Shalmaneser king of Assyria came to fight against Hoshea. {Shalmaneser defeated Hoshea} and Hoshea became his servant. So Hoshea paid tribute [198] to Shalmaneser.
The king of Assyria took Samaria during the ninth year that Hoshea was king of Israel. The king of Assyria captured many Israelites and took them as prisoners to Assyria. He made them live in Halah by the Habor River at Gozan and in other cities of the Medes.
\{Assyria {\cf2\super [119]} thinks he is great.\} But the Lord All-Powerful will send a terrible disease against Assyria. Assyria will lose his wealth and power like a sick man loses weight. Then Assyria’s glory will be destroyed. It will be like a fire burning until everything is gone.
Lawmakers, you will have to explain the things you have done. What will you do at that time? Your destruction is coming from a faraway country. Where will you run for help? Your money and your riches will not help you.
You will have to bow down like a prisoner. You will fall down like a dead person. But that will not help you! God will still be angry. God will still be ready to punish you.
The fort cities of Ephraim (Israel)\par will be destroyed.\par The government in Damascus\par will be finished.\par The same thing that happens to Israel,\par will happen to Aram. {\cf2\super [176]} \par All the important people\par will be taken away.”\par
At harvest time, people knock olives\par from olive trees.\par But, a few olives are left in the trees.\par It will be like that in this land\par among the nations.\par
We will hear songs of praise for God from every place on earth.\par These songs will praise the Good God.\par But I say;\par “Enough! I have had enough!\par The things I see are terrible.\par Traitors {\cf2\super [232]} are turning against people\par and hurting them.\par
Those people will be afraid of the Lord! Why? Because the Lord will destroy their gods. Then all the people in all the faraway lands will worship the Lord.