¹⁷ The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away^(A) from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.^(B)”

Assyria, the Lord’s Instrument

¹⁸ In that day^(C) the Lord will whistle^(D) for flies from the Nile delta in Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria.^{(E) 19} They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices^(F) in the rocks, on all the thornbushes^(G) and at all the water holes. ²⁰ In that day^(H) the Lord will use^(I) a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River^(J)—the king of Assyria^(K)—to shave your head and private parts, and to cut off your beard^(L) also.^{(M) 21} In that day,^(N) a person will keep alive a young cow and two goats.^{(O) 22} And because of the abundance of the milk they give, there will be curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat curds^(P) and honey.^{(Q) 23} In that day,^(R) in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels,^[a](S) there will be only briers and thorns.^{(T) 24} Hunters will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers^(U) and thorns. ²⁵ As for all the hills^(V) once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns;^(W) they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run.^(X)