The people of Judah are warned that since they have forsaken God, they will find themselves pressed in among the many prisoners or smothered under the piles of the dead. Even then the Lord assures them he will not be able to turn back his anger because they will still refuse to be humble or repentant. But that opportunity remains. Then the Lord salutes the king who is to inflict this punishment on Judah. He calls him an Assyrian. At last the nationality of the coming conqueror is clearly identified. The Lord calls him his rod of anger. Once the people have forsaken their God he will allow the rod of God's anger to take spoil and trod the people down like mire in the street.