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Woe to Those Who Trust Egypt

31 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,
    and rely on horses,
and trust in chariots because they are many,
    and in horsemen because they are very strong,
but they do not look to the Holy One of Israel
    nor seek the Lord!
Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster
    and will not call back His words,
but will arise against the house of the evildoers
    and against the help of those who work iniquity.
Now the Egyptians are men and not God;
    and their horses flesh and not spirit.
When the Lord shall stretch out His hand,
    both he who helps shall fall
    and he who is helped shall fall down,
    and they all shall fail together.

For thus the Lord has spoken to me:

Like the lion, and the young lion,
    roars over his prey,
against which a multitude of shepherds
    is called out against him,
he will not be afraid of their voice,
    nor disturbed at their noise,
so shall the Lord of Hosts come down
    to fight for Mount Zion, and for its hill.
Like flying birds,
    so the Lord of Hosts will defend Jerusalem.
He will defend and deliver it;
    He will pass over and preserve it.

Turn to Him whom you have deeply betrayed, O sons of Israel. For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold which your own hands have made for you as a sin.

“Then the Assyrian shall fall by the sword that is not of man,
    and the sword not of man shall devour him.
So he shall not escape the sword,
    and his young men shall become forced laborers.
He shall cross over to his stronghold for fear,
    and his princes shall be afraid of the banner,”
says the Lord,
    whose fire is in Zion,
    and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.

Woe to Those Who Rely on Egypt

31 Woe(A) to those who go down to Egypt(B) for help,
    who rely on horses,(C)
who trust in the multitude of their chariots(D)
    and in the great strength of their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One(E) of Israel,
    or seek help from the Lord.(F)
Yet he too is wise(G) and can bring disaster;(H)
    he does not take back his words.(I)
He will rise up against that wicked nation,(J)
    against those who help evildoers.
But the Egyptians(K) are mere mortals and not God;(L)
    their horses(M) are flesh and not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out his hand,(N)
    those who help will stumble,
    those who are helped(O) will fall;
    all will perish together.(P)

This is what the Lord says to me:

“As a lion(Q) growls,
    a great lion over its prey—
and though a whole band of shepherds(R)
    is called together against it,
it is not frightened by their shouts
    or disturbed by their clamor(S)
so the Lord Almighty will come down(T)
    to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.
Like birds hovering(U) overhead,
    the Lord Almighty will shield(V) Jerusalem;
he will shield it and deliver(W) it,
    he will ‘pass over’(X) it and will rescue it.”

Return,(Y) you Israelites, to the One you have so greatly revolted(Z) against. For in that day(AA) every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold(AB) your sinful hands have made.(AC)

“Assyria(AD) will fall by no human sword;
    a sword, not of mortals, will devour(AE) them.
They will flee before the sword
    and their young men will be put to forced labor.(AF)
Their stronghold(AG) will fall because of terror;
    at the sight of the battle standard(AH) their commanders will panic,(AI)
declares the Lord,
    whose fire(AJ) is in Zion,
    whose furnace(AK) is in Jerusalem.