1 Oh, it will be very bad for you people taking it easy in Zion, and for you people who feel so safe on Mount Samaria. You are “important” leaders of the most important nation! The “House of Israel” comes to you ˻for advice˼! 2 Go look at Calneh. From there, go to the large city Hamath. Go to the Philistine city Gath. Are you better than these kingdoms? No. Their countries are larger than yours. 3 You people are rushing towards that day of punishment. You bring that rule of violence nearer and nearer. 4 ˻But now, you enjoy all the comforts.˼ You lie on ivory beds, and stretch out on your couches. You eat tender young lambs from the flock, and young calves from the stable. 5 You play your harps. And like David, you practice on your musical instruments. 6 You drink wine in fancy cups. You use the best perfumes. And you are not even upset that Joseph’s family is being destroyed. 7 Those people are stretched out on their couches now. But their good times will end. They will be taken away like prisoners to a foreign country. And they will be some of the first people taken. 8 The Lord my Master used his own name and made a promise. The Lord God All-Powerful made this promise: “I hate the things that Jacob is proud of. I hate his strong towers. So I will let ˻the enemy˼ take the city and everything in it.” 9 At that time, ten people in one house might survive, but they too will die. 10 And when a person dies, a relative will come to get the body so he can take it out and burn it. The relative will come to take away the bones. He will call to any person who might be hiding way back in the house, “Are there any other ˻dead bodies˼ in there with you?” That person will answer, “No, ...” But the relative will ˻interrupt him and˼ say, “Hush! We must not mention the name of the Lord.” 11 Look, the Lord God will give the command, and the large houses will be broken to pieces, and the small houses will be broken to small pieces. 12 Do horses run over loose rocks? No! and people don’t use cows for plowing. But you turn everything upside down. You changed goodness to poison. You changed fairness to bitter poison. 13 You are happy in Lo-Debar; You say, ”We have taken Karnaim by our own strength.” 14 “But Israel, I will bring a nation against you. That nation will bring troubles to your whole country—all the way from Lebo-Hamath to Arabah Brook.” The Lord God All-Powerful said those things.
