Woe to those who declare unrighteous decrees, and to those who write oppressive decrees , to deprive the poor of justice, and to rob the oppressed among my people of their rights, making widows their plunder, and that the fatherless their prey! What will y’all do on the day of visitation, and in the desolation that comes from afar? To whom will y’all flee for help? Where will y’all leave y’all’s wealth?
Nothing will remain but to bow down with the prisoners,
and fall among the slain. For all this ʜɪꜱ anger is not turned away, but ʜɪꜱ hand is still stretched out.
God’s Judgment on the Nations: Assyria
Alas Assyrian, the rod of my anger, the staff in whose hand is my indignation! I will send him against a profane nation, and against the people who anger me I will give him a command to take the plunder and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. However, he doesn’t mean so, neither does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off not a few nations. For he says, “Aren’t all of my commanders kings? Isn’t Calno like Carchemish? Isn’t Hamath like Arpad? Isn’t Samaria like Damascus?” As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, whose graven images exceeded those of Jerusalem and of Samaria, and as I have done to Samaria and her idols, will I not also do 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 willful proud heart of the king of Assyria, and the insolence of his arrogant looks. For he has said, “By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding. 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.”
Does an ax brag exalt itself above the one who chops with it? Does a saw make itself important than the one who saws with it? As if a rod should lifting the one who lifts it, or as a staff lifting up the one who isn’t wood. Therefore the Lord, YHWH Almighty, will send leanness among his fat ones; and under his glory a burning will be kindled like a blazing fire. The light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers 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 remaining trees of his forest will so be few 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 who have escaped from the house of Jacob will no more again lean on him who struck them, but will rely on YHWH, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. A remnant will return, 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. Destruction has been determined, overflowing with righteousness. For the Lord, YHWH Almighty, will make a full end, and that determined, throughout all the earth.
Therefore the Lord, YHWH Almighty, says, “My people who dwell in Zion, don’t be afraid of the Assyrian, though he strike you with the rod, and lift up his staff against you, as Egypt did. For in a very little while, my indignation against you will be completed, and my anger will be directed to his destruction.” YHWH Almighty 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 to Aiath. He has passed through Migron. At Michmash he stores his baggage. 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 hand at the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
Look, the Lord, YHWH Almighty, 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.