Yesaya 2:22

2:22 Stop trusting in human beings,

whose life’s breath is in their nostrils.

For why should they be given special consideration?

Yesaya 30:1-3

Egypt Will Prove Unreliable

30:1 “The rebellious ¹  children are as good as dead,” ²  says the Lord,

“those who make plans without consulting me, ³ 

who form alliances without consulting my Spirit, ⁴ 

and thereby compound their sin. ⁵ 

30:2 They travel down to Egypt

without seeking my will, ⁶ 

seeking Pharaoh’s protection,

and looking for safety in Egypt’s protective shade. ⁷ 

30:3 But Pharaoh’s protection will bring you nothing but shame,

and the safety of Egypt’s protective shade nothing but humiliation.

Yesaya 31:1-3

Egypt Will Disappoint

31:1 Those who go down to Egypt for help are as good as dead, ⁸ 

those who rely on war horses,

and trust in Egypt’s many chariots ⁹ 

and in their many, many horsemen. ¹⁰ 

But they do not rely on the Holy One of Israel ¹¹ 

and do not seek help from the Lord.

31:2 Yet he too is wise ¹²  and he will bring disaster;

he does not retract his decree. ¹³ 

He will attack the wicked nation, ¹⁴ 

and the nation that helps ¹⁵  those who commit sin. ¹⁶ 

31:3 The Egyptians are mere humans, not God;

their horses are made of flesh, not spirit.

The Lord will strike with ¹⁷  his hand;

the one who helps will stumble

and the one being helped will fall.

Together they will perish. ¹⁸ 

[30:1]  ¹ tn Or “stubborn” (NCV); cf. NIV “obstinate.”

[30:1]  ² tn Heb “Woe [to] rebellious children.”

[30:1]  ³ tn Heb “making a plan, but not from me.”

[30:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “and pouring out a libation, but not [from] my spirit.” This translation assumes that the verb נָסַךְ (nasakh) means “pour out,” and that the cognate noun מַסֵּכָה (massekhah) means “libation.” In this case “pouring out a libation” alludes to a ceremony that formally ratifies an alliance. Another option is to understand the verb נָסַךְ as a homonym meaning “weave,” and the cognate noun מַסֵּכָה as a homonym meaning “covering.” In this case forming an alliance is likened to weaving a garment.

[30:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “consequently adding sin to sin.”

[30:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “those who go to descend to Egypt, but [of] my mouth they do not inquire.”

[30:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “to seek protection in the protection of Pharaoh, and to seek refuge in the shade of Egypt.”

[31:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “Woe [to] those who go down to Egypt for help.”

[31:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “and trust in chariots for they are many.”

[31:1]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and in horsemen for they are very strong [or “numerous”].”

[31:1]  ¹¹ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[31:2]  ¹² sn This statement appears to have a sarcastic tone. The royal advisers who are advocating an alliance with Egypt think they are wise, but the Lord possesses wisdom as well and will thwart their efforts.

[31:2]  ¹³ tn Heb “and he does not turn aside [i.e., “retract”] his words”; NIV “does not take back his words.”

[31:2]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”

[31:2]  ¹⁵ sn That is, Egypt.

[31:2]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”

[31:3]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “will extend”; KJV, ASV, NASB, NCV “stretch out.”

[31:3]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “together all of them will come to an end.”