Your land is ruined; your cities have been burned with fire. While you watch, your enemies are stealing everything from your land; it is ruined like a country destroyed by enemies.
So the Lord his God handed over Ahaz to the king of Aram. The Arameans defeated Ahaz and took many people of Judah as prisoners to Damascus. He also handed over Ahaz to Pekah king of Israel, and Pekah’s army killed many soldiers of Ahaz.
“You were destroyed and defeated, and your land was made useless. But now you will have more people than the land can hold, and those people who destroyed you will be far away.
Then I asked, “Lord, how long should I do this?” He answered, “Until the cities are destroyed and the people are gone, until there are no people left in the houses, until the land is destroyed and left empty.
“You have been hated and left empty with no one passing through. But I will make you great from now on; you will be a place of happiness forever and ever.
The Lord has made a promise, and by his power he will keep his promise. He said, “I will never again give your grain as food to your enemies. I will not let your enemies drink the new wine that you have worked to make.
Enemies have roared like lions at Israel; they have growled at Israel. They have destroyed the land of Israel. The cities of Israel lie in ruins, and all the people have left.
A lion has come out of his den; a destroyer of nations has begun to march. He has left his home to destroy your land. Your towns will be destroyed with no one left to live in them.
So I showed my great anger against them. I poured out my anger in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem so they are only ruins and piles of stones today.
I will end the happy sounds of the bride and bridegroom. There will be no happy sounds in the cities of Judah or in the streets of Jerusalem, because the land will become an empty desert!
So I am going to give you to the people of the East to be theirs. They will set up their camps among you and make their homes among you. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk.
I will make the streams of the Nile River become dry land, and then I will sell the land to evil people. I will destroy the land and everything in it through the power of foreigners. I, the Lord, have spoken.
“Israel’s foolish plans are like planting the wind, but they will harvest a storm. Like a stalk with no head of grain, it produces nothing. Even if it produced something, other nations would eat it.
“The land is nothing but burning cinders and salt. Nothing is planted, nothing grows, and nothing blooms. It is like Sodom and Gomorrah, and Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord destroyed because he was very angry.”