הוֹי הַיֹּרְדִים מִצְרַיִם לְעֶזְרָה עַל סוּסִים יִשָּׁעֵנוּ וַיִּבְטְחוּ עַל רֶכֶב כִּי רָב וְעַל פָּרָשִׁים כִּי עָצְמוּ מְאֹד וְלֹא שָׁעוּ עַל קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶת ה' לֹא דָרָשׁוּ

The prophet returns to his condemnations of the political courting of Egypt: Woe! Those who go down to Egypt for military and political help; they rely on horses. The horses of Egypt were reputed to be of excellent quality, and the Egyptian government maintained a kind of monopoly over the breeding and trade of horses. And woe to those who trust in the chariots of Egypt because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very mighty, and they did not turn to the Holy One of Israel, and they did not seek the Lord. Their political preoccupations have distracted them from turning to God and heeding His word.

וְגַם הוּא חָכָם וַיָּבֵא רָע וְאֶת דְּבָרָיו לֹא הֵסִיר וְקָם עַל בֵּית מְרֵעִים וְעַל עֶזְרַת פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן

In contrast to their cleverness and stratagems, the prophet proclaims: He, the Holy One of Israel, too, is wise; therefore, they will be unable to trick Him or oppose Him, and He may bring the evil that He threatened against them, and He has not retracted His words of warning, but He will rise up when He chooses against the house of evildoers and against the help, the helpers, of performers of iniquity.

וּמִצְרַיִם אָדָם וְלֹא אֵל וְסוּסֵיהֶם בָּשָׂר וְלֹא רוּחַ וה' יַטֶּה יָדוֹ — וְכָשַׁל עוֹזֵר וְנָפַל עָזֻר וְיַחְדָּו כֻּלָּם יִכְלָיוּן

In contrast, Egypt is man and not God and their horses flesh and not spirit. Their forces are only material; therefore, if the Lord will outstretch His hand to strike them, or turn His hand away from them, the helper will stumble, the helped will fall, and all of them will perish together. The Egyptians are not strong enough to hold themselves up and certainly not to serve as a support for others.

כִּי כֹה אָמַר ה' אֵלַי כַּאֲשֶׁר יֶהְגֶּה הָאַרְיֵה וְהַכְּפִיר עַל טַרְפּוֹ אֲשֶׁר יִקָּרֵא עָלָיו מְלֹא רֹעִים — מִקּוֹלָם לֹא יֵחָת וּמֵהֲמוֹנָם לֹא יַעֲנֶה — כֵּן יֵרֵד ה' צְבָאוֹת לִצְבֹּא עַל הַר צִיּוֹן וְעַל גִּבְעָתָהּ

For so said the Lord to me: Just as the lion or young lion will roar over its prey, although a multitude of shepherds will be called against it, to make a loud noise from a safe distance in order to scare it away, it, the lion, will not be disheartened from their voice, and it will not respond and surrender to their commotion; so the Lord of hosts will descend to make war against the army of Assyria at Mount Zion, to protect it, and upon its hill, and no one shall protest.

כְּצִפֳּרִים עָפוֹת כֵּן יָגֵן ה' צְבָאוֹת עַל יְרוּשָׁלִָם גָּנוֹן וְהִצִּיל פָּסֹחַ וְהִמְלִיט

The prophet uses another metaphor from the animal kingdom: Like birds flying over their nests to guard their young, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem, defending and delivering, passing over other places and rescuing. Alternatively, delivering and having mercy on Jerusalem.

שׁוּבוּ לַאֲשֶׁר הֶעְמִיקוּ סָרָה בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

Since it is only God who provides reliable protection, the prophet exhorts: Repent for that which you have profoundly strayed, for the evil acts that have become ingrained in you, children of Israel.

כִּי בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִמְאָסוּן אִישׁ אֱלִילֵי כַסְפּוֹ וֶאֱלִילֵי זְהָבוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ לָכֶם יְדֵיכֶם חֵטְא

For indeed on that day when God will reveal Himself in His might, each will spurn the gods of his silver and the gods of his gold that your hands made for you. The making of such idols is a sin.

וְנָפַל אַשּׁוּר בְּחֶרֶב לֹא אִישׁ וְחֶרֶב לֹא אָדָם תֹּאכֲלֶנּוּ וְנָס לוֹ מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב וּבַחוּרָיו למַס יִהְיוּ

As for your fear of Assyria, your efforts to receive Egypt’s help shall change nothing, as Assyria will ultimately fall by the sword that is not of man, and a sword, which is not of a person, will devour him; he, Assyria, will flee from the chasing sword, and his young men will be captured and become indentured.

וְסַלְעוֹ מִמָּגוֹר יַעֲבוֹר וְחַתּוּ מִנֵּס שָׂרָיו נְאֻם ה' אֲשֶׁר אוּר לוֹ בְּצִיּוֹן וְתַנּוּר לוֹ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם

Its rock, the strength of Assyria, will pass and vanish in terror, and its princes will be disheartened and frightened by the banner of war – the utterance of the Lord – for whom there is a fire burning in Zion and a furnace for Him in the place of the Temple in Jerusalem. He holds in His hand the essence of fire and flame, with which He will protect His city and His house.