Isaiah 31:1-4

Egypt Will Disappoint

31:1 Those who go down to Egypt for help are as good as dead, ¹ 

those who rely on war horses,

and trust in Egypt’s many chariots ² 

and in their many, many horsemen. ³ 

But they do not rely on the Holy One of Israel ⁴ 

and do not seek help from the Lord.

31:2 Yet he too is wise ⁵  and he will bring disaster;

he does not retract his decree. ⁶ 

He will attack the wicked nation, ⁷ 

and the nation that helps ⁸  those who commit sin. ⁹ 

31:3 The Egyptians are mere humans, not God;

their horses are made of flesh, not spirit.

The Lord will strike with ¹⁰  his hand;

the one who helps will stumble

and the one being helped will fall.

Together they will perish. ¹¹ 

The Lord Will Defend Zion

31:4 Indeed, this is what the Lord says to me:

“The Lord will be like a growling lion,

like a young lion growling over its prey. ¹² 

Though a whole group of shepherds gathers against it,

it is not afraid of their shouts

or intimidated by their yelling. ¹³ 

In this same way the Lord who commands armies will descend

to do battle on Mount Zion and on its hill. ¹⁴ 

[31:1]  ¹ tn Heb “Woe [to] those who go down to Egypt for help.”

[31:1]  ² tn Heb “and trust in chariots for they are many.”

[31:1]  ³ tn Heb “and in horsemen for they are very strong [or “numerous”].”

[31:1]  ⁴ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[31:2]  ⁵ sn This statement appears to have a sarcastic tone. The royal advisers who are advocating an alliance with Egypt think they are wise, but the Lord possesses wisdom as well and will thwart their efforts.

[31:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “and he does not turn aside [i.e., “retract”] his words”; NIV “does not take back his words.”

[31:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”

[31:2]  ⁸ sn That is, Egypt.

[31:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”

[31:3]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “will extend”; KJV, ASV, NASB, NCV “stretch out.”

[31:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “together all of them will come to an end.”

[31:4]  ¹² tn Heb “As a lion growls, a young lion over its prey.” In the Hebrew text the opening comparison is completed later in the verse (“so the Lord will come down…”), after a parenthesis describing how fearless the lion is. The present translation divides the verse into three sentences for English stylistic reasons.

[31:4]  ¹³ tn Heb “Though there is summoned against it fullness of shepherds, by their voice it is not terrified, and to their noise it does not respond.”

[31:4]  ¹⁴ tn Some prefer to translate the phrase לִצְבֹּא עַל (litsbo’ ’al) as “fight against,” but the following context pictures the Lord defending, not attacking, Zion.