The specific charge against the people is given in more detail here. This verse begins with a Hebrew participle (rendered who set out) that links it back to the phrase rendered “the rebellious children” in the previous verse. If necessary, translators may repeat “Woe” at the beginning of this verse to make clear its relationship with the previous one (see the examples below).
Who set out to go down to Egypt is literally “who go to descend to Egypt.” “Descending” was the traditional way of speaking about going southwest from the highlands of Judah to the plains of Egypt. This line may be rendered simply “They go to Egypt.”
Without asking for my counsel is literally “and my mouth they have not asked.” The noun “mouth” refers to what Yahweh says. The people did not ask for Yahweh’s opinion before they went to Egypt.
To take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh, and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt: These two parallel lines are synonymous. They give the reason why the people go to Egypt. They hope that an alliance with Egypt will give them protection from Assyria. The genitive phrase the protection of Pharaoh means “the protection that Pharaoh may give them.” For Pharaoh see the comments on 19.11. Although the Hebrew word translated shadow can refer to a literal shadow, here it is used figuratively for the protection that the people expect to receive from Pharaoh. Translators may use their own idiom to express the idea of protection; for example, the last line may be rendered “to come under the shade of Egypt” (similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Bible en français courant). Good News Translation provides a nonfigurative model with “They want Egypt to protect them.”
Translation examples for this verse are:
• Woe to those who go down to Egypt,
without asking my advice,
to seek protection from the king of Egypt,
to seek shelter in Egypt’s shadow.
• Alas for those who go to Egypt without asking my advice,
to find refuge in Pharaoh’s protection,
to take cover in Egypt’s shadow.
Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .