Isaiah 17

1The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

2The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

3The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the LORD of hosts.

4And in that day it shall come to pass, that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean.

5And it shall be as when the harvestman gathereth the corn, and reapeth the ears with his arm; and it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim.

6Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, saith the LORD God of Israel.

7At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel.

8And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves, or the images.footnote a

9In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel: and there shall be desolation.

10Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips:

11In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.footnote b

12Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!footnote cfootnote d

13The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.footnote e

14And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.

The Burden against Damascus

1This is the burden against Damascus:“Behold, Damascus is no longer a city;it has become a heap of ruins. 2The cities of Aroer are forsaken;they will be left to the flocks,which will lie down with no one to fear. 3The fortress will disappear from Ephraim,footnote aand the sovereignty from Damascus.The remnant of Aram will belike the splendor of the Israelites,”declares the LORD of Hosts. 4“In that day the splendor of Jacob will fade,and the fat of his body will waste away, 5as the reaper gathers the standing grainand harvests the ears with his arm,as one gleans heads of grainin the Valley of Rephaim. 6Yet gleanings will remain,like an olive tree that has been beaten—two or three berries atop the tree,four or five on its fruitful branches,”declares the LORD, the God of Israel. 7In that day men will look to their Makerand turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. 8They will not look to the altarsthey have fashioned with their handsor to the Asherahs and incense altarsthey have made with their fingers.

9In that day their strong citieswill be like forsaken thickets and summits,abandoned to the Israelitesand to utter desolation.

10For you have forgotten the God of your salvationand failed to remember the Rock of your refuge.Therefore, though you cultivate delightful plotsand set out cuttings from exotic vines— 11though on the day you plantyou make them grow,and on that morningyou help your seed sprout—yet the harvest will vanishon the day of disease and incurable pain.

12Alas, the tumult of many peoples;they rage like the roaring seas and clamoring nations;they rumble like the crashing of mighty waters. 13The nations rage like the rush of many waters.He rebukes them, and they flee far away,driven before the wind like chaff on the hills,like tumbleweeds before a gale. 14In the evening, there is sudden terror!Before morning, they are no more!This is the portion of those who loot usand the lot of those who plunder us.