Isaiah 10:5-15

⁵Woe to the Assyrian, he is the rod and the staff of my anger, and my indignation is in their hands.

⁶I will send him to a deceitful nation, and I will give him a charge against the people of my wrath, to take away the spoils, and to lay hold on the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

⁷But he shall not take it so, and his heart shall not think so: but his heart shall be set to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few.

⁸For he shall say:

⁹Are not my princes as so many kings? is not Calano as Charcamis: and Emath as Arphad? is not Samaria as Damascus?

¹⁰As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idol, so also their idols of Jerusalem, and of Samaria.

¹¹Shall I not, as I have done to Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?

¹²And it shall come to pass, that when the Lord shall have performed all his works in mount Sion, and in Jerusalem, I will visit the fruit of the proud heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of the haughtiness of his eyes.

¹³For he hath said: By the strength of my own hand I have done it, and by my own wisdom I have understood: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have taken the spoils of the princes, and as a mighty man hath pulled down them that sat on high.

¹⁴And my hand hath found the strength of the people as a nest; and as eggs are gathered, that are left, so have I gathered all the earth: and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or made the least noise.

¹⁵Shall the axe boast itself against him that cutteth with it? or shall the saw exalt itself against him by whom it is drawn? as if a rod should lift itself up against him that lifteth it up, and a staff exalt itself, which is but wood.