O Assyrian,
_the rod of mine anger,
_and the staff in their hand is their indignation.
I will send him against a hypocritical nation,
_and against the people of my wrath
_will I give him a charge to take the spoil,
_and to take the prey,
_and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
Howbeit he meaneth not so,
_neither doth his heart think so.
But in his heart it is to destroy and cut off nations not a few.
For he saith:
“Are not my princes altogether kings?
_Is not Calno as Carchemish?
_Is not Hamath as Arpad?
_Is not Samaria as Damascus?“As my hand hath founded the kingdoms of the idols,
_and whose graven images did excel
_them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;“Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols,
_so do to Jerusalem and to her idols?”