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Warnings About Relying on Egypt

31 ·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] those people who go down to Egypt for help.
    ·They think horses will save them [L …who rely on horses].
·They think [L …who trust in] their many chariots
    and strong horsemen will save them [Ps. 20:7].
But they don’t trust God, the Holy One of Israel [1:4],
    or ask the Lord for help.
But he is wise and can bring them disaster.
    He does not ·change his warnings [take back his words].
He will rise up and fight against the ·evil people [L house of evildoers]
    and against those who try to help ·evil people [sinners; workers of iniquity].
The Egyptians are only people and are not God.
    Their horses are ·only animals [L flesh] and are not spirit.
The Lord will stretch out his arm,
    and the one who helps will stumble,
    and the people who wanted help will fall.
All of them will ·be destroyed [perish] together.

The Lord says this to me:

“When a lion or a ·lion’s cub [young lion],
    stands over ·the dead animal it has killed [its prey] and roars.
A band of shepherds
    may be assembled against it,
but the lion will not be afraid of their yelling
    or upset by their noise.
So the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will come down
    to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill.
The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will ·defend [protect] Jerusalem
    like birds flying over their nests.
He will ·defend [protect] and save it;
    he will ‘pass over’ and save Jerusalem.”

You children of Israel, come back to the God you ·fought [rebelled; revolted] against. ·The time is coming when [L For in that day] each of you will ·stop worshiping [throw/cast away] idols of gold and silver, which ·you sinned by making [your sinful hands have made].

“Assyria will ·be defeated [fall] by a sword, but not ·the sword of a person [of man];
    Assyria will be ·destroyed [devoured], but not by a person’s sword.
Assyria will run away from the ·sword of God [L sword],
    but its young men will be caught and made slaves.
·They will panic, and [From terror] their ·protection [or strong ones; rock] will be destroyed.
    Their ·commanders [officers; princes] will be terrified when they see ·God’s battle flag [L the standard/flag],”
says the Lord,
    whose fire is in ·Jerusalem [L Zion; 1:27]
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.