20. A time is coming when the survivors from Israel and Judah will completely depend on the holy Lord of Israel, instead of the nation that defeated them.
21-22. There were as many people as there are grains of sand along the seashore, but only a few will survive to come back to Israel's mighty God. This is because he has threatened to destroy their nation, just as they deserve.
23. The Lord All-Powerful has promised that everyone on this earth will be punished.
24. Now the Lord God All-Powerful says to his people in Jerusalem:The Assyrians will beat you with sticks and abuse you, just as the Egyptians did. But don't be afraid of them.
25. Soon I will stop being angry with you, and I will punish them for their crimes.
26. I will beat the Assyrians with a whip, as I did the people of Midian near the rock at Oreb. And I will show the same mighty power that I used when I made a path through the sea in Egypt.
27. Then they will no longer rule your nation. All will go well for you, and your burden will be lifted.
28. Enemy troops have reached the town of Aiath. They have gone through Migron, and they stored their supplies at Michmash,
29. before crossing the valley and spending the night at Geba. The people of Ramah are terrified; everyone in Gibeah, the home town of Saul, has run away.
30. Loud crying can be heard in the towns of Gallim, Laishah, and sorrowful Anathoth.
31. No one is left in Madmenah or Gebim.
32. Today the enemy will camp at Nob and shake a threatening fist at Mount Zion in Jerusalem.
33. But the Lord All-Powerfulwill use his fearsome mightto bring down the tallest treesand chop off every branch.
34. With an axe, the glorious Lordwill destroy every treein the forests of Lebanon.