18. He will completely destroythe glory of its forests and orchardsas a sickness consumes a person.
19. The remaining trees of its forestwill be so few in numberthat a child could count them.
20. On that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer depend on the one who struck them, but they will faithfully depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.
21. The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob,to the Mighty God.
22. Israel, even if your people were as numerousas the sand of the sea,only a remnant of them will return. Destruction has been decreed;justice overflows.
23. For throughout the landthe Lord God of Hostsis carrying out a destruction that was decreed.
24. Therefore, the Lord God of Hosts says this: “My people who dwell in Zion, do not fear Assyria, though he strikes you with a rod and raises his staff over you as the Egyptians did.
25. In just a little while My wrath will be spent and My anger will turn to their destruction.”
26. And the Lord of Hosts will brandish a whip against him as He did when He struck Midian at the rock of Oreb; and He will raise His staff over the sea as He did in Egypt.
27. On that dayhis burden will fall from your shoulders,and his yoke from your neck.The yoke will be broken because of fatness.