1Ve jer, I, som rejser til Egypten efter hjælp, I, som sætter jeres lid til stridsvogne, heste og en sværm af ryttere i stedet for at søge hjælp hos Israels hellige Gud.2I sin visdom sender han ulykke over sit folk. Han ombestemmer sig ikke, men rejser sig imod dem og deres gudløse forbundsfæller på grund af deres ondskab.3Egypterne er dødelige mennesker, ikke guder. Deres heste er af kød og blod, ikke ånd. Når Herren løfter sin hånd imod dem, snubler og falder de sammen med dem, de prøver at hjælpe. Så er det ude med dem alle.4Herren sagde til mig: „Jeg er Herren, den Almægtige, og jeg vil kæmpe for Zions bjerg, som en løve kæmper for sit bytte. Lige meget hvor højt hyrderne råber og hvor meget de larmer for at skræmme løven væk, så flytter den sig ikke, men viser blot tænder.5Som fuglen, der svæver over sin rede for at beskytte den, sådan vil jeg beskytte og skærme Jerusalem. Jeg våger over byen og redder den.”6Israels folk, vend tilbage til den Gud, som I har været så utrolig oprørske imod.7Der kommer en dag, hvor I vil kassere de afguder af sølv og guld, som jeres syndige hænder har skabt.8Da vil assyrerne falde, men ikke for menneskers sværd. Gud vil selv nedkæmpe dem. De vil prøve at flygte, men de unge mænd bliver ført bort som slaver.9Hærchefen vil flygte i rædsel, officererne tage benene på nakken, når de får øje på Israels banner, siger Herren, for hans vredes ild brænder i Jerusalem.
1Woe[1] 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 do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord! (Salm 20,7; Es 22,11; Es 30,2; Es 30,16; Es 36,6; Es 36,9)2And yet he is wise and brings disaster; he does not call back his words, but will arise against the house of the evildoers and against the helpers of those who work iniquity. (4.Mos 23,19; Salm 94,4; Salm 94,8; Es 22,14)3The Egyptians are man, and not God, and their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out his hand, the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall, and they will all perish together. (Jer 17,5)4For thus the Lord said to me, “As a lion or a young lion growls over his prey, and when a band of shepherds is called out against him he is not terrified by their shouting or daunted at their noise, so the Lord of hosts will come down to fight[2] on Mount Zion and on its hill. (Es 42,13; Hos 11,10; Amos 1,2; Amos 3,8)5Like birds hovering, so the Lord of hosts will protect Jerusalem; he will protect and deliver it; he will spare and rescue it.” (5.Mos 32,11; Salm 91,4)6Turn to him from whom people[3] have deeply revolted, O children of Israel. (Es 1,5; Es 30,15)7For in that day everyone shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your hands have sinfully made for you. (Es 2,20; Es 30,22)8“And the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of man; and a sword, not of man, shall devour him; and he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be put to forced labor. (1.Mos 49,15; Ord 12,24; Es 37,36)9His rock shall pass away in terror, and his officers desert the standard in panic,” declares the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and whose furnace is in Jerusalem. (5.Mos 32,31; Salm 21,9; Es 30,29; Es 30,33; Mal 4,1)