1-3. A Message concerning Damascus:“Watch this: Damascus undone as a city,a pile of dust and rubble!Her towns emptied of people.The sheep and goats will move inAnd take over the townsas if they owned them—which they will!Not a sign of a fort is left in Ephraim,not a trace of government left in Damascus.What’s left of Aram?The same as what’s left of Israel—not much.”Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
10-11. And why? Because you have forgotten God-Your-Salvation,not remembered your Rock-of-Refuge.And so, even though you are very religious,planting all sorts of bushes and herbs and treesto honor and influence your fertility gods,And even though you make them grow so well,bursting with buds and sprouts and blossoms,Nothing will come of them. Instead of a harvestyou’ll get nothing but grief and pain, pain, pain.