5 Ah! Assyria, the rod of my wrath,the staff I wield in anger.
6 Against an impious nation I send him,and against a people under my wrath I order himTo seize plunder, carry off loot,and to trample them like the mud of the street.
7 But this is not what he intends,nor does he have this in mind;Rather, it is in his heart to destroy,to make an end of not a few nations.
8 For he says, “Are not my commanders all kings?”
9 “Is not Calno like Carchemish,Or Hamath like Arpad,or Samaria like Damascus?
10 Just as my hand reached out to idolatrous kingdomsthat had more images than Jerusalem and Samaria—
11 Just as I treated Samaria and her idols,shall I not do to Jerusalem and her graven images?”