The woman said to him, "Sir, did I ask you for a son? Didn't I tell you not to get my hopes up?"

Haven't you heard that when Jezebel was killing the prophets of the LORD I hid a hundred of them in caves, in two groups of fifty, and supplied them with food and water?

At that time the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel's territory. King Hazael of Syria conquered all the Israelite territory

east of the Jordan, as far south as the town of Aroer on the Arnon River---this included the territories of Gilead and Bashan, where the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and East Manasseh lived.

At that time King Hazael of Syria attacked the city of Gath and conquered it; then he decided to attack Jerusalem.

So the LORD was angry with Israel, and he allowed King Hazael of Syria and his son Benhadad to defeat Israel time after time.

Jehoahaz had no armed forces left except fifty cavalry troops, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers, because the king of Syria had destroyed the rest, trampling them down like dust.

The LORD says, "The people of Damascus have sinned again and again, and for this I will certainly punish them. They treated the people of Gilead with savage cruelty.

So I will send fire upon the palace built by King Hazael and I will burn down the fortresses of King Benhadad.

As Menahem was on his way from Tirzah, he completely destroyed the city of Tappuah, its inhabitants, and the surrounding territory, because the city did not surrender to him. He even ripped open the bellies of all the pregnant women.

Babylon, you will be destroyed. Happy are those who pay you back for what you have done to us---

who take your babies and smash them against a rock.

While they look on helplessly, their babies will be battered to death, their houses will be looted, and their wives will be raped."

With their bows and arrows they will kill the young men. They will show no mercy to babies and take no pity on children.

war will come to your people, and all your fortresses will be destroyed. It will be like the day when King Shalman destroyed the city of Betharbel in battle, and mothers and their children were crushed to death.

Samaria must be punished for rebelling against me. Her people will die in war; babies will be dashed to the ground, and pregnant women will be ripped open."

The LORD says, "The people of Damascus have sinned again and again, and for this I will certainly punish them. They treated the people of Gilead with savage cruelty.

I will smash the city gates of Damascus and remove the inhabitants of Aven Valley and the ruler of Betheden. The people of Syria will be taken away as prisoners to the land of Kir."

Yet the people of Thebes were carried off into exile. At every street corner their children were beaten to death. Their leading men were carried off in chains and divided among their captors.