God

Yet the people do not turn to the one striking them, they don't seek ADONAI-Tzva'ot.

Therefore ADONAI will cut off Isra'el's head and tail, [tall] palm frond and [lowly] reed in a single day.

Therefore Adonai takes no joy in their young men and has no compassion on their orphans and widows; for everyone is ungodly and does evil, every mouth speaks foolishly. Even after all this, his anger remains, his upraised hand still threatens.

The anger of ADONAI-Tzva'ot is burning up the land; the people, too, are fuel for the fire - no one spares even his brother.

M'nasheh devours Efrayim; and Efrayim, M'nasheh; while together they oppose Y'hudah. Even after all this, his anger remains, his upraised hand still threatens.

to deprive the impoverished of justice and rob my people's poor of their rights, looting widows and preying on orphans!

so as not to squat among the prisoners or fall among the slain? Even after all this, his anger remains, his upraised hand still threatens.

"Oh Ashur, the rod expressing my anger! The club in their hands is my fury!

I am sending him against a hypocritical nation, ordering him to march against a people who enrage me, to take the spoil and the plunder and trample them down like mud in the street.

so won't I do to Yerushalayim and her non-gods what I did to Shomron and her idols?'"

Therefore when Adonai has done everything he intends to do to Mount Tziyon and Yerushalayim, "I will punish the king of Ashur for the boasting that comes from his proud heart and from reveling in his arrogant looks.

Therefore the Lord, ADONAI-Tzva'ot, will send leanness to his well-fed ones; and in place of his glory, a fire will be kindled that will burn and burn.

The light of Isra'el will become a fire and his Holy One a flame, burning and devouring his thorns and briars in a single day.

On that day the remnant of Isra'el, those of the house of Ya'akov who escaped, will no longer rely on the man who struck them down, but will truly rely on ADONAI, the Holy One of Isra'el.

A remnant will return, the remnant of Ya'akov, to the mighty God.

For, although your people, Isra'el, are like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with justice.

Adonai ELOHIM-Tzva'ot will bring about this decreed destruction throughout all the land.

Therefore Adonai ELOHIM-Tzva'ot says: "My people living in Tziyon, don't be afraid of Ashur, even when he strikes you with a stick and raises his staff against you, the way it was in Egypt.

For in but a little while, my fury will end; and my anger will have destroyed them."

ADONAI-Tzva'ot will wield a whip against them, as he did when striking Midyan at the Rock of 'Orev; as his staff was over the sea, he will raise it, the way it was in Egypt.

See how Adonai ELOHIM-Tzva'ot lops off the branches with terrible violence! The ones standing highest are chopped down, the lofty are laid low.

He will hack down the forest underbrush with an axe, and the L'vanon in its splendor falls.

The Spirit of ADONAI will rest on him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and power, the Spirit of knowledge and fearing ADONAI

he will be inspired by fearing ADONAI. He will not judge by what his eyes see or decide by what his ears hear,

but he will judge the impoverished justly; he will decide fairly for the humble of the land. He will strike the land with a rod from his mouth and slay the wicked with a breath from his lips.