Judgment on Israel’s Enemies

9 A prophecy:y

The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrak

and will come to rest on Damascusz—

for the eyes of all people and all the tribes of Israel

are on the Lord—a

2 and on Hamatha too, which borders on it,

and on Tyreb and Sidon,c though they are very skillful.

3 Tyre has built herself a stronghold;

she has heaped up silver like dust,

and gold like the dirt of the streets.d

4 But the Lord will take away her possessions

and destroye her power on the sea,

and she will be consumed by fire.f

5 Ashkelong will see it and fear;

Gaza will writhe in agony,

and Ekron too, for her hope will wither.

Gaza will lose her king

and Ashkelon will be deserted.

6 A mongrel people will occupy Ashdod,

and I will put an endh to the pride of the Philistines.

7 I will take the blood from their mouths,

the forbidden food from between their teeth.

Those who are left will belong to our Godi

and become a clan in Judah,

and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.j

8 But I will encampk at my temple

to guard it against marauding forces.l

Never again will an oppressor overrun my people,

for now I am keeping watch.m

The Coming of Zion’s King

9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!n

Shout,o Daughter Jerusalem!

See, your king comes to you,p

righteous and victorious,q

lowly and riding on a donkey,r

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.s

10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim

and the warhorses from Jerusalem,

and the battle bow will be broken.t

He will proclaim peaceu to the nations.

His rule will extend from sea to sea

and from the Riverb to the ends of the earth.v

11 As for you, because of the blood of my covenantw with you,

I will free your prisonersx from the waterless pit.y

12 Return to your fortress,z you prisoners of hope;

even now I announce that I will restore twicea as much to you.

13 I will bend Judah as I bend my bowb

and fill it with Ephraim.c

I will rouse your sons, Zion,

against your sons, Greece,d

and make you like a warrior’s sword.e

The Lord Will Appear

14 Then the Lord will appear over them;f

his arrow will flash like lightning.g

The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet;h

he will march in the stormsi of the south,

15 and the Lord Almighty will shieldj them.

They will destroy

and overcome with slingstones.k

They will drink and roar as with wine;l

they will be full like a bowlm

used for sprinklingc the cornersn of the altar.

16 The Lord their God will save his people on that dayo

as a shepherd saves his flock.

They will sparkle in his land

like jewels in a crown.p

17 How attractive and beautiful they will be!

Grain will make the young men thrive,

and new wine the young women.