Isa 10:1-4 | NET2full | STEP | Beware , those who enact unjust policies those who are always instituting unfair regulations ,

‏ Isaiah 10:1-4

1 Beware, those who enact unjust policies ^{▼▼tn Heb “Woe [to] those who decree evil decrees.”}
those who are always instituting unfair regulations, ^{▼▼tn Heb “[to] the writers who write out harm.” The participle and verb are in the Piel, suggesting repetitive action.}
2 to keep the poor from getting fair treatment
and to deprive ^{▼▼tn Or “rob” (ASV, NASB, NCV, NRSV); KJV “take away the right from the poor.”} the oppressed among my people of justice,
so they can steal what widows own
and loot what belongs to orphans. ^{▼▼tn Heb “so that widows are their plunder, and they can loot orphans.”} ^{▼▼sn On the socio-economic background of vv. 1-2, see the note at 1:23.}
3 What will you do on judgment day, ^{▼▼tn Heb “the day of visitation” (so KJV, ASV), that is, the day when God arrives to execute justice on the oppressors.}
when destruction arrives from a distant place?
To whom will you run for help?
Where will you leave your wealth?
4 You will have no place to go, except to kneel with the prisoners
or to fall among those who have been killed. ^{▼▼tn Heb “except one kneels in the place of the prisoner, and in the place of the slain [who] fall.” On the force of בִּלְתִּי (bilti, “except”) and its logical connection to what precedes, see BDB 116 s.v. בֵלֶת. On the force of תַּחַת (takhat, “in the place of”) here, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:258, n. 6.}
Despite all this, his anger does not subside,
and his hand is ready to strike again. ^{▼▼tn Heb “in all this his anger was not turned, and still his hand was outstretched”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “his hand is stretched out still.”} ^{▼▼sn See the note at 9:12.}