The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from {being} a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in {their} pleasant palaces: and her time {is} near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged. {the wild...: Heb. Iim} {desolate...: or, palaces}

And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay low, {and} bring to the ground, {even} to the dust.

And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but thou shalt be desolate for ever, saith the LORD. {desolate...: Heb. everlasting desolations}

Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, {till} the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof; {and} he brought it to ruin.

And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts.

And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, {with} a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.

All thy strong holds {shall be like} fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater.

And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the LORD thy God: and it shall be an heap for ever; it shall not be built again.

The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the LORD of hosts.

And I will make Jerusalem heaps, {and} a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant. {desolate: Heb. desolation}

The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from {being} a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the LORD thy God: and it shall be an heap for ever; it shall not be built again.

And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in {their} pleasant palaces: and her time {is} near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged. {the wild...: Heb. Iim} {desolate...: or, palaces}

Because the palaces shall be forsaken; the multitude of the city shall be left; the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks; {forts...: or, clifts and watchtowers}

Yet the defenced city {shall be} desolate, {and} the habitation forsaken, and left like a wilderness: there shall the calf feed, and there shall he lie down, and consume the branches thereof.

By the swords of the mighty will I cause thy multitude to fall, the terrible of the nations, all of them: and they shall spoil the pomp of Egypt, and all the multitude thereof shall be destroyed.

Therefore I will make Samaria as an heap of the field, {and} as plantings of a vineyard: and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof.

And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, {even} a desolation unto this day.

Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening. {up: Heb. upon}

He stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms: the LORD hath given a commandment against the merchant {city}, to destroy the strong holds thereof. {against...: or, concerning a merchantman} {the merchant city: Heb. Canaan} {strong...: or, strengths}

The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in.