Concerning Damascus."Hamathand Arpadare putto shame,For they have heardbadnews;They are disheartened.There is anxietyby the sea,It cannotbe calmed.
He dividedhis forces againstthem by night,he and his servants,and defeatedthem, and pursuedthem as faras Hobah,whichis northof Damascus.
Abramsaid,"O LordGOD,whatwill You giveme, since I amchildless,and the heirof my houseis Eliezerof Damascus?"
"And eventhe onewho is valiant,whoseheartis like the heartof a lion,will completelyloseheart;for allIsraelknowsthat your fatheris a mightymanand those whoare with him are valiantmen.
Now when Toikingof Hamathheardthat Davidhad defeatedallthe armyof Hadadezer,
He gatheredmento himself and becameleaderof a maraudingband,after Davidslewthem of [Zobah]; and they wentto Damascusand stayedthere, and reignedin Damascus.
The kingof Assyriabrought[men] from Babylonand from Cuthahand from Avvaand from Hamathand Sephar-vaim,and settled[them] in the citiesof Samariain placeof the sonsof Israel.So they possessedSamariaand livedin its cities.
Whereare the godsof Hamathand Arpad?Whereare the godsof Sepharvaim,Henaand Ivvah?Have they deliveredSamariafrom my hand?
Whereis the kingof Hamath,the kingof Arpad,the kingof the cityof Sepharvaim,and [of] Henaand Ivvah?'"
"Are not Abanahand Pharpar,the riversof Damascus,betterthanallthe watersof Israel?Could I not washin them and be clean?"So he turnedand wentaway in a rage.
Then Asabroughtout silverand goldfrom the treasuriesof the houseof the LORDand the king'shouse,and sentthem to Ben-hadadkingof Aram,who livedin Damascus,saying,
"Thenthe chiefsof Edomwere dismayed;The leadersof Moab,tremblinggripsthem; Allthe inhabitantsof Canaanhave meltedaway.
"Is not Calnolike Carchemish,OrHamathlike Arpad,OrSamarialike Damascus?
Then it will happenon that daythat the LordWill againrecoverthe secondtimewith His handThe remnantof His people,whowill remain,From Assyria,Egypt,Pathros,Cush,Elam,Shinar,Hamath,And from the islandsof the sea.
Thereforeallhandswill falllimp,And everyman'sheartwill melt.
Whereare the godsof Hamathand Arpad?Whereare the godsof Sepharvaim?And whenhave they deliveredSamariafrom my hand?
Whereis the kingof Hamath,the kingof Arpad,the kingof the cityof Sepharvaim,[and of] Henaand Ivvah?'"
But the wickedare like the tossingsea,For it cannotbe quiet,And its waterstossup refuseand mud.
"For the headof Aramis Damascusand the headof Damascusis Rezin(now within another65yearsEphraimwill be shattered,[so that it is] nolonger a people),
But the armyof the Chaldeanspursuedthem and overtookZedekiahin the plainsof Jericho;and they seizedhim and broughthim up to Nebuchadnezzarkingof Babylonat Riblahin the landof Hamath,and he passedsentenceon him.
"Damascuswas your customerbecause of the abundanceof your goods,becauseof the abundanceof all[kinds] of wealth,because of the wineof Helbonand whitewool.
Gooverto Calnehand look,And gofrom thereto Hamaththe great,Then godownto Gathof the Philistines.Are they betterthanthesekingdoms,Oris their territorygreaterthanyours?
She is emptied!Yes, she is desolateand waste!Heartsare meltingand kneesknocking!Also anguishis in the wholebodyAnd alltheir facesare grownpale!
So they wentup and spiedout the landfrom the wildernessof Zinas faras Rehob,at Lebo-hamath.
Since neithersunnorstarsappearedfor manydays,and nosmallstormwas assailing[us], from thenon allhopeof our being savedwas gradually abandoned.
and askedfor lettersfrom him to the synagoguesat Damascus,sothat ifhe foundanybelongingto the Way,bothmenand women,he might bringthem boundto Jerusalem.
In Damascusthe ethnarchunder Aretasthe kingwas guardingthe cityof the Damascenesin order to seizeme,
"Then the officersshall speakfurtherto the peopleand say,Whois the manthat is afraidand fainthearted?Let him departand returnto his house,so that he might not make his brothers'heartsmeltlike his heart.'
"Nevertheless my brethrenwhowentup with me made the heartof the peoplemeltwith fear;but I followedthe LORDmy Godfully.
"When we heard[it], our heartsmeltedand nocourageremainedin anymananylongerbecauseof you; for the LORDyour God,He is Godin heavenaboveand on earthbeneath.
