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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Even before then, the lands of the two kings you fear will be ruined.

Ephraim’s greatness and glory will be gone. It will fly away like a bird. Women will no longer have children. They will not be able to get pregnant.

The king of Assyria will carry off the wealth of Damascus. He will also carry away the goods that were taken from Samaria. That will happen before the boy knows how to say‘ My father’ or‘ My mother.’ ”

The capital of Aram is Damascus. And the ruler of Damascus is only Rezin. Do not worry about the people of Ephraim. They will be too crushed to be considered a people. That will happen before 65 years are over.

The mountains will melt under him like wax near a fire. The valleys will be broken apart by water rushing down a slope.All this will happen because Jacob’s people have done what is wrong. The people of Israel have committed many sins. Who is to blame for the wrong things Jacob has done? Samaria! Who is to blame for the high places where Judah’s people worship other gods? Jerusalem!So the Lord says,“ I will turn Samaria into a pile of trash. It will become a place for planting vineyards. I will dump its stones down into the valley. And I will destroy it down to its very foundations.All the statues of Samaria’s gods will be broken to pieces. All the gifts its people gave to temple prostitutes will be burned with fire. I will destroy all the statues of its gods. Samaria collected gifts that were paid to temple prostitutes. So the Assyrians will use the gifts to pay their own temple prostitutes.”I will weep and mourn because Samaria will be destroyed. I’ll walk around barefoot and naked. I’ll bark like a wild dog. I’ll hoot like an owl.Samaria’s plague can’t be healed. The plague has spread to Judah. It has spread right up to the gate of my people. It has spread to Jerusalem itself.

“ In days to come, the glory of Jacob’s people will fade. Their strength will get weaker and weaker.

The Lord says,“ The people of Israel have sinned again and again. So I will judge them. They sell into slavery those who have done no wrong. They trade needy people for a mere pair of sandals.They grind the heads of the poor into the dust of the ground. They refuse to be fair to those who are crushed. A father and his son have sex with the same girl. They treat my name as if it were not holy.They lie down beside every altar on clothes they have taken. They lie on those clothes until the owner pays back what is owed. In the house of their God they drink wine that was paid as fines.“ Yet I destroyed the Amorites to make room in the land for my people. The Amorites were as tall as cedar trees. They were as strong as oak trees. But I cut off their fruit above the ground and their roots below it.

So the people of Israel will live for a long time without a king or prince. They won’t have sacrifices or sacred stones. They won’t have sacred linen aprons or statues of family gods.

“ The people of Ephraim saw how sick they were. The people of Judah saw that they were wounded. Then Ephraim turned to Assyria for help. They sent gifts to the great King Tiglath- Pileser. But he is not able to make you well. He can’t heal your wounds.I will be like a lion to Ephraim. I will attack Judah like a powerful lion. I will tear them to pieces. I will drag them off. Then I will leave them. No one will be able to save them.

How terrible it will be for the city of Samaria! It sits on a hill like a wreath of flowers. The leaders of Ephraim are drunk. They take pride in their city. It sits above a valley that has rich soil. How terrible it will be for the glorious beauty of that fading flower!The Lord will bring the strong and powerful king of Assyria against Samaria. The Lord will throw that city down to the ground with great force. It will be like a hailstorm. It will be like a wind that destroys everything. It will be like a driving rain and a flooding storm.That city is like a wreath. The leaders of Ephraim are drunk. They take pride in their city. But its enemies will walk all over it.It sits on a hill above a rich valley. The city is like a wreath of flowers whose glorious beauty is fading away. But it will become like figs that are ripe before harvest. As soon as people see them, they pick them and swallow them.

Then the Lord said to Hosea,“ Name him Jezreel. That’s because I will soon punish Jehu’s royal family. He killed many people at the city of Jezreel. So I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel.

Gomer became pregnant again. She had a daughter. Then the Lord said to Hosea,“ Name her Lo- Ruhamah.” Lo- Ruhamah means Not Loved.“ That’s because I will no longer show love to the people of Israel. I will not forgive them anymore.

Some people make promises in the name of Samaria’s god. That god has led them astray. Others say,‘ People of Dan, you can be sure that your god is alive.’ Still others say,‘ You can be sure that Beersheba’s god is alive.’ But all these people will fall dead. They will never get up again.”I saw the Lord standing next to the altar in the temple. He said to me,“ Strike the tops of the temple pillars. Then the heavy stones at the base of the entrance will shake. Bring everything down on the heads of everyone there. I will kill with my swords those who are left alive. None of the Israelites will escape. None will get away.They might dig down deep. But my powerful hand will take them out of there. They might climb up to the heavens. But I will bring them down from there.They might hide on top of Mount Carmel. But I will hunt them down and grab them. They might hide from me at the bottom of the ocean. But even there I will command the serpent to bite them.Their enemies might take them away as prisoners to another country. But there I will command Israel’s enemies to cut them down with swords. I will keep my eye on Israel to harm them. I will not help them.”The Lord rules over all. The Lord touches the earth, and it melts. Everyone who lives in it mourns. The whole land rises like the Nile River. Then it settles back down again like that river in Egypt.The Lord builds his palace high in the heavens. He lays its foundation on the earth. He sends for the waters in the clouds. Then he pours them out on the surface of the land. His name is the Lord.“ You Israelites are just like the people of Cush to me,” announces the Lord.“ I brought Israel up from Egypt. I also brought the Philistines from Crete and the Arameans from Kir.“ I am the Lord and King. My eyes are watching the sinful kingdom of Israel. I will wipe it off the face of the earth. But I will not totally destroy the people of Jacob,” announces the Lord.“ I will give an order. I will shake the people of Israel among all the nations. They will be like grain that is shaken through a screen. Not a pebble will fall to the ground.All the sinners among my people will be killed by swords. They say,‘ Nothing bad will ever happen to us.’

Speak to the people in the forts of Ashdod and Egypt. Tell them,“ Gather together on the mountains of Samaria. Look at the great trouble in that city. Its people are committing many crimes.”“ They do not know how to do what is right,” announces the Lord.“ They store up stolen goods in their forts.”So the Lord and King says,“ Enemies will take over your land. They will pull down your places of safety. They will rob your forts.”The Lord says,“ Suppose a shepherd saves only two leg bones from a lion’s mouth. Or he might save only a piece of an ear. That is how the Israelites living in Samaria will be saved. They will only have a board from a bed and a piece of cloth from a couch.”“ Listen to me,” announces the Lord.“ Be a witness against the people of Jacob,” says the Lord God who rules over all.“ I will punish Israel for their sins. When I do, I will destroy their altars at Bethel. The horns that stick out from the upper corners of their main altar will be cut off. They will fall to the ground.I will tear down their winter houses. I will also pull down their summer houses. The houses they have decorated with ivory will be destroyed. And their princely houses will be torn down,” announces the Lord.

But now he says,“ In exactly three years, people will look down on Moab’s glory. Now Moab has many people. But by that time only a few of them will be left alive. And even they will be weak.”

Ephraim is like a worthless plant. Its roots are dried up. It does not produce any fruit. Suppose Ephraim’s people have children. Then I will kill the children they love so much.”My God will turn his back on his people. They have not obeyed him. So they will wander among other nations.

“ People of Israel, did you bring me sacrifices and offerings for 40 years in the desert?Yes. But you have honored the place where your king worshiped other gods. You have carried the stands the statues of your gods were on. You have lifted up the banners of the stars you worship as gods. You made all those things for yourselves.So I will send you away as prisoners beyond Damascus,” says the Lord. His name is God Who Rules Over All.

But the roar of battle will come against you. All your forts will be completely destroyed. It will happen just as Shalman destroyed Beth Arbel in a battle. Mothers and their children were smashed on the ground.

So I will leap on them like a lion. I will hide and wait beside the road like a leopard.I will attack them like a bear that is robbed of her cubs. I will rip them wide open. Like a lion I will eat them up. Like a wild animal I will tear them apart.

So the people of Israel are swallowed up. Now they are among the nations like something no one wants.

Finally, the king of Assyria captured Samaria. It was in the ninth year of Hoshea. The king of Assyria took the Israelites away from their own land. He sent them off to Assyria. He made some of them live in Halah. He made others live in Gozan on the Habor River. And he made others live in the towns of the Medes.

So you will be among the first to be taken away as prisoners. You won’t be able to enjoy good food. You won’t lie around on couches anymore.The Lord and King has made a promise in his own name. He is the Lord God who rules over all. He announces,“ I hate the pride of Jacob’s people. I can’t stand their forts. I will hand the city of Samaria and everything in it over to their enemies.”Ten people might be left in one house. If they are, they will die there.Relatives might come to burn the dead bodies. If they do, they’ll have to carry them out of the house first. They might ask someone still hiding there,“ Is anyone else here with you?” If the answer is no, the relatives will go on to say,“ Be quiet! We must not pray in the Lord’ s name.”That’s because the Lord has already given an order. He will smash large houses to pieces. He will crush small houses to bits.

‘ I took over Kalno just as I took Carchemish. I took over Hamath just as I did Arpad. I took Samaria just as I did Damascus.

So the king of Assyria did what Ahaz asked him to do. He attacked the city of Damascus and captured it. He sent its people away to Kir. And he put Rezin to death.

Even though they are doing well among the other tribes, trouble will come to them. I will send a hot and dry wind from the east. It will blow in from the desert. Their springs will not have any water. Their wells will dry up. All their treasures will be taken out of their storerooms.The people of Samaria must pay for their sins. They have refused to obey me. They will be killed by swords. Their little children will be smashed on the ground. Their pregnant women will be ripped wide open.”