Zechariah 9:1–8

Punishment on Israel’s Enemies

9This message is the word of the Lord.

The message is against the land of Hadrach

and the city of Damascus.

The tribes of Israel and all people

belong to the Lord.

²The message is also against the city of Hamath, on the border,

and against Tyre and Sidon, with their skill.

³Tyre has built a strong wall for herself.

She has piled up silver like dust

and gold like the mud in the streets.

⁴But the Lord will take away all she has

and destroy her power on the sea.

That city will be destroyed by fire.

⁵The city of Ashkelon will see it and be afraid.

The people of Gaza will shake with fear,

and the people of Ekron will lose hope.

No king will be left in Gaza,

and no one will live in Ashkelon anymore.

⁶Foreigners will live in Ashdod,

and I will destroy the pride of the Philistines.

⁷I will stop them from drinking blood

and from eating forbidden food.

Those left alive will belong to God.

They will be leaders in Judah,

and Ekron will become like the Jebusites.

⁸I will protect my Temple

from armies who would come or go.

No one will hurt my people again,

because now I am watching them.