For though your people, O Israel, were like the sand of the sea, Only a remnant of them will return; their destruction is decreed as overwhelming justice demands.

23 Yes, the destruction he has decreed, the Lord, the GOD of hosts, will carry out within the whole land.

24 Therefore thus says the Lord, the GOD of hosts: O my people, who dwell in Zion, do not fear the Assyrian, though he strikes you with a rod, and raises his staff against you.

25 For only a brief moment more, and my anger shall be over; but them I will destroy in wrath.

26 Then the LORD of hosts will raise against them a scourge such as struck Midian at the rock of Oreb; and he will raise his staff over the sea as he did against Egypt.

27 On that day, His burden shall be taken from your shoulder, and his yoke shattered from your neck. He has come up from the direction of Rimmon,

28 he has reached Aiath, passed through Migron, at Michmash his supplies are stored.

29 They cross the ravine: "We will spend the night at Geba." Ramah is in terror, Gibeah of Saul has fled.

30 Cry and shriek, O daughter of Gallim! Hearken, Laishah! Answer her, Anathoth!

31 Madmenah is in flight, the inhabitants of Gebim seek refuge.

32 Even today he will halt at Nob, he will shake his fist at the mount of daughter Zion, the hill of Jerusalem!

33 Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, lops off the boughs with terrible violence; The tall of stature are felled, and the lofty ones brought low;

34 The forest thickets are felled with the axe, and Lebanon in its splendor falls.

v 1-4. Continuing the thought of the previous chapter, the wicked leaders have:
a. Made unjust laws; b. Issued oppressive decrees; c. Deprived the poor of their rights; d. Taken away justice; e. Harmed widows; f. Robbed the fatherless. So God would bring the Assyrians upon them and they would have no helper.

 

 

v 5-11. God used Assyria as a rod to punish Israel for their misdeeds, but the king was proud, thinking he was conquering all the people around by his own strength.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 12-19. The pride of the king of Assyria is seen by him saying I six times and my three times. The axe, Assyria, was not as great as the one who held it, the Lord, and He would destroy it like a fire burns thorns. The Lord slew 185,000 soldiers at one time who surrounded Jerusalem, and the remainder eventually succumbed to Babylon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 20-23. A remnant of Israel would learn to trust the Lord, not their conquerors, the Assyrians, and would return to their land. This also looks forward to the last days when Gentile world powers will be defeated and Israel will return to their homeland.

 

 

 

 

 

v 24-27. Israel need not fear annihilation by Assyria, who God would destroy as He did the Egyptian, or as the destruction of the Midianites by Gideon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 28-34. This describes how Assyria would advance from the north through Ai and other towns, but God would turn them back so they would not destroy Jerusalem. By tradition, of the soldiers slain (v 12-19) only ten men lived to tell the tale at home.