O Assyrian,
the rod of mine anger,
and the staff in their hand is their indignation.
I will send him against a hypocritical nation,
and against the people of my wrath
will I give him a charge to take the spoil,
and to take the prey,
and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
Howbeit he meaneth not so,
neither doth his heart think so.
But in his heart it is to destroy and cut off nations not a few.
For he saith:
“Are not my princes altogether kings?
Is not Calno as Carchemish?
Is not Hamath as Arpad?
Is not Samaria as Damascus?“As my hand hath founded the kingdoms of the idols,
and whose graven images did excel
them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;“Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols,
so do to Jerusalem and to her idols?”
Wherefore it shall come to pass that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and upon Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.
For he saith:
“By the strength of my hand and by my wisdom
I have done these things;
for I am prudent.And I have moved the borders of the people,
and have robbed their treasures,
and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man;“And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people.
And as one gathereth eggs
that are left have I gathered all the earth.And there was none that moved the wing,
or opened the mouth, or peeped.”
Shall the ax boast itself
against him that heweth therewith?
Shall the saw magnify itself
against him that shaketh it?
As if the rod should shake itself
against them that lift it up,
or as if the staff should lift up itself
as if it were no wood!
Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of Hosts,
send among his fat ones, leanness;
and under his glory he shall kindle a burning
like the burning of a fire.
And the light of Israel shall be for a fire,
and his Holy One for a flame,
and shall burn and shall devour his thorns
and his briers in one day;
And shall consume the glory of his forest,
and of his fruitful field,
both soul and body;
and they shall be as when a standard–bearer fainteth.
And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few,
that a child may write them.