The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations.

Surely the wrath of man shall praise You; With the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself.

" Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation.

I will send him against an ungodly nation, And against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, To seize the spoil, to take the prey, And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? [Or] shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield [itself] against those who lift it up, [Or] as if a staff could lift up, [as if it were] not wood!

"Did you not hear long ago [How] I made it, From ancient times that I formed it? Now I have brought it to pass, That you should be For crushing fortified cities [into] heaps of ruins.

Therefore their inhabitants [had] little power; They were dismayed and confounded; They were [as] the grass of the field And the green herb, [As] the grass on the housetops And [grain] blighted before it is grown.

I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these [things.']

Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times [things] that are not [yet] done, Saying, 'My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,'

Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken [it;] I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed [it;] I will also do it.

"Behold, I have created the blacksmith Who blows the coals in the fire, Who brings forth an instrument for his work; And I have created the spoiler to destroy.

"For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together

"to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.