Israel Defended Against Enemies
1 The burden of the word of theLord
Against the land of Hadrach,
# AndDamascus its resting place
# (Forthe eyes of men
And all the tribes of Israel
Are on theLord);
2 AlsoagainstHamath,whichborders on it,
# AndagainstTyre andSidon, though they are verywise.
3 For Tyre built herself a tower,
Heaped up silver like the dust,
And gold like the mire of the streets.
4 Behold,the Lord will cast her out;
# He will destroyher power in the sea,
And she will be devoured by fire.
5 Ashkelon shall seeitand fear;
Gaza also shall be very sorrowful;
# AndEkron, for He dried up her expectation.
The king shall perish from Gaza,
And Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.
6 “A mixed race shall settlein Ashdod,
# And I will cut off the pride of thePhilistines.
7 I will take away the blood from his mouth,
And the abominations from between his teeth.
But he who remains, even heshallbefor our God,
And shall be like a leader in Judah,
And Ekron like a Jebusite.
8 I will camp around My house
Because of the army,
Because of him who passes by and him who returns.
No more shall an oppressor pass through them,
For now I have seen with My eyes.
The Coming King
9 “Rejoicegreatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
# Behold,your King is coming to you;
Heisjust and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 Iwill cut off the chariot from Ephraim
And the horse from Jerusalem;
# Thebattle bow shall be cut off.
He shall speak peace to the nations;
# His dominionshallbe‘from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.’
God Will Save His People
11 “As for you also,
Because of the blood of your covenant,
# I will set yourprisoners free from the waterless pit.
12 Return to the stronghold,
# You prisoners of hope.
Even today I declare
# ThatI will restoredouble to you.
13 For I have bent Judah, Mybow,
Fitted the bow with Ephraim,
And raised up your sons, O Zion,
Against your sons, O Greece,
And made you like the sword of a mighty man.”
14 Then theLordwill be seen over them,
# AndHis arrow will go forth like lightning.
The LordGodwill blow the trumpet,
# And gowith whirlwinds from the south.
15 TheLordof hosts willdefend them;
They shall devour and subdue with slingstones.
They shall drinkandroar as if with wine;
They shall be filledwithbloodlike basins,
Like the corners of the altar.
16 TheLordtheir God willsave them in that day,
As the flock of His people.
# Fortheyshallbelikethe jewels of a crown,
# Lifted like a banner over His land—
17 Forhow great is its goodness
# And how great itsbeauty!
# Grain shall make the young men thrive,
And new wine the young women.