Isaiah 31 :: New King James Version (NKJV)

The Folly of Not Trusting God

God, Not Egypt, Will Defend Judah

Isa 31:1Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,
And rely on horses,
Who trust in chariots because they are many,
And in horsemen because they are very strong,
But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel,
Nor seek the LORD!

Isa 31:2

Isa 31:2Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster,
And will not call back His words,
But will arise against the house of evildoers,
And against the help of those who work iniquity.

Isa 31:3

Isa 31:3Now the Egyptians are men, and not God;
And their horses are flesh, and not spirit.
When the LORD stretches out His hand,
Both he who helps will fall,
And he who is helped will fall down;
They all will perish together.

God Will Deliver Jerusalem

Isa 31:4

Isa 31:4For thus the LORD has spoken to me:

“As a lion roars,
And a young lion over his prey
(When a multitude of shepherds is summoned against him,
He will not be afraid of their voice
Nor be disturbed by their noise),
So the LORD of hosts will come down
To fight for Mount Zion and for its hill.

Isa 31:5

Isa 31:5Like birds flying about,
So will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem.
Defending, He will also deliver it;
Passing over, He will preserve it.”

Isa 31:6

Isa 31:6Return to Him against whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.

Isa 31:7

Isa 31:7For in that day every man shall throw away his idols of silver and his idols of gold—sin, which your own hands have made for yourselves.

Isa 31:8

Isa 31:8“Then Assyria shall fall by a sword not of man,
And a sword not of mankind shall devour him.
But he shall flee from the sword,
And his young men shall become forced labor.

Isa 31:9

Isa 31:9He shall cross over to his stronghold for fear,
And his princes shall be afraid of the banner,”
Says the LORD,
Whose fire is in Zion
And whose furnace is in Jerusalem.

See the NKJV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

The text of the New King James Version (NKJV) appearing on or deriving from this or any other web page is for personal use only. Any other use of the NKJV must be in conformity with the Quotation Policy for the New King James Version. For more information about the New King James Version, the Quotation Policy, and for inquiries about permission to use the New King James Version, go to Thomas Nelson, Inc..

For more information on this translation, see the NKJV Preface.