以賽亞書31:1-9

31:1 禍哉！那些下埃及求幫助的，是因仗賴馬匹，倚靠甚多的車輛，並倚靠強壯的馬兵，卻不仰望以色列的聖者，也不求問耶和華。
31:2 其實，耶和華有智慧；他必降災禍，並不反悔自己的話，卻要興起攻擊那作惡之家，又攻擊那作孽幫助人的。
31:3 埃及人不過是人，並不是上帝；他們的馬不過是血肉，並不是靈。耶和華一伸手，那幫助人的必絆跌，那受幫助的也必跌倒，都一同滅亡。
31:4 耶和華對我如此說：獅子和少壯獅子護食咆哮，就是喊許多牧人來攻擊牠，牠總不因他們的聲音驚惶，也不因他們的喧嘩縮伏。如此，萬軍之耶和華也必降臨在錫安山岡上爭戰。
31:5 雀鳥怎樣搧翅覆雛，萬軍之耶和華也要照樣保護耶路撒冷。他必保護拯救，要越門保守。
31:6 以色列人哪，你們深深地悖逆耶和華，現今要歸向他。
31:7 到那日，各人必將他金偶像銀偶像，就是親手所造、陷自己在罪中的，都拋棄了。
31:8 亞述人必倒在刀下，並非人的刀；有刀要將他吞滅，並非人的刀。他必逃避這刀；他的少年人必成為服苦的。
31:9 他的磐石必因驚嚇挪去；他的首領必因大旗驚惶。這是那有火在錫安、有爐在耶路撒冷的耶和華說的。

Alas for those who go down to Egypt for help

and who rely on horses,

who trust in chariots because they are many

and in horsemen because they are very strong,

but do not look to the Holy One of Israel

or consult the Lord!

2

Yet he too is wise and brings disaster;

he does not call back his words,

but will rise against the house of the evildoers,

and against the helpers of those who work iniquity.

3

The Egyptians are human, and not God;

their horses are flesh, and not spirit.

When the Lord stretches out his hand,

the helper will stumble, and the one helped will fall,

and they will all perish together.

4

For thus the Lord said to me,

As a lion or a young lion growls over its prey,

and—when a band of shepherds is called out against it—

is not terrified by their shouting

or daunted at their noise,

so the Lord of hosts will come down

to fight upon Mount Zion and upon its hill.

5

Like birds hovering overhead, so the Lord of hosts

will protect Jerusalem;

he will protect and deliver it,

he will spare and rescue it.

⁶ Turn back to him whom you have deeply betrayed, O people of Israel. ⁷For on that day all of you shall throw away your idols of silver and idols of gold, which your hands have sinfully made for you.

8

“Then the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of mortals;

and a sword, not of humans, shall devour him;

he shall flee from the sword,

and his young men shall be put to forced labor.

9

His rock shall pass away in terror,

and his officers desert the standard in panic,”

says the Lord, whose fire is in Zion,

and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.

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    對於受造的人而言，上帝賦予人一個重要的法則，就是人要倚靠上帝而生活。人是離不開上帝的，若沒有上帝人就不能做甚麼。而猶大百姓是上帝的子民，祂們應該對這樣的真裡很清楚，可使他們遇到強敵亞述時，卻亂了陣腳，跑去倚靠埃及。

    上帝透過先知的話，讓他們認識：「埃及人不過是人，並不是上帝；他們的馬不過是血肉，並不是靈。耶和華一伸手，那幫助人的必絆跌，那受幫助的也必跌倒，都一同滅亡。」

    先知再次向猶大百姓宣告：「萬軍之耶和華也必降臨在錫安山岡上爭戰。」「雀鳥怎樣搧翅覆雛，萬軍之耶和華也要照樣保護耶路撒冷。他必保護拯救，要越門保守。」

    上帝更透過先知宣告上帝的得勝，祂要將亞述的軍隊打敗，好拯救猶大百姓脫離亞述的威脅！而上帝是說到做到的上帝，祂真的是值得倚靠得上帝，讓我們一生一世堅心倚賴祂！