1 Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! When thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.
God is warning those who are violent (the Assyrians) that if they go overboard the same fate will happen to them as to their victims.
2 O Lord, be gracious unto us; we have waited for Thee: be Thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.
Isaiah pleas for help.
3 At the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of Thyself the nations were scattered.
I wonder if this was written as the Assyrians conquered Israel.
4 And Your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpillar: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.
4 You people stole things in war. Those things will be taken from you. Many will come and take your wealth. It will be like the times when locusts come and eat all your crops.- ERB
5 The Lord is exalted; for He dwelleth on high: He hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.
6 And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure.
We have no greater treasure than God.
7 Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.
8 The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceases: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regards no man.
God did not break His promise to protect Israel. It was a conditional promise from the beginning. Israel broke their part of the agreement by worshiping other gods, so God was in no way bound to keep His part.
9 The earth mourns and languishes: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.
A list of places destroyed by Assyria.
10 Now will I rise, saith the Lord; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up Myself.
11 Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you.
12 And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.
13 Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge My might.
God will make it obvious that it is He who is destroying the nations.
14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
15 He that walks righteously, and speaks uprightly; he that despises the gain of oppressions, that shakes his hands from holding of bribes, that stops his ears from hearing of blood, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil;
16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.
17 Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.
"You will be taken captive and see this foreign king and his country."
18 Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? Where is the receiver? Where is he that counted the towers?
19 Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand.
20 Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.
Jerusalem (Zion) will not be conquered by the Assyrians.
21 But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.
22 For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; He will save us.
23 Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey.
24 And the inhabitant shall not say, "I am sick:" the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.