1Woeto those who enactevilstatutesAnd to those who constantly recordunjustdecisions,
2So as to deprivethe needyof justiceAnd robthe poorof My peopleof [their] rights,So that widowsmay be their spoilAnd that they may plunderthe orphans.
3Now whatwill you doin the dayof punishment,And in the devastationwhich will comefrom afar?To whomwill you fleefor help?And wherewill you leaveyour wealth?
4Nothing[remains] but to crouchamongthe captivesOr fallamongthe slain.In [spite of] allthis,His angerdoes not turnawayAnd His handis stillstretchedout.
5Woeto Assyria,the rodof My angerAnd the staffin whose handsis My indignation,
6I sendit against a godlessnationAnd commissionit againstthe peopleof My furyTo capturebootyand to seizeplunder,And to tramplethem downlike mudin the streets.
7Yet it does not sointend,Nordoes it plansoin its heart,But ratherit is its purposeto destroyAnd to cutoffmanynations.
8For it says,"Are not my princesallkings?
9"Is not Calnolike Carchemish,OrHamathlike Arpad,OrSamarialike Damascus?
10"As my handhas reachedto the kingdomsof the idols,Whose gravenimages[were] greater thanthose of Jerusalemand Samaria,
11Shall I not doto Jerusalemand her imagesJustas I have doneto Samariaand her idols?"
12So it will be that whenthe Lordhas completedallHis workon MountZionand on Jerusalem,[He will say], "I will punishthe fruitof the arrogantheartof the kingof Assyriaand the pompof his haughtiness."
13For he has said,"By the powerof my handand by my wisdomI did[this], For I haveunderstanding;And I removedthe boundariesof the peoplesAnd plunderedtheir treasures,And like a mightymanI broughtdown[their] inhabitants,
14And my handreachedto the richesof the peopleslike a nest,And as one gathersabandonedeggs,I gatheredallthe earth;And there was not one that flappedits wingor opened[its] beakor chirped."
15Is the axeto boastitself overthe one who chopswith it? Is the sawto exaltitself overthe one who wieldsit? [That would be] like a clubwieldingthose who liftit, [Or] like a rodlifting[him who] is not wood.
16Thereforethe Lord,the GODof hosts,will senda wastingdiseaseamong his stoutwarriors;And underhis glorya firewill be kindledlike a burningflame.
17And the lightof Israelwill becomea fireand his HolyOnea flame,And it will burnand devourhis thornsand his briarsin a singleday.
18And He will destroythe gloryof his forestand of his fruitfulgarden,bothsouland body,And it will be as when a sickmanwastesaway.
19And the restof the treesof his forestwill be so small in numberThat a childcould writethem down.
20Now in that daythe remnantof Israel,and those of the houseof Jacobwhohave escaped,will neveragainrelyon the one who struckthem, but will trulyrelyon the LORD,the HolyOneof Israel.
21A remnantwill return,the remnantof Jacob,to the mightyGod.
22For thoughyour people,O Israel,may be like the sandof the sea,[Only] a remnantwithin them will return;A destructionis determined,overflowingwith righteousness.
23For a completedestruction,one that is decreed,the LordGODof hostswill executein the midstof the wholeland.
24Thereforethussaysthe LordGODof hosts,"O My peoplewho dwellin Zion,do not fearthe Assyrianwho strikesyou with the rodand liftsup his staffagainstyou, the wayEgypt[did].25"For in a verylittlewhileMy indignation[against you] will be spentand My anger[will be directed] to their destruction."26The LORDof hostswill arousea scourgeagainsthim like the slaughterof Midianat the rockof Oreb;and His staffwill be overthe seaand He will liftit up the way[He did] in Egypt.27So it will be in that day,that his burdenwill be removedfrom your shouldersand his yokefrom your neck,and the yokewill be brokenbecauseof fatness.
28He has comeagainstAiath,He has passedthrough Migron;At Michmashhe depositedhis baggage.
29They have gonethroughthe pass,[saying], "Gebawill be our lodgingplace."Ramahis terrified,and Gibeahof Saulhas fledaway.
30Cryaloudwith your voice,O daughterof Gallim!Payattention,Laishah[and] wretchedAnathoth!
31Madmenahhas fled.The inhabitantsof Gebimhave soughtrefuge.
32Yettodayhe will haltat Nob;He shakeshis fistat the mountainof the daughterof Zion,the hillof Jerusalem.
33Behold,the Lord,the GODof hosts,will lopoffthe boughswith a terriblecrash;Those also who are tallin staturewill be cutdownAnd those whoare loftywill be abased.
34He will cutdownthe thicketsof the forestwith an iron[axe], And Lebanonwill fallby the MightyOne.
