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Ah, Assyria, 1the rod of my anger; the staff in their hands is my fury!
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Against a 2godless nation I send him, and against the people of my wrath I command him, to take 3spoil and seize plunder, and to 4tread them down like the mire of the streets.
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But he 5does not so intend, and his heart does not so think; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few;
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for he says: 6"Are not my commanders all kings?
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7Is not 8Calno like 9Carchemish? Is not 10Hamath like 11Arpad? 12Is not 13Samaria like Damascus?
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As my hand has reached to 14the kingdoms of the idols, whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
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shall I not do to Jerusalem and 15her idols 16as I have done to Samaria and her images?"
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17When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, 18he will punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes.
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19For he says: "By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding; I remove the boundaries of peoples, and plunder their treasures; like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones.
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My hand has found like a nest the wealth of the peoples; and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken, so I have gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved a wing or opened the mouth or chirped."
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Shall 20the axe boast over him who hews with it, or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it? As if a rod should wield him who lifts it, or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood!
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Therefore the Lord GOD of hosts will send wasting sickness among his 21stout warriors, and under his glory 22a burning will be kindled, like the burning of fire.
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23The light of Israel will become a fire, and 24his Holy One a flame, and 25it will burn and devour his thorns and briers 26in one day.
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The glory of 27his forest and of his 28fruitful land the LORD will destroy, both soul and body, and it will be as when a sick man wastes away.
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The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few that a child can write them down.