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 sovereign king of Israel,⁴
and do not seek help from the LORD.
31:2 Yet he too is wise⁵ and he will bring disaster,
he does not retract his decree.⁶
He will attack the wicked nation,⁷
and the nation that helps⁸ 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 with¹⁰ his hand;
the one who helps will stumble,
and the one being helped will fall.
Together they will perish.¹¹

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 intimated by their yelling.¹³
In this same way the LORD who leads armies will descend,
to do battle on Mount Zion and on its hill.¹⁴
31:5 Just as birds hover over a nest,¹⁵
so the LORD who leads armies will protect Jerusalem.
He will protect and deliver it,
as he passes over¹⁶ he will rescue it.

31:6 You Israelites! Return to the one against whom you have so blatantly rebelled!¹⁷ 31:7 For at that time¹⁸ everyone will get rid of¹⁹ the silver and golden idols your hands sinfully made.²⁰

31:8 Assyria will fall by a sword, but not a manmade one,²¹
a sword not made by men will destroy them.²²
They will run away from this sword,²³
and their young men will be forced to do hard labor.
31:9 They will surrender their stronghold²⁴ because of fear,²⁵
their officers will be afraid of the LORD’s battle flag.”²⁶
This what the LORD says,
the one whose fire is in Zion,
whose fire pot is in Jerusalem.²⁷