Fortified cities will disappear from Ephraim, and Damascus will lose its kingdom. The survivors in Syria will end up like the splendor of the Israelites,” says the LORD who commands armies.

以法莲不再有保障；大马士革不再有国权；亚兰所剩下的必像以色列人的荣耀消灭一样。这是万军之耶和华说的。

以法莲不再有堡垒，大马士革失去其王国，亚兰的百姓所剩无几，如以色列人的荣美消失一般；这是万军之耶和华说的。

以法莲不再有堡垒，大马士革失去其王国，亚兰的百姓所剩无几，如以色列人的荣美消失一般；这是万军之耶和华说的。

以法莲的堡垒必被摧毁，大马士革的王权必丧失。幸存的亚兰人必像以色列人一样失去荣耀。”这是万军之耶和华说的。

以法莲的堡垒必失去，大马士革的国权也必消逝；亚兰的余民必像以色列人的荣耀一般消灭。”这是万军之耶和华说的。

堡垒必从以法莲消亡，国权必从大马士革消亡；亚兰的余剩者必像以色列子孙的荣耀那样消亡。”这是万军之耶和华的宣告。

以法蓮不再有保障；大馬士革不再有國權；亞蘭所剩下的必像以色列人的榮耀消滅一樣。這是萬軍之耶和華說的。

以法蓮不再有堡壘，大馬士革失去其王國，亞蘭的百姓所剩無幾，如以色列人的榮美消失一般；這是萬軍之耶和華說的。

以法蓮不再有堡壘，大馬士革失去其王國，亞蘭的百姓所剩無幾，如以色列人的榮美消失一般；這是萬軍之耶和華說的。

以法蓮的堡壘必被摧毀，大馬士革的王權必喪失。倖存的亞蘭人必像以色列人一樣失去榮耀。」這是萬軍之耶和華說的。

以法蓮的堡壘必失去，大馬士革的國權也必消逝；亞蘭的餘民必像以色列人的榮耀一般消滅。”這是萬軍之耶和華說的。

以法蓮的堡壘必被拆毁，大馬色的國權必被廢除，亞蘭的餘民必消滅，正如以色列的威榮消滅：這是萬軍之永恆主發神諭說的。

堡壘必從以法蓮消亡，國權必從大馬士革消亡；亞蘭的餘剩者必像以色列子孫的榮耀那樣消亡。」這是萬軍之耶和華的宣告。

以法蓮之保障、大馬色之國祚、亞蘭之遺民、俱必滅絕、若以色列之榮然、萬軍之耶和華言之矣、○

以法蓮鞏固之城必毀、大瑪色之國必滅、亞蘭所遺之民、必歸於無有、與以色列族之榮華無異、此乃萬有之主所言、

The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites,” declares the Lord Almighty.

Ephraim’s people will no longer have cities with high walls around them. Royal power will disappear from Damascus. Those who are left alive in Aram will be like the glory of the people of Israel,” announces the Lord who rules over all.

The fortress will disappear from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus; and the remnant of Syria will be like the glory of the children of Israel, declares the Lord of hosts.

The fortified towns of Israel will also be destroyed, and the royal power of Damascus will end. All that remains of Syria will share the fate of Israel’s departed glory,” declares the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

The fortress disappears from Ephraim, and a kingdom from Damascus. The remnant of Aram will be like the splendor of the Israelites. This is the declaration of the LORD of Armies.

The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, And sovereignty from Damascus And the remnant of Aram; They will be like the glory of the sons of Israel,” Declares the Lord of armies.

The fortress also will cease from Ephraim, The kingdom from Damascus, And the remnant of Syria; They will be as the glory of the children of Israel,” Says the Lord of hosts.

And the fortress shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria; they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith Jehovah of hosts.

The fortress disappears from Ephraim, and a kingdom from Damascus. The remnant of Aram will be like the splendor of the Israelites. This is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts.

The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the LORD of hosts.

The fortress shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria. They will be as the glory of the children of Israel,” says Yahweh of Armies.

Here is why this will be so: Before the child knows how to reject evil and choose what is right, the land whose two kings you fear will be desolate.

Ephraim will be like a bird; what they value will fly away. They will not bear children– they will not enjoy pregnancy– they will not even conceive!

for before the child knows how to cry out,‘ My father’ or‘ My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.”

For Syria’s leader is Damascus, and the leader of Damascus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will no longer exist as a nation.

The mountains will disintegrate beneath him, and the valleys will be split in two. The mountains will melt like wax in a fire, the rocks will slide down like water cascading down a steep slope.All this is because of Jacob’s rebellion and the sins of the nation of Israel. How has Jacob rebelled, you ask? Samaria epitomizes their rebellion! Where are Judah’s pagan worship centers, you ask? They are right in Jerusalem!“ I will turn Samaria into a heap of ruins in an open field– vineyards will be planted there! I will tumble the rubble of her stone walls down into the valley, and tear down her fortifications to their foundations.All her carved idols will be smashed to pieces; all her metal cult statues will be destroyed by fire. I will make a waste heap of all her images. Since she gathered the metal as a prostitute collects her wages, the idols will become a prostitute’s wages again.”For this reason I will mourn and wail; I will walk around barefoot and without my outer garments. I will howl like a wild dog, and screech like an owl.For Samaria’s disease is incurable. It has infected Judah; it has spread to the leadership of my people and has even contaminated Jerusalem!

“ At that time Jacob’s splendor will be greatly diminished, and he will become skin and bones.

This is what the LORD says:“ Because Israel has committed three covenant transgressions– make that four!– I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They sold the innocent for silver, the needy for a pair of sandals.They trample on the dirt-covered heads of the poor; they push the destitute away. A man and his father go to the same girl; in this way they show disrespect for my moral purity.They stretch out on clothing seized as collateral; they do so right beside every altar! They drink wine bought with the fines they have levied; they do so right in the temple of their God!For Israel’s sake I destroyed the Amorites. They were as tall as cedars and as strong as oaks, but I destroyed the fruit on their branches and their roots in the ground.

For the Israelites must live many days without a king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred fertility pillar, without ephod or idols.

When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim turned to Assyria, and begged its great king for help. But he will not be able to heal you! He cannot cure your wound!I will be like a lion to Ephraim, like a young lion to the house of Judah. I myself will tear them to pieces, then I will carry them off, and no one will be able to rescue them!

The splendid crown of Ephraim’s drunkards is doomed, the withering flower, its beautiful splendor, situated at the head of a rich valley, the crown of those overcome with wine.Look, the sovereign master sends a strong, powerful one. With the force of a hailstorm or a destructive windstorm, with the might of a driving, torrential rainstorm, he will knock that crown to the ground with his hand.The splendid crown of Ephraim’s drunkards will be trampled underfoot.The withering flower, its beautiful splendor, situated at the head of a rich valley, will be like an early fig before harvest– as soon as someone notices it, he grabs it and swallows it.

Then the LORD said to Hosea,“ Name him‘ Jezreel,’ because in a little while I will punish the dynasty of Jehu on account of the bloodshed in the valley of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel.

She conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the LORD said to him,“ Name her‘ No Pity’( Lo-Ruhamah) because I will no longer have pity on the nation of Israel. For I will certainly not forgive their guilt.

These are the ones who now take oaths in the name of the sinful idol goddess of Samaria. They vow,‘ As surely as your god lives, O Dan,’ or‘ As surely as your beloved one lives, O Beer Sheba!’ But they will fall down and not get up again.”I saw the sovereign One standing by the altar and he said,“ Strike the tops of the support pillars, so the thresholds shake! Knock them down on the heads of all the people, and I will kill the survivors with the sword. No one will be able to run away; no one will be able to escape.Even if they could dig down into the netherworld, my hand would pull them up from there. Even if they could climb up to heaven, I would drag them down from there.Even if they were to hide on the top of Mount Carmel, I would hunt them down and take them from there. Even if they tried to hide from me at the bottom of the sea, from there I would command the Sea Serpent to bite them.Even when their enemies drive them into captivity, from there I will command the sword to kill them. I will not let them out of my sight; they will experience disaster, not prosperity.”The sovereign LORD who commands armies will do this. He touches the earth and it dissolves; all who live on it mourn. The whole earth rises like the River Nile, and then grows calm like the Nile in Egypt.He builds the upper rooms of his palace in heaven and sets its foundation supports on the earth. He summons the water of the sea and pours it out on the earth’s surface. The LORD is his name.“ You Israelites are just like the Ethiopians in my sight,” says the LORD.“ Certainly I brought Israel up from the land of Egypt, but I also brought the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir.Look, the sovereign LORD is watching the sinful nation, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth. But I will not completely destroy the family of Jacob,” says the LORD.“ For look, I am giving a command and I will shake the family of Israel together with all the nations. It will resemble a sieve being shaken, when not even a pebble falls to the ground.All the sinners among my people will die by the sword– the ones who say,‘ Disaster will not come near, it will not confront us.’

Make this announcement in the fortresses of Ashdod and in the fortresses in the land of Egypt. Say this:“ Gather on the hills around Samaria! Observe the many acts of violence taking place within the city, the oppressive deeds occurring in it.”“ They do not know how to do what is right.”( The LORD is speaking.)“ They store up the spoils of destructive violence in their fortresses.Therefore,” says the sovereign LORD,“ an enemy will encircle the land. He will take away your power; your fortresses will be looted.”This is what the LORD says:“ Just as a shepherd salvages from the lion’s mouth a couple of leg bones or a piece of an ear, so the Israelites who live in Samaria will be salvaged. They will be left with just a corner of a bed, and a part of a couch.”Listen and warn the family of Jacob! The sovereign LORD, the God who commands armies, is speaking!“ Certainly when I punish Israel for their covenant transgressions, I will destroy Bethel’s altars. The horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground.I will destroy both the winter and summer houses. The houses filled with ivory will be ruined, the great houses will be swept away.” The LORD is speaking!

Now the LORD makes this announcement:“ Within exactly three years Moab’s splendor will disappear, along with all her many people; there will be just a few, insignificant survivors left.”

Ephraim will be struck down– their root will be dried up; they will not yield any fruit. Even if they do bear children, I will kill their precious offspring.My God will reject them, for they have not obeyed him; so they will be fugitives among the nations.

You did not bring me sacrifices and grain offerings during the forty years you spent in the wilderness, family of Israel.You will pick up your images of Sikkuth, your king, and Kiyyun, your star god, which you made for yourselves,and I will drive you into exile beyond Damascus,” says the Lord. He is called the God who commands armies!

The roar of battle will rise against your people; all your fortresses will be devastated, just as Shalman devastated Beth Arbel on the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children.

So I will pounce on them like a lion; like a leopard I will lurk by the path.I will attack them like a bear robbed of her cubs– I will rip open their chests. I will devour them there like a lion– like a wild animal would tear them apart.

Israel will be swallowed up among the nations; they will be like a worthless piece of pottery.

In the ninth year of Hoshea’s reign, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the people of Israel to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, along the Habor( the river of Gozan), and in the cities of the Medes.

Therefore they will now be the first to go into exile, and the religious banquets where they sprawl on couches will end.The sovereign LORD confirms this oath by his very own life. The LORD, the God who commands armies, is speaking:“ I despise Jacob’s arrogance; I hate their fortresses. I will hand over to their enemies the city of Samaria and everything in it.”If ten men are left in one house, they too will die.When their close relatives, the ones who will burn the corpses, pick up their bodies to remove the bones from the house, they will say to anyone who is in the inner rooms of the house,“ Is anyone else with you?” He will respond,“ Be quiet! Don’t invoke the LORD’s name!”Indeed, look! The LORD is giving the command. He will smash the large house to bits, and the small house into little pieces.

Is not Calneh like Carchemish? Hamath like Arpad? Samaria like Damascus?

The king of Assyria responded favorably to his request; he attacked Damascus and captured it. He deported the people to Kir and executed Rezin.

Even though he flourishes like a reed plant, a scorching east wind will come, a wind from the LORD rising up from the desert. As a result, his spring will dry up; his well will become dry. That wind will spoil all his delightful foods in the containers in his storehouse.( 14: 1) Samaria will be held guilty, because she rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword, their infants will be dashed to the ground– their pregnant women will be ripped open.