7. Adonai sent a word to Jacob, and it fell upon Israel.
8. All the people will know what Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria say in pride and in arrogance of heart:
9. “The bricks are fallen, but we will rebuild with cut stones. The sycamores are cut down, but we will replace them with cedars.”
10. Therefore Adonai raises up Rezin’s adversaries against them, and spurs on his enemies.
11. The Arameans from the east and the Philistines from the west— they will devour Israel with open mouth. For all this His anger is not turned away, yet His hand is still outstretched.
12. Yet the people will not turn back to the One who strikes them, nor will they seek Adonai-Tzva’ot.
13. So Adonai will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and bulrush in a single day.
14. The elder and the man of rank— he is the head. The prophet who teaches falsehood— he is the tail.
15. The leaders of this people lead them astray. Those they mislead are swallowed up.
16. Therefore Adonai will have no joy in their young men, nor will He have compassion on their orphans and widows, for everyone is ungodly and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks foolishness. For all this His anger is not turned away, yet His hand is still outstretched.
17. For wickedness burns like a fire and consumes the briers and thorns It kindles the thickets of the forest, so they roll up in a column of smoke.