4 "So I will send a fire [of war, conquest, and destruction] upon the house of[3] Hazael, And it shall devour the palaces and strongholds of[4] Ben-hadad (Hazael's son).

5 "I also will break the bar [of the gate] of Damascus, And cut off and destroy the inhabitant from the Valley of Aven (Wickedness), And the ruler who holds the scepter, from Beth-eden (Damascus); And the people of Aram [conquered by the Assyrians] will go into exile to[5] Kir," Says the LORD.

6 Thus says the LORD, "For three transgressions of Gaza [in Philistia] and for four (multiplied delinquencies) I will not reverse its punishment or revoke My word concerning it, Because [as slave traders] they took captive the entire [Jewish] population [of defenseless Judean border villages, of which none was spared] And deported them to Edom [for the slave trade].