English Standard Version ESV
Common English Bible CEB
1 An oracle concerning Damascus. Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city and will become a heap of ruins.
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An oracle about Damascus. Look! Damascus is finished as a city; it will become a fallen ruin.
2 The cities of Aroer are deserted; they will be for flocks, which will lie down, and none will make them afraid.
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The villages of Aroer are abandoned forever. They will be pastures for flocks, which will lie down undisturbed.
3 The fortress will disappear from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus; and the remnant of Syria will be like the glory of the children of Israel, declares the LORD of hosts.
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Ephraim's security will cease, as will Damascus' rule. What's left of Aram will resemble the glory of the Israelites, says the LORD of heavenly forces.
4 And in that day the glory of Jacob will be brought low, and the fat of his flesh will grow lean.
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On that day, Jacob's glory will dwindle; his sleek body will waste away.
5 And it shall be as when the reaper gathers standing grain and his arm harvests the ears, and as when one gleans the ears of grain in the Valley of Rephaim.
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It will be as when harvesters gather grain. God will harvest armfuls at a time, like one who gathers grain in the Rephaim Valley.
6 Gleanings will be left in it, as when an olive tree is beaten-- two or three berries in the top of the highest bough, four or five on the branches of a fruit tree, declares the LORD God of Israel.
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Only remaining bits are left, like an olive tree that has been shaken: two or three olives on the highest branch; four or five on a fruitful twig, says the LORD God of Israel.
7 In that day man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will look on the Holy One of Israel.
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On that day, people will have regard for their maker, and their eyes will look to the holy one of Israel.
8 He will not look to the altars, the work of his hands, and he will not look on what his own fingers have made, either the Asherim or the altars of incense.
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They will have no regard for altars, the work of their hands, or look to what their fingers made: sacred poles and incense stands.
9 In that day their strong cities will be like the deserted places of the wooded heights and the hilltops, which they deserted because of the children of Israel, and there will be desolation.
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On that day, their strong cities will be like those abandoned by the Hivites and the Amorites; abandoned because of the Israelites. They will be a wasteland,
10 For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge; therefore, though you plant pleasant plants and sow the vine-branch of a stranger,
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because you forgot the God who saves you, and didn't remember the rock who shelters you. Therefore, plant your pleasant plants, and set out exotic sprouts;
11 though you make them grow on the day that you plant them, and make them blossom in the morning that you sow, yet the harvest will flee away in a day of grief and incurable pain.
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make them grow the day you plant them, and make them bloom the morning you start them. But the harvest will disappear on a day of sickness and incurable pain.
12 Ah, the thunder of many peoples; they thunder like the thundering of the sea! Ah, the roar of nations; they roar like the roaring of mighty waters!
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Doom to the raging of many peoples; like the thundering seas they thunder. Doom to the roar of nations, like the roaring of mighty waters.
13 The nations roar like the roaring of many waters, but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far away, chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind and whirling dust before the storm.
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Nations roar like the roaring of rushing waters. But God will rebuke them, and they will flee far away, pursued like chaff by wind in the mountains, like tumbleweeds before a storm.
14 At evening time, behold, terror! Before morning, they are no more! This is the portion of those who loot us, and the lot of those who plunder us.
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In the evening, there is terror; but before morning it is gone. This is the fate of those who loot us, the destiny of those who rob us.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible