8. The king of Assyria says to himself,‘All of my commanders are like kings.
9. The city Calno is like the city Carchemish.The city Hamath is like the city Arpad.The city Samaria is like the city Damascus.
10. I defeated those kingdoms that worship idols,and those idols were more than the idols of Jerusalem and Samaria.
11. As I defeated Samaria and her idols,I will also defeat Jerusalem and her idols.’ ”
12. When the Lord finishes doing what he planned to Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will punish Assyria. The king of Assyria is very proud, and his pride has made him do these evil things, so God will punish him.
13. The king of Assyria says this:“By my own power I have done these things;by my wisdom I have defeated many nations.I have taken their wealth,and, like a mighty one, I have taken their people.
14. I have taken the riches of all these people,like a person reaching into a bird’s nest.I have taken these nations,like a person taking eggs.Not one raised a handor opened its mouth to stop me.”
15. An ax is not better than the person who swings it.A saw is not better than the one who uses it.A stick cannot control the person who picks it up.A club cannot pick up the person!
16. So the Lord God All-Powerfulwill send a terrible disease upon Assyria’s soldiers.The strength of Assyria will be burned uplike a fire burning until everything is gone.
17. God, the Light of Israel, will be like a fire;the Holy One will be like a flame.He will be like a firethat suddenly burns the weeds and thorns.
18. The fire burns away the great trees and rich farmlands,destroying everything.It will be like a sick person who wastes away.
19. The trees left standing will be so fewthat even a child could count them.
20. At that time some people will be left alive in Israelfrom the family of Jacob.They will not continue to dependon the person who defeated them.They will learn truly to depend on the Lord,the Holy One of Israel.
21. Those who are left alive in Jacob’s familywill again follow the powerful God.
22. Israel, your people are many,like the grains of sand by the sea.But only a few of them will be left alive to return to the Lord.God has announced that he will destroy the landcompletely and fairly.
23. The Lord God All-Powerful will certainly destroy this land,as he has announced.
24. This is what the Lord God All-Powerful says:“My people living in Jerusalem,don’t be afraid of the Assyrians,who beat you with a rodand raise a stick against you, as Egypt did.
25. After a short time my anger against you will stop,and then I will turn my anger to destroying them.”