1Woe to those who make unjust laws,
to those who issue oppressive decrees,
2to deprive the poor of their rights
and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,
making widows their prey
and robbing the fatherless.
3What will you do on the day of reckoning,
when disaster comes from afar?
To whom will you run for help?
Where will you leave your riches?
4Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives
or fall among the slain.
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.
God’s Judgment on Assyria
5“Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger,
in whose hand is the club of my wrath!
6I send him against a godless nation,
I dispatch him against a people who anger me,
to seize loot and snatch plunder,
and to trample them down like mud in the streets.
7But this is not what he intends,
this is not what he has in mind;
his purpose is to destroy,
to put an end to many nations.
8‘Are not my commanders all kings?’ he says.
9‘Has not Kalno fared like Carchemish?
Is not Hamath like Arpad,
and Samaria like Damascus?
10As my hand seized the kingdoms of the idols,
kingdoms whose images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria—
11shall I not deal with Jerusalem and her images
as I dealt with Samaria and her idols?’ ”
12When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes. 13For he says:
“ ‘By the strength of my hand I have done this,
and by my wisdom, because I have understanding.
I removed the boundaries of nations,
I plundered their treasures;
like a mighty one I subdued10:13 Or treasures; / I subdued the mighty, their kings.
14As one reaches into a nest,
so my hand reached for the wealth of the nations;
as people gather abandoned eggs,
so I gathered all the countries;
not one flapped a wing,
or opened its mouth to chirp.’ ”
15Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it,
or the saw boast against the one who uses it?
As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up,
or a club brandish the one who is not wood!
16Therefore, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
will send a wasting disease upon his sturdy warriors;
under his pomp a fire will be kindled
like a blazing flame.
17The Light of Israel will become a fire,
their Holy One a flame;
in a single day it will burn and consume
his thorns and his briers.
18The splendor of his forests and fertile fields
it will completely destroy,
as when a sick person wastes away.
19And the remaining trees of his forests will be so few
that a child could write them down.
The Remnant of Israel
20In that day the remnant of Israel,
the survivors of Jacob,
will no longer rely on him
who struck them down
but will truly rely on the Lord,
the Holy One of Israel.
21A remnant will return,10:21 Hebrew shear-jashub (see 7:3 and note); also in verse 22 a remnant of Jacob
will return to the Mighty God.
22Though your people be like the sand by the sea, Israel,
only a remnant will return.
Destruction has been decreed,
overwhelming and righteous.
23The Lord, the Lord Almighty, will carry out
the destruction decreed upon the whole land.
24Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says:
“My people who live in Zion,
do not be afraid of the Assyrians,
who beat you with a rod
and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did.
25Very soon my anger against you will end
and my wrath will be directed to their destruction.”
26The Lord Almighty will lash them with a whip,
as when he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb;
and he will raise his staff over the waters,
as he did in Egypt.
27In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders,
their yoke from your neck;
the yoke will be broken
because you have grown so fat.10:27 Hebrew; Septuagint broken / from your shoulders
28They enter Aiath;
they pass through Migron;
they store supplies at Mikmash.
29They go over the pass, and say,
“We will camp overnight at Geba.”
Ramah trembles;
Gibeah of Saul flees.
30Cry out, Daughter Gallim!
Listen, Laishah!
Poor Anathoth!
31Madmenah is in flight;
the people of Gebim take cover.
32This day they will halt at Nob;
they will shake their fist
at the mount of Daughter Zion,
at the hill of Jerusalem.
33See, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
will lop off the boughs with great power.
The lofty trees will be felled,
the tall ones will be brought low.
34He will cut down the forest thickets with an ax;
Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One.
110:1 Za 58:2; Isa 5:8Ole wao wawekao sheria zisizo za haki,
kwa wale watoao amri za kuonea,
210:2 Isa 3:14; 5:23; Kum 10:18; Ay 6:27; Isa 1:17kuwanyima maskini haki zao
na kuzuilia haki za watu wangu walioonewa,
kuwafanya wajane mawindo yao
na kuwanyangʼanya yatima.
310:3 Isa 31:3; Hes 9:7; Lk 19:44; Ay 31:14; Za 59:5; Isa 13:6Mtafanya nini siku ya kutoa hesabu,
wakati maafa yatakapokuja kutoka mbali?
Mtamkimbilia nani awape msaada?
Mtaacha wapi mali zenu?
410:4 Mao 1:12; Yer 39:6; Isa 24:22; Nah 3:3; Zek 9:11; Isa 5:25; 63:10; Yer 30:24Hakutasalia kitu chochote,
isipokuwa kujikunyata miongoni mwa mateka,
au kuanguka miongoni mwa waliouawa.
Hata kwa haya yote, hasira yake haijageukia mbali,
mkono wake bado umeinuliwa juu.
Hukumu Ya Mungu Juu Ya Ashuru
510:5 Sef 2:13; Yer 50:23; 51:20; Isa 37:7; Eze 30:24-25; 2Fal 19:21; Isa 7:20; 14:25“Ole kwa Ashuru, fimbo ya hasira yangu,
ambaye mkononi mwake ana rungu ya ghadhabu yangu!
610:6 Isa 9:17-19; 2Nya 28:9; Amu 6:4; Isa 5:29; 2Sam 22:43; Isa 37:26-27; Za 7:5Ninamtuma dhidi ya taifa lisilomjua Mungu,
ninamtuma dhidi ya taifa linalonikasirisha,
kukamata mateka na kunyakua nyara,
pia kuwakanyaga chini kama matope ya barabarani.
710:7 Mwa 50:20; Mdo 4:23-28; Mik 4:12Lakini hili silo analokusudia,
hili silo alilo nalo akilini;
kusudi lake ni kuangamiza,
kuyakomesha mataifa mengi.
810:8 2Fal 18:24Maana asema, ‘Je, wafalme wote
si majemadari wangu?
910:9 2Nya 35:20; Mwa 14:15; 2Fal 17:6; Yer 49:24; Hes 13:21; 34:8; Amo 6:2; Mwa 10:10Je, Kalno hakutendwa kama Karkemishi?
Hamathi si kama Arpadi,
nayo Samaria si kama Dameski?
1010:10 2Fal 19:18Kama vile mkono wangu ulivyotwaa falme za sanamu,
falme ambazo vinyago vyao vilizidi vile vya Yerusalemu na Samaria:
1110:11 2Fal 19:13; Isa 36:18-20; 37:10-13je, nisiishughulikie Yerusalemu na sanamu zake
kama nilivyoshughulikia Samaria na vinyago vyake?’ ”
1210:12 2Fal 19:7, 31; Isa 28:21; 2:8; Yer 50:18; 5:29; Isa 2:11; Eze 28:17; Za 18:27Bwana atakapokuwa amemaliza kazi yake yote dhidi ya Mlima Sayuni na Yerusalemu, atasema, “Nitamwadhibu mfalme wa Ashuru kwa ajili ya majivuno ya ukaidi wa moyo wake na kutazama kwa macho yenye dharau.” 1310:13 Kut 15:9; Eze 28:4; Dan 4:30; Kum 32:26-27; 8:17; Isa 47:7; 14:13-14Kwa kuwa anasema:
“ ‘Kwa nguvu za mkono wangu nimefanya hili,
kwa hekima yangu, kwa sababu nina ufahamu.
Niliondoa mipaka ya mataifa,
niliteka nyara hazina zao,
kama yeye aliye shujaa
niliwatiisha wafalme wao.
1410:14 Oba 1:4; Hab 2:6-11; Ay 31:25; Yer 49:16; Isa 37:24-25; 2Fal 19:22-24Kama mtu atiavyo mkono kwenye kiota,
ndivyo mkono wangu ulivyochukua utajiri wa mataifa;
kama watu wakusanyavyo mayai yaliyoachwa,
ndivyo nilivyokusanya nchi zote;
wala hakuna hata mmoja aliyepiga bawa
au kufungua kinywa chake kutoa mlio.’ ”
1510:15 Rum 9:20-21; Isa 7:20; 45:9Je, shoka laweza kujigamba kuwa na nguvu zaidi
kuliko yule anayelitumia,
au msumeno kujisifu
dhidi ya yule anayeutumia?
Ni kana kwamba fimbo ingeweza kumwinua yeye aichukuaye,
au mkongojo ungemwinua mwenye kuutumia!
1610:16 Hes 11:33; Isa 17:14; Za 78:31; Isa 8:7; Yer 21:14Kwa hiyo Bwana, Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote,
atatuma ugonjwa wa kudhoofisha kwa askari wake walio hodari,
katika fahari yake moto utawaka
kama mwali wa moto.
1710:17 Ay 41:21; Isa 37:23; 2Sam 23:6; Isa 9:18; 31:9; Zek 2:5Nuru ya Israeli itakuwa moto,
Aliye Mtakatifu wao mwali wa moto;
katika siku moja utaunguza na kuteketeza miiba
na michongoma yake.
1810:18 2Fal 19:23Fahari ya misitu yake na mashamba yenye rutuba
utateketeza kabisa,
kama vile mtu mgonjwa adhoofikavyo.
1910:19 Isa 21:12; 32:19; 17:6; 21:17; 27:13; Yer 44:28Nayo miti inayobaki katika misitu yake itakuwa michache sana
hata mtoto mdogo angeweza kuihesabu.
Mabaki Ya Israeli
2010:20 Isa 52:6; Zek 9:16; 2Fal 16:7; Eze 7:16; Isa 28:5; 2Nya 14:11; Isa 48:2; Yer 21:2Katika siku ile, mabaki ya Israeli,
walionusurika wa nyumba ya Yakobo,
hawatamtegemea tena yeye aliyewapiga,
lakini watamtegemea kwa kweli
Bwana Aliye Mtakatifu wa Israeli.
2110:21 Sef 3:13; Mwa 45:7; Isa 6:13; 9:6Mabaki watarudi,10:21 Kiebrania ni Shear-Yashubu, pia 22. mabaki wa Yakobo
watamrudia Mungu Mwenye Nguvu.
2210:22 Rum 9:27-28; Yer 40:2; Dan 9:27; Isa 48:19; Yer 33:22; Isa 11:11Ingawa watu wako, ee Israeli, ni wengi kama mchanga wa pwani,
ni mabaki yao tu watakaorudi.
Maangamizi yamekwisha amriwa,
ni mengi tena ni haki.
2310:23 Isa 6:12; 28:22; Rum 9:27-28; Dan 9:25Bwana, Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, atatekeleza
maangamizi yaliyoamriwa juu ya nchi yote.
2410:24 Za 87:5-6; Kut 5:14; Isa 7:4; 10:5Kwa hiyo, hili ndilo Bwana, Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote asemalo:
“Enyi watu wangu mkaao Sayuni,
msiwaogope Waashuru,
wanaowapiga ninyi kwa fimbo
na kuinua rungu dhidi yenu, kama Misri ilivyofanya.
2510:25 Isa 17:14; Dan 11:36; Za 30:5; Isa 29:17; Hag 2:6; Isa 24:21; 30:30Bado kitambo kidogo sana hasira yangu dhidi yenu itakoma,
na ghadhabu yangu itaelekezwa kwenye maangamizi yao.”
2610:26 Isa 37:36-38; Kut 14:16; Isa 30:32; 9:4Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote atawachapa kwa mjeledi,
kama alivyowapiga Wamidiani katika mwamba wa Orebu,
naye atainua fimbo yake juu ya maji,
kama alivyofanya huko Misri.
2710:27 Isa 9:4; 52:2; Law 26:13; Yer 30:8; Za 66:11; Isa 14:25; 47:6Katika siku hiyo mzigo wao utainuliwa kutoka mabegani mwenu,
na nira yao kutoka shingoni mwenu;
nira itavunjwa
kwa sababu ya kutiwa mafuta.
2810:28 1Sam 14:2; 13:2; Neh 11:31; Yos 1:11Wanaingia Ayathi,
wanapita katikati ya Migroni,
wanahifadhi mahitaji huko Mikmashi.
2910:29 Yos 18:25; 1Sam 13:23; Amu 19:14; Isa 15:5Wanavuka kivukoni, nao wanasema,
“Tutapiga kambi huko Geba usiku kucha.”
Rama inatetemeka;
Gibea ya Sauli inakimbia.
3010:30 1Sam 25:44; Neh 11:32; 1Sam 25:44Piga kelele, ee Binti Galimu!
Sikiliza, ee Laisha!
Maskini Anathothi!
3110:31 Yos 15:31Madmena inakimbia;
watu wa Gebimu wanajificha.
3210:32 1Sam 21:1; Za 9:14; Yer 6:23; Ay 15:25Siku hii ya leo watasimama Nobu;
watatikisa ngumi zao
kwa mlima wa Binti Sayuni,
kwa kilima cha Yerusalemu.
3310:33 Isa 2:13; 5:15; 18:5; Amo 2:9; Kut 12:2Tazama, Bwana, Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote,
atayakata matawi kwa nguvu kuu.
Miti mirefu sana itaangushwa,
ile mirefu itashushwa chini.
3410:34 Nah 1:12; Zek 11:2; 2Fal 19:23; Mwa 49:24; Za 93:4; Isa 33:21Atakata vichaka vya msitu kwa shoka;
Lebanoni itaanguka mbele zake yeye Mwenye Nguvu.
