1»Damascus will cease to be a city, and will become a heap of ruins. 2»The cities of Aroer three places near Palestine will be deserted forever. They will be places for flocks to lie down, and no one will make them afraid. 3»The fortress will disappear from Ephraim, and the kingdom sovereignty from Damascus. The remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the children of Israel, proclaims Jehovah of Hosts. 4»Then the glory of Jacob will be brought low, and the fat of his flesh will grow lean riches, strength and glory will diminish. 5It will be like reapers gathering the standing grain. Their arms harvest the ears, and as when one gleans the ears of grain in the Valley of Rephaim. 6Gleanings will be left in it, as when an olive tree is beaten: two or three berries in the top of the highest bough, four or five on the branches of a fruit tree, declares Jehovah the God of Israel. 7On that day people will regard their Maker. Their eyes will look offer respect to the Holy One of Israel. 8They will not have regard for the altars, the work of their hands, and they will not look to what their own fingers have made, either the sacred poles Asherim or the altars of incense. 9In that day their strong cities of Syria and Israel will be like a forsaken bough and an uppermost branch that they left because of the children of Israel. There will be desolation in the land. 10Because you have forgotten the God of your salvation. You have not been mindful of the Rock of your stronghold. Therefore you will plant pleasant plants and set out foreign importedunusual seedlings. 11In that day you will make your plant grow. In the morning you will make your seed flourish; but the harvest will be a heap of ruins in the day of grief and desperate sorrow. 12There will be trouble for the multitude of people, because they will roar like the roar of the seas. Woe to the rushing of nations that makes a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters! 13The nations will rush like the raging of many waters. But God will rebuke them and they will flee far away. They will be chased like the chaff of the mountains before the wind, like a rolling dust before the whirlwind. 14In the evening, sudden terror! Before the morning, they are gone! This is the portion of those who loot us, the lot of those who rob us.