10 Woe to those who ^(A)decree iniquitous decrees,
    and the writers who ^(B)keep writing oppression,
² to turn aside the needy from justice
    and ^(C)to rob the poor of my people of their right,
that widows may be their spoil,
    and that they may make the fatherless their prey!
³ What will you do on ^(D)the day of punishment,
    in the ruin that will come ^(E)from afar?
To whom will you flee for help,
    and where will you leave your wealth?
⁴ Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners
    or fall among the slain.
^(F)For all this his anger has not turned away,
    and his hand is stretched out still.

⁵ Ah, Assyria, ^(G)the rod of my anger;
    the staff in their hands is my fury!
⁶ Against a ^(H)godless nation I send him,
    and against the people of my wrath I command him,
to take ^(I)spoil and seize plunder,
    and to ^(J)tread them down like the mire of the streets.
⁷ But he ^(K)does not so intend,
    and his heart does not so think;
but it is in his heart to destroy,
    and to cut off nations not a few;
⁸ for he says:
^(L)“Are not my commanders all kings?
^9 (M)Is not ^(N)Calno like ^(O)Carchemish?
    Is not ^(P)Hamath like ^(Q)Arpad?
    ^(R)Is not ^(S)Samaria like Damascus?
¹⁰ As my hand has reached to ^(T)the kingdoms of the idols,
    whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
¹¹ shall I not do to Jerusalem and ^(U)her idols
    ^(V)as I have done to Samaria and her images?”

“By the strength of my hand I have done it,
    and by my wisdom, for I have understanding;
I remove the boundaries of peoples,
    and plunder their treasures;
    like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones.
¹⁴ My hand has found like a nest
    the wealth of the peoples;
and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken,
    so I have gathered all the earth;
and there was none that moved a wing
    or opened the mouth or chirped.”
¹⁵ Shall ^(Z)the axe boast over him who hews with it,
    or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it?
As if a rod should wield him who lifts it,
    or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood!
¹⁶ Therefore the Lord God of hosts
    will send wasting sickness among his ^(AA)stout warriors,
and under his glory ^(AB)a burning will be kindled,
    like the burning of fire.
^17 (AC)The light of Israel will become a fire,
    and ^(AD)his Holy One a flame,
and ^(AE)it will burn and devour
    his thorns and briers ^(AF)in one day.
¹⁸ The glory of ^(AG)his forest and of his ^(AH)fruitful land
    the Lord will destroy, both soul and body,
    and it will be as when a sick man wastes away.
¹⁹ The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few
    that a child can write them down.

²⁸ He has come to Aiath;
he has passed through ^(BA)Migron;
    at Michmash he stores ^(BB)his baggage;
²⁹ they have crossed over ^(BC)the pass;
    at ^(BD)Geba they lodge for the night;
^(BE)Ramah trembles;
    ^(BF)Gibeah of Saul has fled.
³⁰ Cry aloud, O daughter of ^(BG)Gallim!
    Give attention, O Laishah!
    O poor ^(BH)Anathoth!
³¹ Madmenah is in flight;
    the inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety.
³² This very day he will halt at ^(BI)Nob;
    he will shake his fist
    at the mount of ^(BJ)the daughter of Zion,
    the hill of Jerusalem.
³³ Behold, the Lord God of hosts
    ^(BK)will lop ^(BL)the boughs with terrifying power;
the great in height will be hewn down,
    and the lofty will be brought low.
³⁴ He will cut down ^(BM)the thickets of the forest with an axe,
    and ^(BN)Lebanon will fall by the Majestic One.