1 ARST Terrible things will happen to those who rely on Egypt to help them, trusting in their soldiers’ horses and their many chariots and their many chariot drivers, instead of trusting that Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, will help them. BSB BSB: Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD.
2 ARST Yahweh is very wise, but he also causes people to experience disaster! And when he decides to do that, he does not change his mind! He will strike the wicked people and all those who help them. BSB BSB: Yet He too is wise and brings disaster; He does not call back His words. He will rise up against the house of the wicked and against the allies of evildoers.
3 ARST The soldiers of Egypt that you people of Judah are relying on are humans, not God! And their horses are only horses; they are not powerful spirits! So when Yahweh raises his fist to strike the soldiers of Egypt whom you thought would help you, he will also strike you who thought that you would be helped, and you and they will stumble and fall down; all of you will die together. BSB BSB: But the Egyptians are men, not God; their horses are flesh, not spirit. When the LORD stretches out His hand, the helper will stumble, and the one he helps will fall; both will perish together.
4 ARST But this is what Yahweh said to me:“When a lion stands and growls over the body of a sheep that he has killed, even if a large group of shepherds comes to chase away the lion, even if they shout loudly, the lion will not be afraid and will not leave. Similarly, I, Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, will come down to fight my enemies on Mount Zion, and nothing will stop me. BSB BSB: For this is what the LORD has said to me: “Like a lion roaring or a young lion over its prey—and though a band of shepherds is called out against it, it is not terrified by their shouting or subdued by their clamor—so the LORD of Hosts will come down to do battle on Mount Zion and its heights.
5 ARST Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, will protect Jerusalem like a mother bird hovers over the baby birds in her nest. He will defend the city and rescue it from its enemies.” BSB BSB: Like birds hovering overhead, so the LORD of Hosts will protect Jerusalem. He will shield it and deliver it; He will pass over it and preserve it.”
6 ARST My people, even though you have greatly rebelled against Yahweh, return to him. BSB BSB: Return to the One against whom you have so blatantly rebelled, O children of Israel.
7 ARST When you do that, each of you will throw away the idols that you have made in sin, idols that are covered with silver and gold. BSB BSB: For on that day, every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold that your own hands have sinfully made.
8 ARST The Assyrian soldiers will be killed, but not by swords that men use. They will be destroyed by the sword of God; and those who are not killed will panic and flee. And some of them will be captured and forced to become slaves. BSB BSB: “Then Assyria will fall, but not by the sword of man; a sword will devour them, but not one made by mortals. They will flee before the sword, and their young men will be put to forced labor.
9 ARST Even their very strong soldiers will be terrified; their leaders will abandon all hope and run away from Yahweh’ s power! Yahweh’ s presence on Mount Zion is like a fire, like a furnace that blazes in Jerusalem. This is what Yahweh says about the Assyrian army! BSB BSB: Their rock will pass away for fear, and their princes will panic at the sight of the battle standard,” declares the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
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