Woe to Corrupt Rulers
Trouble is coming for those who pass cruel laws—who write down injustice and call it legal. They deny the poor their day in court. They strip away the rights of the helpless. They prey on widows and rob orphans.
What will you do when judgment comes? When disaster sweeps in from far away, where will you run? Who will protect you then? Where will your wealth and power be? Without me, you’ll be dragged away with the prisoners or fall with the dead. Even after all this, God’s anger hasn’t cooled. His hand is still raised to strike.
Assyria: God’s Weapon
Assyria is the weapon of my rage—the club I wield in my fury. I’ll send him against a godless nation, against the people who provoke me. I’ll command him to loot and plunder, to trample them into the mud like trash in the streets.
But he doesn’t realize he’s just a tool. His heart has its own plan: total destruction. He wants to wipe out nation after nation.
He boasts, “Aren’t all my commanders like kings? Didn’t I conquer Calno just like Carchemish? Hamath just like Arpad? Samaria just like Damascus? My hand has crushed kingdoms full of idols—kingdoms with gods more impressive than Jerusalem’s or Samaria’s. So won’t I do to Jerusalem and her idols exactly what I did to Samaria?”
The King’s Arrogance
But when the Lord finishes his work on Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he’ll turn and punish the king of Assyria. He’ll deal with that arrogant heart and those prideful eyes. The king says, “I did all this by my own strength and wisdom. I’m clever. I redrew the maps of nations. I raided their treasuries. I knocked down their rulers like a warrior. My hand reached into the wealth of nations like reaching into a nest. I gathered up the whole earth the way you’d gather abandoned eggs—and no one dared flutter a wing or open their beak or make a sound.”
Should an axe brag that it’s stronger than the person swinging it? Should a saw claim it’s greater than the one cutting with it? That’s like a wooden rod trying to lift the person holding it.
So the Lord Almighty will send a wasting disease on Assyria’s strong warriors. Under all their glory, he’ll kindle a fire that burns like a blazing flame. The Light of Israel will become a fire. The Holy One will be a flame. In a single day he’ll burn up their thorns and briars. He’ll consume the splendor of their forests and fertile fields, body and soul. They’ll waste away like a sick man fading toward death. So few trees will be left in their forest that a child could count them.
A Remnant Will Return
When that day comes, the survivors of Israel—those who escaped from Jacob’s family—will never again lean on the nation that attacked them. Instead they’ll truly lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. A remnant will return—a remnant of Jacob will come back to the mighty God. Even if your people Israel are as countless as sand on the seashore, only a remnant will return. Destruction has been decided, and it will overflow with justice. The Lord Almighty has decided to bring destruction across the whole land.
Don’t Fear Assyria
So the Lord Almighty says this: “My people living in Zion, don’t be afraid of Assyria. He’ll beat you with a rod and raise his club against you, just like Egypt did. But in just a little while, my fury will end. My anger will destroy them.” The Lord Almighty will whip them the way he destroyed Midian at the rock of Oreb. He’ll raise his staff over the sea just like he did against Egypt. When that day comes, he’ll lift their burden off your shoulders and remove their yoke from your neck. The yoke will be shattered by the anointing.
The Army Advances
The enemy has reached Aiath. He’s passed through Migron. At Michmash he’s storing his equipment. They’ve crossed the pass. They’re camping at Geba for the night. Ramah trembles. Gibeah of Saul has fled.
Cry out loud, people of Gallim! Let Laish hear you! Poor Anathoth! Madmenah is running. The people of Gebim are gathering to flee. By the end of today, he’ll stop at Nob. He’ll shake his fist at the mountain of Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem.
The Mighty One Strikes
But watch: the Lord Almighty will cut down the branches with terrifying force. The tallest trees will be chopped down. The proud will be brought low. He’ll hack through the thick forest with iron. Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One.