The Destruction of Israel
1 How terrible it will be for you that have such an easy life in Zion and for you that feel safe in Samaria—you great leaders of this great nation Israel, you to whom the people go for help! 2 Go and look at the city of Calneh. Then go on to the great city of Hamath and on down to the Philistine city of Gath. Were they any better than the kingdoms of Judah and Israel? Was their territory larger than yours? 3 You refuse to admit that a day of disaster is coming, but what you do only brings that day closer. 4 How terrible it will be for you that stretch out on your luxurious couches, feasting on veal and lamb! 5 You like to compose songs, as David did, and play them on harps. 6 You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest perfumes, but you do not mourn over the ruin of Israel. 7 So you will be the first to go into exile. Your feasts and banquets will come to an end.
8 The Sovereign Lord Almighty has given this solemn warning: “I hate the pride of the people of Israel; I despise their luxurious mansions. I will give their capital city and everything in it to the enemy.”
9 If there are ten men left in a family, they will die. 10 The dead man's relative, the one in charge of the funeral, will take the body out of the house. The relative will call to whoever is still left in the house, “Is anyone else there with you?”
The person will answer, “No!”
Then the relative will say, “Be quiet! We must be careful not even to mention the Lord's name.”
11 When the Lord gives the command, houses large and small will be smashed to pieces. 12 Do horses gallop on rocks? Does anyone plow the sea with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into poison, and right into wrong.
13 You brag about capturing the town of Lodebar. You boast, “We were strong enough to take Karnaim.”
14 The Lord God Almighty himself says, “People of Israel, I am going to send a foreign army to occupy your country. It will oppress you from Hamath Pass in the north to the Brook of the Arabah in the south.”
1 Woe to them that are at ease in Zion and trust in the moutaine of Samaria, which were famous at the beginning of the nations: and the house of Israel came to them. 2 Goe you vnto Calneh, and see: and from thence goe you to Hamath the great: then goe downe to Gath of the Philistims: be they better then these kingdomes? or the border of their land greater then your border, 3 Ye that put farre away the euill day, and approch to the seate of iniquitie? 4 They lie vpon beddes of yuorie, and stretch themselues vpon their beddes, and eate the lambes of the flocke, and the calues out of the stall. 5 They sing to the sounde of the viole: they inuent to themselues instruments of musike like Dauid. 6 They drinke wine in bowles, and anoynt themselues with the chiefe ointments, but no man is sory for the affliction of Ioseph. 7 Therefore nowe shall they go captiue with the first that go captiue, and the sorow of them that stretched themselues, is at hand. 8 The Lord God hath sworne by himselfe, saith the Lord God of hostes, I abhorre the excellencie of Iaakob, and hate his palaces: therefore wil I deliuer vp the citie with all that is therein. 9 And if there remaine ten men in one house, they shall die. 10 And his vncle shall take him vp and burne him to cary out the bones out of the house, and shall say vnto him, that is by ye sides of the house, Is there yet any with thee? And he shall say, None. Then shall he say, Holde thy tongue: for we may not remember the Name of the Lord. 11 For behold, the Lord commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the litle house with clefts. 12 Shal horses runne vpon the rocke? or wil one plowe there with oxen? for yee haue turned iudgement into gall, and the fruite of righteousnes into wormewood. 13 Ye reioyce in a thing of nought: yee say, Haue not wee gotten vs hornes by our owne strength? 14 But behold, I wil raise vp against you a nation, O house of Israel, sayeth the Lord God of hostes: and they shall afflict you, from the entring in of Hamath vnto the riuer of the wildernes.