The Whole World Has Its Eyes on God

1–6  9 War Bulletin:

God’s Message challenges the country of Hadrach.

It will settle on Damascus.

The whole world has its eyes on God.

Israel isn’t the only one.

That includes Hamath at the border,

and Tyre and Sidon, clever as they think they are.

Tyre has put together quite a kingdom for herself;

she has stacked up silver like cordwood,

piled gold high as haystacks.

But God will certainly bankrupt her;

he will dump all that wealth into the ocean

and burn up what’s left in a big fire.

Ashkelon will see it and panic,

Gaza will wring its hands,

Ekron will face a dead end.

Gaza’s king will die.

Ashkelon will be emptied out,

And a villain will take over in Ashdod.

6–8  “I’ll take proud Philistia down a peg:

I’ll make him spit out his bloody booty

and abandon his vile ways.”

What’s left will be all God’s—a core of survivors,

a family brought together in Judah—

But enemies like Ekron will go the way of the Jebusites,

into the dustbin of history.

“I will set up camp in my home country

and defend it against invaders.

Nobody is going to hurt my people ever again.

I’m keeping my eye on them.

A Humble King Riding a Donkey

9–10  “Shout and cheer, Daughter Zion!

Raise the roof, Daughter Jerusalem!

Your king is coming!

a good king who makes all things right,

a humble king riding a donkey,

a mere colt of a donkey.

I’ve had it with war—no more chariots in Ephraim,

no more war horses in Jerusalem,

no more swords and spears, bows and arrows.

He will offer peace to the nations,

a peaceful rule worldwide,

from the four winds to the seven seas.

11–13  “And you, because of my blood covenant with you,

I’ll release your prisoners from their hopeless cells.

Come home, hope-filled prisoners!

This very day I’m declaring a double bonus—

everything you lost returned twice-over!

Judah is now my weapon, the bow I’ll pull,

setting Ephraim as an arrow to the string.

I’ll wake up your sons, O Zion,

to counter your sons, O Greece.

From now on

people are my swords.”

14–17  Then God will come into view,

his arrows flashing like lightning!

Master God will blast his trumpet

and set out in a whirlwind.

God-of-the-Angel-Armies will protect them—

all-out war,

The war to end all wars,

no holds barred.

Their God will save the day. He’ll rescue them.

They’ll become like sheep, gentle and soft,

Or like gemstones in a crown,

catching all the colors of the sun.

Then how they’ll shine! shimmer! glow!

the young men robust, the young women lovely!