Samariawill be heldguilty,For she has rebelledagainst her God.They will fallby the sword,Their littleoneswill be dashedin pieces,And their pregnantwomenwill be rippedopen.
ThenMenahemstruckTiphsahand allwhowere in it and its bordersfrom Tirzah,becausethey did not open[to him]; therefore he struck[it] and rippedup allits womenwho were with child.
So the LORDwas veryangrywith Israeland removedthem from His sight;nonewas leftexceptthe tribeof Judah.
Then the kingof Assyriainvadedthe wholelandand wentup to Samariaand besiegedit threeyears.
In the ninthyearof Hoshea,the kingof AssyriacapturedSamariaand carriedIsraelawayinto exileto Assyria,and settledthem in Halahand Habor,[on] the riverof Gozan,and in the citiesof the Medes.
Hazaelsaid,"Whydoes my lordweep?"Then he answered,"BecauseI knowthe evilthat you will doto the sonsof Israel:their strongholdsyou will seton fire,and their youngmenyou will killwith the sword,and their littleonesyou will dashin pieces,and their womenwith childyou will ripup."
Their littleonesalso will be dashedto piecesBefore their eyes;Their houseswill be plunderedAnd their wivesravished.
"The fortifiedcitywill disappearfrom Ephraim,And sovereigntyfrom DamascusAnd the remnantof Aram;They will be like the gloryof the sonsof Israel,"Declaresthe LORDof hosts.
for beforethe boyknowshow to cryout 'My fatheror 'My mother,'the wealthof Damascusand the spoilof Samariawill be carriedaway beforethe kingof Assyria."
Their heartis faithless;Nowthey must beartheir guilt.The LORD will breakdowntheir altars[And] destroytheir [sacred] pillars.
The swordwill whirlagainst their cities,And will demolishtheir gate barsAnd consume[them] becauseof their counsels.
And they do not cryto Me from their heartWhenthey wailon their beds;For the sakeof grainand newwinethey assemblethemselves, They turnawayfrom Me.
Thussaysthe LORD,"For threetransgressionsof the sonsof Ammonand for fourI will not revokeits [punishment], Becausethey rippedopenthe pregnantwomenof GileadIn orderto enlargetheir borders.
Proclaimon the citadelsin Ashdodand on the citadelsin the landof Egyptand say,"Assembleyourselves on the mountainsof Samariaand see[the] greattumultswithinher and [the] oppressionsin her midst.
I sawthe Lordstandingbesidethe altar,and He said,"Smitethe capitalsso that the thresholdswill shake,And breakthem on the headsof them all!Then I will slaythe restof them with the sword;They will not have a fugitivewho will flee,Or a refugeewho will escape.
The mountainswill meltunderHim And the valleyswill be split,Like waxbeforethe fire,Like waterpoureddowna steepplace.
"The statutesof OmriAnd allthe worksof the houseof Ahabare observed;And in their devicesyou walk.ThereforeI will giveyou up for destructionAnd your inhabitantsfor derision,And you will bearthe reproachof My people."
Yetshe became an exile,She wentinto captivity;Alsoher small childrenwere dashedto piecesAt the headof everystreet;They castlotsfor her honorablemen, And allher greatmenwere boundwith fetters.
