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17 The burden of Damascus:

Behold, Damascus will cease as a city
    and will become a ruinous heap.
The cities of Aroer are forsaken.
They will be for flocks—they will lie down
    and no one will frighten them.
The fortress will also cease from Ephraim,
    and the kingdom from Damascus.
The remnant of Aram will be
    like the glory of Bnei-Yisrael.
It is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot.

Jacob’s Glory Fades

Now in that day Jacob’s glory will fade,
and the fatness of his flesh grow lean.
It will be as when the harvester gathers the standing grain
    and reaps the heads with his arm,
    as when one gleans grain in the valley of Rephaim.
Only gleanings will remain,
as when beating an olive tree—
two or three olives at the very top,
four or five on a fruitful tree’s branches.
It is a declaration of Adonai God of Israel.

In that day a man will look to his Maker and his eyes will turn to the Holy One of Israel. He will not look to the altars, the work of his hands, nor will he look to what his fingers have made—neither the Asherah poles nor the sun-images.

In that day the strong cities will be like forsaken forests and treetops that were abandoned, because of Bnei-Yisrael—they will be laid waste.

10 For you have forgotten the God of your salvation
    and you have not remembered the Rock of your strength.
Therefore you plant delightful plants
    and set out exotic vines.
11 In the day that you plant, you fence it in,
and in the morning you made your seed to sprout—
but the harvest will be a heap
in a day of grief and incurable pain.

12 Oy! The uproar of many peoples
who roar like the roaring of the seas.
The rumbling of nations,
    who rush in like the rumbling of mighty waters!
13 The nations will rush in like the rumbling of many waters,
but He will rebuke them so they will flee far away,
    chased like chaff on the hills before the wind,
    like whirling dust before the storm.
14 At evening time—sudden terror!
Before morning, they are no more.
This is the reward of those who plunder us
and the lot of those who pillage us.

A Prophecy Against Damascus

17 A prophecy(A) against Damascus:(B)

“See, Damascus will no longer be a city
    but will become a heap of ruins.(C)
The cities of Aroer(D) will be deserted
    and left to flocks,(E) which will lie down,(F)
    with no one to make them afraid.(G)
The fortified(H) city will disappear from Ephraim,
    and royal power from Damascus;
the remnant of Aram will be
    like the glory(I) of the Israelites,”(J)
declares the Lord Almighty.

“In that day(K) the glory(L) of Jacob will fade;
    the fat of his body will waste(M) away.
It will be as when reapers harvest the standing grain,
    gathering(N) the grain in their arms—
as when someone gleans heads of grain(O)
    in the Valley of Rephaim.(P)
Yet some gleanings will remain,(Q)
    as when an olive tree is beaten,(R)
leaving two or three olives on the topmost branches,
    four or five on the fruitful boughs,”
declares the Lord, the God of Israel.

In that day(S) people will look(T) to their Maker(U)
    and turn their eyes to the Holy One(V) of Israel.
They will not look to the altars,(W)
    the work of their hands,(X)
and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles[a](Y)
    and the incense altars their fingers(Z) have made.

In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth.(AA) And all will be desolation.

10 You have forgotten(AB) God your Savior;(AC)
    you have not remembered the Rock,(AD) your fortress.(AE)
Therefore, though you set out the finest plants
    and plant imported vines,(AF)
11 though on the day you set them out, you make them grow,
    and on the morning(AG) when you plant them, you bring them to bud,
yet the harvest(AH) will be as nothing(AI)
    in the day of disease and incurable(AJ) pain.(AK)

12 Woe to the many nations that rage(AL)
    they rage like the raging sea!(AM)
Woe to the peoples who roar(AN)
    they roar like the roaring of great waters!(AO)
13 Although the peoples roar(AP) like the roar of surging waters,
    when he rebukes(AQ) them they flee(AR) far away,
driven before the wind like chaff(AS) on the hills,
    like tumbleweed before a gale.(AT)
14 In the evening, sudden(AU) terror!(AV)
    Before the morning, they are gone!(AW)
This is the portion of those who loot us,
    the lot of those who plunder us.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 17:8 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah