See, Damascus will cease to be a city
    and will become a heap of ruins.^(A)

The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach
    and will rest upon Damascus.
For to the Lord belongs the capital^[a] of Aram,^[b]
    as do all the tribes of Israel;

³ Thus says the Lord:
For three transgressions of Damascus,
    and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,^[a]
because they have threshed Gilead
    with threshing sledges of iron.^(A)
4 So I will send a fire on the house of Hazael,
    and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.^(B)
5 I will break the gate bars of Damascus
    and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley of Aven
and the one who holds the scepter from Beth-eden,
    and the people of Aram shall go into exile to Kir,
            says the Lord.^(C)

Hamath and Arpad are confounded,
    for they have heard bad news;
they melt in fear; they are troubled like the sea^[a]
    that cannot be quiet.^(A)
24 Damascus has become feeble; she turned to flee,
    and panic seized her;
anguish and pangs seize her,
    as of a woman in labor.
²⁵ How is the famous city not forsaken,^[b]
    the town of my joy?^[c](B)
26 Therefore her young men shall fall in her squares,
    and all her soldiers shall be destroyed on that day,
            says the Lord of hosts.^(C)
27 And I will kindle a fire at the wall of Damascus,
    and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.^(D)