The Egyptians are No Help

31 Ah! Those who go down to Egypt for help!They rely on horses

• and trust in chariots because they are many,
  • and in horsemen because they are very numerous,
• and they do not look to the holy one of Israel,
  • and they do not consult Yahweh.
  • 2 And indeed, he is wise, and he brings disaster, and he does not remove his words,
• and he will rise against the house of evildoers
  • and against the help of workers of iniquity.
  • 3 And the Egyptians are human and not God, and their horses are flesh and not spirit.
• And Yahweh stretches out his hand,
  • and the helper will stumble,
• and the one being helped will fall,
  • and together all of them will come to an end.[fn]
  
  

4 For Yahweh said this to me:

• “As which a lion growls
  • and a young lion over its prey
  
  

when ⌊a full group⌋[fn] of shepherds is called against him,

• it is not terrified by their voice,
  • and to their noise it does not respond,
• so Yahweh of hosts will come down to fight upon Mount Zion
  • and upon its hill.
  
  

5 Like birds flying overhead, so Yahweh of hosts will protect Jerusalem;

• he will protect and deliver it;
  • he will pass over and rescue it.
  
  

6 Turn back to the one against whom the sons of Israel have made deep rebellion.

• 7 For on that day, each one will reject his idols of silver and his idols of gold which your hands have made in sin for you.
• 8 And Assyria shall fall by a sword not of a man, and a sword not of a human shall devour him;
• and he shall flee from the sword,
  • and his young men shall be put to forced labor.
  • 9 And his rock will pass over because of terror, and his officers will be terrified because of the flag,”
  • declares[fn] Yahweh,
• who has a fire in Zion
  • and has a furnace in Jerusalem.