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.

² Yet 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.

³ But the Egyptians are men, not God; their horses are flesh, not spirit. When the LORD stretches out His hand, the helper will stumble, and the one he helps will fall; both will perish together.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: 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.
KJV: 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!
WEB: 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!
ASV: 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!
DARBY: 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!
BLB: Woe to those going down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses and trust in chariots that are many, and in horsemen that they are very numerous, and they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, and YHWH they do not seek.

ÅB: Ve dem som farer ned til Egypt etter hjelp og setter sin lit til hester og stoler på vogner fordi de er mange, og på hestfolk fordi de er så tallrike, men ikke vender sine øyne til Israels Hellige og ikke søker Herren!
OTB: Ve dem som drar ned til Egypt for hjelp, som stoler på hester, og som setter sin lit til mengden av vogner og styrken til rytterne, men som ikke vender seg til Israels Hellige eller søker Herrens veiledning.
B1930: Ve dem som farer ned til Egypten efter hjelp og setter sin lit til hester og stoler på vogner fordi de er mange, og på hestfolk fordi de er så tallrike, men ikke vender sine øine til Israels Hellige og ikke søker Herren!

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Psalms 20:7
Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
Read in context
Jeremiah 17:5
This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes the flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 17:16
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.’
Read in context
Jeremiah 2:13
“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.
Read in context
Isaiah 36:9
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?
Read in context
Psalms 33:16–17
No king is saved by his vast army; no warrior is delivered by his great strength.
Read in context
Isaiah 30:16
“No,” you say, “we will flee on horses.” Therefore you will flee! “We will ride swift horses,” but your pursuers will be faster.
Read in context
Daniel 9:13
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.
Read in context