43  You delivered me from ^ustrife with the people;

you made me ^vthe head of the nations;

^wpeople whom I had not known served me.

5  ^oHer foes have become the head;

her ^penemies prosper,

because ^qthe Lord has afflicted her

^rfor the multitude of her transgressions;

^sher children have gone away,

captives before the foe.

8  For the head of Syria is ^xDamascus,

and the head of Damascus is Rezin.

And within sixty-five years

Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.

9  And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,

and the head of Samaria is ^ythe son of Remaliah.

^zIf you¹ are not firm in faith,

you will not be firm at all.’”

14  So the Lord cut off from Israel ^lhead and tail,

palm branch and reed in one day—

15  ^mthe elder and honored man is the head,

and ⁿthe prophet who teaches lies is the tail;

16  for those who guide this people have been leading them astray,

and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.

7  For thus says the Lord:

^l“Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,

and raise shouts for ^mthe chief of the nations;

proclaim, give praise, and say,

ⁿ‘O Lord, save your people,

the remnant of Israel.’