1 How terrible it will be for the city of Samaria! It sits on a hill like a crown of flowers. The leaders of Ephraim are drunk. They take pride in their city. It sits above a valley that has rich soil. How terrible it will be for the glorious beauty of that fading flower!
2 The Lord will bring the strong and powerful king of Assyria against Samaria. The Lord will throw that city down to the ground with great force. It will be like a hailstorm. It will be like a wind that destroys everything. It will be like a driving rain and a flooding storm.
3 That city is like a crown. The leaders of Ephraim are drunk. They take pride in their city. But its enemies will walk all over it.
4 It sits on a hill above a rich valley. It's like a crown of flowers whose glorious beauty is fading away. But it will become like a fig that is ripe before harvest. As soon as someone sees it, he picks it and swallows it.
5 At that time the Lord who rules over all will be like a glorious crown. He will be like a beautiful wreath for those of his people who will be left alive.
6 He will help those who are fair when they judge. He will give strength to those who turn back their enemies at the city gate.