God Will Punish Syria and Israel

17 ^(A)The Lord said, “Damascus will not be a city any longer; it will be only a pile of ruins. ² The cities of Syria will be deserted forever.^[a] They will be a pasture for sheep and cattle, and no one will drive them away. ³ Israel will be defenseless, and Damascus will lose its independence. Those Syrians who survive will be in disgrace like the people of Israel. I, the Lord Almighty, have spoken.”

God's Judgment on Israel's Neighbors

Syria

^3 (A)The Lord says, “The people of Damascus have sinned again and again, and for this I will certainly punish them. They treated the people of Gilead with savage cruelty. ⁴ So I will send fire upon the palace built by King Hazael and I will burn down the fortresses of King Benhadad. ⁵ I will smash the city gates of Damascus and remove the inhabitants of Aven Valley and the ruler of Betheden. The people of Syria will be taken away as prisoners to the land of Kir.”

Judgment on Neighboring Nations

9 ^(A)This is the Lord's message:

He has decreed punishment for the land of Hadrach and for the city of Damascus. Not only the tribes of Israel but also the capital of Syria belong to the Lord.