¹⁸ The Lord will completely destroy Assyria's great forests and its good fields. It will seem like a bad disease is taking away their life. ¹⁹ Only a few trees will remain in the forests. Even a child will be able to count them!

Some people will return

²⁰ At that time, only a few people will remain in Israel. Only a few descendants of Jacob will still be alive. They will no longer expect to receive help from a foreign ruler who is cruel to them. Instead, they will trust the Lord, the Holy God of Israel, to help them.