Thursday, July 21, 2011

Isaiah 10:1-2

by Dick Mac

Sometimes subtitled "You Who Legislate Evil," the opening of Isaiah 10 discusses protection of the needy from the vagaries untoward legislation. It discusses the idea that those at the bottom need protection from those at the top.

In Reagan's America, here and now, the rich are rewarded for taking advantage of, and eliminating opportunities for those in need. It's just the way we do things today.

These same Reaganites prance around passing moral judgment on everyone else, often in the name of the Lord. Condemning, marginalizing, and denigrating single-mothers, homosexuals, immigrants, thinkers, and anyone who doesn't fit into the narrow little guest list for their tea party. They rant about personal freedom, but they do not want personal freedom for anyone but themselves, and they whine on and on about the cost of civilization, and demand that cuts be made, but not to the programs they use. Today's "conservatives" are not conservative at all and although they will wave flags of liberty and freedom in front of the cameras, they are as unpatriotic and unChristian people as any ever seen in the history of Western Civilization.

There are many interpretations and translations of the Bible. Here is Isaiah 10:1-2 from a score of different translations. As mentioned earlier, this tract discusses the protection of the needy from the greedy.

Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed
to turn aside the needy from judgment and to take away the right from the poor of My people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!


Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers that write perverseness;
to turn aside the needy from justice, and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!


WOE TO those [judges] who issue unrighteous decrees, and to the magistrates who keep causing unjust and oppressive decisions to be recorded,
To turn aside the needy from justice and to make plunder of the rightful claims of the poor of My people, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!


Doom to those
who pronounce wicked decrees,
and keep writing harmful laws
to deprive the needy of their rights
and to rob the poor among my people
of justice;
to make widows their loot;
to steal from orphans!


You people are in for trouble! You have made cruel and unfair laws
that let you cheat the poor and needy and rob widows and orphans.


Woe unto them that decree iniquitous decrees, and to the writers that prescribe oppression,
to turn away the poor from judgment, and to take away the right from the afflicted of my people; that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!


Woe to them that make wicked laws: and when they write, write injustice:
To oppress the poor in judgment, and do violence to the cause of the humble of my people: that widows might be their prey, and that they might rob the fatherless.


Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees,
and the writers who keep writing oppression,
to turn aside the needy from justice
and to rob the poor of my people of their right,
that widows may be their spoil,
and that they may make the fatherless their prey!


How horrible it will be for those who make unjust laws
and who make oppressive regulations.
They deprive the poor of justice.
They take away the rights of the needy among my people.
They prey on widows and rob orphans.


You are doomed! You make unjust laws that oppress my people. That is how you keep the poor from having their rights and from getting justice. That is how you take the property that belongs to widows and orphans.


Woe to those enacting crooked statutes
and writing oppressive laws
to keep the poor from getting a fair trial
and to deprive the afflicted among my people of justice,
so that widows can be their spoil
and they can plunder the fatherless.


Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;
To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!


Doom to you who legislate evil, who make laws that make victims— Laws that make misery for the poor,
that rob my destitute people of dignity,
Exploiting defenseless widows,
taking advantage of homeless children.


Woe to those who enact evil statutes
And to those who constantly record unjust decisions,
So as to deprive the needy of justice
And rob the poor of My people of their rights,
So that widows may be their spoil
And that they may plunder the orphans.


How terrible it will be for those who make unfair laws,
and those who write laws that make life hard for people.
They are not fair to the poor,
and they rob my people of their rights.
They allow people to steal from widows
and to take from orphans what really belongs to them.


How terrible it will be for you
who make laws that aren't fair!
How terrible for you
who write laws that make life hard for others!
You take away the rights of poor people.
You hold back what is fair from my people who are suffering.
You take for yourselves what belongs to widows.
You rob children whose fathers have died.


Woe to those who make unjust laws,
to those who issue oppressive decrees,
to deprive the poor of their rights
and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,
making widows their prey
and robbing the fatherless.


Woe to those who make unjust laws,
to those who issue oppressive decrees,
to deprive the poor of their rights
and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,
making widows their prey
and robbing the fatherless.


Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.


Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees,
Who write misfortune,
Which they have prescribed
To rob the needy of justice,
And to take what is right from the poor of My people,
That widows may be their prey,
And that they may rob the fatherless.


What sorrow awaits the unjust judges
and those who issue unfair laws.
They deprive the poor of justice
and deny the rights of the needy among my people.
They prey on widows
and take advantage of orphans.


Woe to those who make unjust laws,
to those who issue oppressive decrees,
to deprive the poor of their rights
and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,
making widows their prey
and robbing the fatherless.


Woe to them that make wicked laws, and they writing have written unrightfulness, (Woe to them who make wicked laws, and they writing have written injustice,) for to oppress poor men in doom, and to do violence to the cause of meek men of my people; that widows shall be the prey of them, and that they should ravish fatherless children. (and so they oppress the poor in judgement, and do violence to the cause of the humble among my people; and widows shall become their prey, and they shall rob fatherless children.)


Wo [to] those decreeing decrees of iniquity, And writers who have prescribed perverseness. To turn aside from judgment the poor, And to take violently away the judgment Of the afflicted of My people, That widows may be their prey, That the fatherless they may spoil.




No comments: