Assyria, your plans and actions are like straw. Your anger is a fire that will destroy you.

你们要怀的是糠秕，要生的是碎秸；你们的气就是吞灭自己的火。

你们怀的是糠秕，生的是碎秸；你们的气息如火吞灭自己。

你们怀的是糠秕，生的是碎秸；你们的气息如火吞灭自己。

你们所谋的像糠秕，所行的如碎秸，毫无价值。你们的气息会像火一样烧灭你们自己。

你们所怀的是糠秕，所生的是碎秸；我的气息必像火一般吞灭你们。

你们所怀的是干草，所生的是麦秸；你们的鼻息是吞噬自己的火。

你們要懷的是糠粃，要生的是碎稭；你們的氣就是吞滅自己的火。

你們懷的是糠粃，生的是碎稭；你們的氣息如火吞滅自己。

你們懷的是糠粃，生的是碎稭；你們的氣息如火吞滅自己。

你們所謀的像糠秕，所行的如碎稭，毫無價值。你們的氣息會像火一樣燒滅你們自己。

你們所懷的是糠秕，所生的是碎稭；我的氣息必像火一般吞滅你們。

你們孕懷着乾草，產生了碎稭；你們的氣就是火、是那吞滅你們自己的。

你們所懷的是乾草，所生的是麥稭；你們的鼻息是吞噬自己的火。

爾將孕秕穅、產草芥、爾氣乃火、焚燬己身、

敵之氣燄、如火之烈、災及其身、譬彼懷妊、所孕者秕糠、所產者草芥、

爾如懷孕、所孕者秕糠、所產者草芥、爾氣如火、將爾焚燬、

You conceive chaff, you give birth to straw; your breath is a fire that consumes you.

You conceive chaff; you give birth to stubble; your breath is a fire that will consume you.

You Assyrians produce nothing but dry grass and stubble. Your own breath will turn to fire and consume you.

You will conceive chaff; you will give birth to stubble. Your breath is fire that will consume you.

You have conceived chaff, you will give birth to stubble; My breath will consume you like a fire.

You shall conceive chaff, You shall bring forth stubble; Your breath, as fire, shall devour you.

Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath is a fire that shall devour you.

You will conceive chaff; you will give birth to stubble. Your breath is fire that will consume you.

Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath,[ as] fire, shall devour you.

You conceive straw, you give birth to chaff; your breath is a fire that destroys you.

You will conceive chaff. You will give birth to stubble. Your breath is a fire that will devour you.

People aren’t fair when they present cases in court. They aren’t honest when they state their case. They depend on weak arguments. They tell lies. They plan to make trouble. Then they carry it out.

Whoever is full of evil plans trouble and ends up telling lies.

When these desires are allowed to remain, they lead to sin. And when sin is allowed to remain and grow, it leads to death.

Who have you laughed at? Who have you spoken evil things against? Who have you raised your voice against? Who have you looked at so proudly? You have done it against me. I am the Holy One of Israel!Through your messengers you have laughed at me again and again. And you have said,‘ I have many chariots. With them I have climbed to the tops of the mountains. I’ve climbed the highest mountains in Lebanon. I’ve cut down its tallest cedar trees. I’ve cut down the best of its juniper trees. I’ve reached its farthest mountains. I’ve reached its finest forests.I’ve dug wells in other lands. I’ve drunk the water from them. I’ve walked through all the streams of Egypt. I’ve dried up every one of them.’“‘ “But I, the Lord, say,‘ Haven’t you heard what I have done? Long ago I arranged for you to do this. In days of old I planned it. Now I have made it happen. You have turned cities with high walls into piles of stone.Their people do not have any power left. They are troubled and put to shame. They are like plants in the field. They are like new green plants. They are like grass that grows on a roof. It dries up before it is completely grown.“ ‘ “ ‘But I know where you are. I know when you come and go. I know how very angry you are with me.You roar against me and brag. And I have heard your bragging. So I will put my hook in your nose. I will put my bit in your mouth. And I will make you go home by the same way you came.’ ” ’ ”

Flames of fire burn up straw. Dry grass sinks down into those flames. Evil people will be like plants whose roots rot away. They will be like flowers that are blown away like dust. That’s because they have said no to the law of the Lord who rules over all. They have turned against the message of the Holy One of Israel.

Sound the battle cry, you nations! But you will be torn apart. Listen, all you lands far away! Prepare for battle! But you will be torn apart. Prepare for battle! But you will be torn apart.Make your battle plans! But you won’t succeed. Give your orders! But they won’t be carried out. That’s because God is with us.

Your strongest men will become like dry pieces of wood. Their worship of other gods will be the spark that lights the fire. Everything will be burned up. No one will be there to put the fire out.”

The Lord says,“ The Assyrians will be killed by swords. But the swords that kill them will not be used by human beings. The Assyrians will run away from those swords. But their young men will be caught and forced to work hard.Their hiding places will be destroyed when terror strikes them. Their commanders will see their enemy’s battle flags. Then they will be filled with panic,” announces the Lord. His fire blazes out from Mount Zion. His furnace burns in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem, all your enemies will become like fine dust. Their terrifying armies will become like straw that the wind blows away. All of a sudden, in an instant,the Lord who rules over all will come. He will come with thunder, earthquakes and a lot of noise. He’ll bring windstorms and rainstorms with him. He’ll send a blazing fire that will burn up everything.Armies from all the nations will fight against Ariel. They will attack it and its fort. They’ll surround it completely. But suddenly those armies will disappear like a dream. They will vanish like a vision in the night.It will be as when a hungry person dreams of eating, but wakes up still hungry. It will be as when a thirsty person dreams of drinking, but wakes up weak and still thirsty. In the same way, the armies from all the nations that fight against Mount Zion will disappear.

All of them agree on the evil plans they have made. They join forces against you.Their forces include the people of Edom, Ishmael, Moab and Hagar.They also include the people of Byblos, Ammon, Amalek, Philistia and Tyre.Even Assyria has joined them to give strength to the people of Moab and Ammon.Do to them what you did to the people of Midian. Do to them what you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.Sisera and Jabin died near the town of Endor. Their bodies were left on the ground like human waste.Do to the nobles of your enemies what you did to Oreb and Zeeb. Do to all their princes what you did to Zebah and Zalmunna.They said,“ Let’s take over the grasslands that belong to God.”My God, make them like straw that the wind blows away. Make them like tumbleweed.Destroy them as fire burns up a forest. Destroy them as a flame sets mountains on fire.Chase them with your mighty winds. Terrify them with your storm.Lord, put them to shame so that they will seek you.May they always be filled with terror and shame. May they die in dishonor.May you, the Lord, let your enemies know who you are. You alone are the Most High God over the whole earth.

Instead of having children, ungodly people create suffering. All they produce is evil. They are full of lies.”

Why do the nations plan evil together? Why do they make useless plans?

The Lord will cause people to hear his powerful voice. He will make them see his arm coming down to punish them. It will come down with burning anger and destroying fire. It will come down with rain, thunderstorms and hail.The voice of the Lord will tear the Assyrians apart. He will strike them down with his scepter.He will strike them with his club to punish them. Each time he does, his people will celebrate with the music of harps and tambourines. He will use his powerful arm to strike down the Assyrians in battle.In the Valley of Ben Hinnom, Topheth has been prepared for a long time. It has been made ready for the king of Assyria. Its fire pit has been made deep and wide. It has plenty of wood for the fire. The breath of the Lord will be like a stream of burning sulfur. It will set the wood on fire.

But that is not what the king of Assyria plans. It is not what he has in mind. His purpose is to destroy many nations. His purpose is to put an end to them.‘ Aren’t all my commanders kings?’ he says.‘ I took over Kalno just as I took Carchemish. I took over Hamath just as I did Arpad. I took Samaria just as I did Damascus.My powerful hand grabbed hold of kingdoms whose people worship statues of gods. They had more gods than Jerusalem and Samaria did.I took over Samaria and its statues of gods. In the same way, I will take Jerusalem and its gods.’ ”The Lord will finish everything he has planned to do against Mount Zion and Jerusalem. Then he’ll say,“ Now I will punish the king of Assyria. I will punish him because his heart and his eyes are so proud.The king of Assyria says,“‘ By my power I have taken over all these nations. I am very wise. I have great understanding. I have wiped out the borders between nations. I’ve taken their treasures. Like a great hero I’ve brought their kings under my control.I’ve taken the wealth of the nations. It was as easy as reaching into a bird’s nest. I’ve gathered the riches of all these countries. It was as easy as gathering eggs that have been left in a nest. Not a single baby bird flapped its wings. Not one of them opened its mouth to chirp.’ ”

He causes the mountains to shake. The hills melt away. The earth trembles because he is there. The world and all those who live in it also tremble.Who can stand firm when his anger burns? Who can live when he is angry? His anger blazes out like fire. He smashes the rocks to pieces.The Lord is good. When people are in trouble, they can go to him for safety. He takes good care of those who trust in him.But he will destroy Nineveh with a powerful flood. He will chase his enemies into the place of darkness.The Lord will put an end to anything they plan against him. He won’t allow Assyria to win the battle over his people a second time.His enemies will be tangled up among thorns. Their wine will make them drunk. They’ll be burned up like dry straw.

Didn’t the land belong to you before it was sold? After it was sold, you could have used the money as you wished. What made you think of doing such a thing? You haven’t lied just to people. You’ve also lied to God.”

They sound like the roar of rushing waters. But when the Lord speaks out against them, they run far away. The wind blows them away like straw on the hills. A strong wind drives them along like tumbleweeds.

We were pregnant and groaned with pain. But nothing was born. We didn’t bring your saving power to the earth. And the people of the world have not come to life.