Isaiah 31:1 “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who tr…”

Isaiah 31:1

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

King James Version

Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!

World English Bible

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they don’t look to the Holy One of Israel, and they don’t seek the LORD!

American Standard Version

Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek Jehovah!

Geneva Bible 1599

Woe vnto them that goe downe into Egypt for helpe, and stay vpon horses, and trust in charets, because they are many, and in horsemen, because they be very strong: but they looke not vnto the holy one of Israel, nor seeke vnto the Lord.

Darby Translation

Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help, and depend on horses, and confide in chariots because [they are] many, and in horsemen because they are very strong; and who look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek Jehovah!

Young's Literal Translation

Woe [to] those going down to Egypt for help, And on horses lean, And trust on chariots, because many, And on horsemen, because very strong, And have not looked on the Holy One of Israel, And Jehovah have not sought.

Bible in Basic English

Cursed are those who go down to Egypt for help, and who put their faith in horses; looking to war-carriages for salvation, because of their numbers; and to horsemen, because they are very strong; but they are not looking to the Holy One of Israel, or turning their hearts to the Lord;

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Cross references

“to them”

Isaiah 30:1–7 Isaiah 36:6 Ezekiel 17:15 Isaiah 57:9 Hosea 11:5

Isaiah 30:1–7 · BSB

“Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out a plan that is not Mine, who form an alliance, but against My will, heaping up sin upon sin.

Isaiah 36:6 · BSB

Look now, you are trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.

Ezekiel 17:15 · BSB

But this king rebelled against Babylon by sending his envoys to Egypt to ask for horses and a large army. Will he flourish? Will the one who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and yet escape?’

Isaiah 57:9 · BSB

You went to Molech with oil and multiplied your perfumes. You have sent your envoys a great distance; you have descended even to Sheol itself.

Hosea 11:5 · BSB

Will they not return to the land of Egypt and be ruled by Assyria because they refused to repent?

“stay on horses”

Psalm 20:7 Deuteronomy 17:16 Isaiah 36:9 Isaiah 30:16 Psalm 33:16 Psalm 33:17

Psalm 20:7 · BSB

Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

Deuteronomy 17:16 · BSB

But the king must not acquire many horses for himself or send the people back to Egypt to acquire more horses, for the LORD has said, ‘You are never to go back that way again.’

Isaiah 36:9 · BSB

For how can you repel a single officer among the least of my master’s servants when you depend on Egypt for chariots and horsemen?

Isaiah 30:16 · BSB

“No,” you say, “we will flee on horses.” Therefore you will flee! “We will ride swift horses,” but your pursuers will be faster.

Psalm 33:16 · BSB

No king is saved by his vast army; no warrior is delivered by his great strength.

Psalm 33:17 · BSB

A horse is a vain hope for salvation; even its great strength cannot save.

“the look”

Jeremiah 17:5 Jeremiah 2:13 Hosea 14:3 Isaiah 22:11 2 Chronicles 16:7 Isaiah 5:12

Jeremiah 17:5 · BSB

This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes mere flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD.

Jeremiah 2:13 · BSB

“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns— broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

Hosea 14:3 · BSB

Assyria will not save us, nor will we ride on horses. We will never again say, ‘Our gods!’ to the work of our own hands. For in You the fatherless find compassion.”

Isaiah 22:11 · BSB

You built a reservoir between the walls for the waters of the ancient pool, but you did not look to the One who made it, or consider Him who planned it long ago.

2 Chronicles 16:7 · BSB

At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa of Judah and told him, “Because you have relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.

Isaiah 5:12 · BSB

At their feasts are the lyre and harp, tambourines and flutes and wine. They disregard the actions of the LORD and fail to see the work of His hands.

“neither”

Daniel 9:13 Amos 5:4–8 Isaiah 9:13 Hosea 7:7 Hosea 7:13–16 Isaiah 64:7

Daniel 9:13 · BSB

Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our iniquities and giving attention to Your truth.

Amos 5:4–8 · BSB

For this is what the LORD says to the house of Israel: “Seek Me and live!

Isaiah 9:13 · BSB

But the people did not return to Him who struck them; they did not seek the LORD of Hosts.

Hosea 7:7 · BSB

All of them are hot as an oven, and they devour their rulers. All their kings fall; not one of them calls upon Me.

Hosea 7:13–16 · BSB

Woe to them, for they have strayed from Me! Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against Me! Though I would redeem them, they speak lies against Me.

Isaiah 64:7 · BSB

No one calls on Your name or strives to take hold of You. For You have hidden Your face from us and delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.

Also

Isaiah 2:7

Isaiah 2:7 · BSB

Their land is full of silver and gold, with no limit to their treasures; their land is full of horses, with no limit to their chariots.

Cross references adapted from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0) and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

In context

2Yet He too is wise and brings disaster; He does not call back His words. He will rise up against the house of the wicked and against the allies of evildoers.

Read Isaiah 31