1 How terrible it will be for those people who go down to Egypt for help.They think horses will save them.They think their many chariotsand strong horsemen will save them.But they don’t trust God, the Holy One of Israel,or ask the Lord for help.
2 But he is wise and can bring them disaster.He does not change his warnings.He will rise up and fight against the evil peopleand against those who try to help evil people.
3 The Egyptians are only people and are not God.Their horses are only animals and are not spirit.The Lord will stretch out his arm,and the one who helps will stumble,and the people who wanted help will fall.All of them will be destroyed together.
4 The Lord says this to me:“When a lion or a lion’s cub kills an animal to eat,it stands over the dead animal and roars.A band of shepherdsmay be assembled against it,but the lion will not be afraid of their yellingor upset by their noise.So the Lord All-Powerful will come downto fight on Mount Zion and on its hill.
5 The Lord All-Powerful will defend Jerusalemlike birds flying over their nests.He will defend and save it;he will ‘pass over’ and save Jerusalem.”
6 You children of Israel, come back to the God you fought against.
7 The time is coming when each of you will stop worshiping idols of gold and silver, which you sinned by making.
8 “Assyria will be defeated by a sword, but not the sword of a person;Assyria will be destroyed, but not by a person’s sword.Assyria will run away from the sword of God,but its young men will be caught and made slaves.
9 They will panic, and their protection will be destroyed.Their commanders will be terrified when they see God’s battle flag,”says the Lord,whose fire is in Jerusalemand whose furnace is in Jerusalem.