1 Wee die gerustes in Sion en die sorgelose op die berg van Samar¡a, die vernames van die eerste onder die nasies, na wie die huis van Israel kom!

2 Trek deur na Kalne en kyk, gaan van daar na Hamat, die groot stad, en trek af na Gat van die Filistyne! Is hulle beter as hierdie koninkryke? Of is hulle grondgebied groter as julle grondgebied? --

3 julle wat die dag van onheil veraf stel en die setel van geweld nader skuiwe!

4 Wat op bedde van ivoor lê en uitgestrek lê op hulle rusbanke en die lammers van die kleinvee en die kalwers uit die stal eet!

5 Wat liedjies sing met begeleiding van die harp, wat net soos Dawid vir hulle musiekinstrumente uitdink!

6 Wat uit offerkomme wyn drink en hulle met die beste soorte olie salf, maar hulle nie oor die verbreking van Josef bekommer nie.

7 Daarom sal hulle nou op die voorpunt van die ballinge in ballingskap gaan, en daar sal 'n end kom aan die rumoerige gejubel van die leeglêers.

8 Die Here HERE het by Homself gesweer, spreek die HERE, die God van die leërskare: Ek het 'n afsku van die trotsheid van Jakob en haat sy paleise; daarom lewer Ek die stad oor en al wat daarin is.

9 En as daar tien man in een huis oorgebly het, sal hulle sterwe.

10 En wanneer iemand se bloedverwant, die een wat hom wil verbrand, hom optel om die bene uit die huis te verwyder, en aan iemand wat in die agterste vertrekke is, sê: Is daar nog iemand by jou? en hy antwoord: Nee -- dan sal die eerste sê: Bly stil, want dit is nie gepas om die Naam van die HERE te vermeld nie!

11 Want kyk, die HERE gee bevel, en hulle slaan die groot huis tot 'n puinhoop en die klein huis tot splinters.

12 Kan perde draf op rotse, of kan 'n mens met osse daarop ploeë? -- dat julle die reg in gif verander en die vrug van geregtigheid in wilde-als.

13 Julle wat bly is oor 'n nietige ding, wat sê: Het ons nie deur ons eie krag horings gekry nie?

14 Want kyk, Ek gaan teen julle, o huis van Israel, 'n volk opwek, spreek die HERE, die God van die leërskare, en hulle sal julle verdruk van die ingang na Hamat af tot by die spruit van die Vlakte.

1 Sorrow to those who are resting in comfort in Zion, and to those who have no fear of danger in the mountain of Samaria, the noted men of the chief of the nations, to whom the people of Israel come!

2 Go on to Calneh and see; and from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines: are you better than these kingdoms? or is your land wider than theirs?

3 You who put far away the evil day, causing the rule of the violent to come near;

4 Who are resting on beds of ivory, stretched out on soft seats, feasting on lambs from the flock and young oxen from the cattle-house;

5 Making foolish songs to the sound of corded instruments, and designing for themselves instruments of music, like David;

6 Drinking wine in basins, rubbing themselves with the best oils; but they have no grief for the destruction of Joseph.

7 So now they will go away prisoners with the first of those who are made prisoners, and the loud cry of those who were stretched out will come to an end.

8 The Lord God has taken an oath by himself, says the Lord, the God of armies: the pride of Jacob is disgusting to me, and I have hate for his great houses: so I will give up the town with everything in it.

9 Then it will come about that if there are still ten men in a house, death will overtake them.

10 And when a man's relation, even the one who is responsible for burning his body, lifting him up to take his bones out of the house, says to him who is in the inmost part of the house, Is there still anyone with you? and he says, No; then he will say, Keep quiet, for the name of the Lord may not be named.

11 For see, at the order of the Lord the great house will be full of cracks and the little house will be broken.

12 Is it possible for horses to go running on the rock? may the sea be ploughed with oxen? for the right to be turned by you into poison, and the fruit of righteousness into a bitter plant?

13 You whose joy is in a thing of no value, who say, Have we not taken for ourselves horns by the strength which is ours?

14 For see, I will send against you a nation, O Israel, says the Lord, the God of armies, ruling you cruelly from the way into Hamath as far as the stream of the Arabah.