Punishment on Israel’s Enemies
9 ·This message is [An oracle/burden of] the word of the Lord.
The message is against the land of Hadrach [C region north of Israel]
and ·the city of Damascus [L Damascus its resting place].
·All [L For the eyes of all] people, including all the tribes of Israel
·belong to [or are on] the Lord.
2 The message is also against the city of Hamath, on the border,
and against Tyre and Sidon [C cities on the coast northwest of Israel], ·with their skill [or though they are very wise/clever].
3 Tyre has built a ·strong wall [fortress; stronghold] for herself.
She has piled up silver like dust
and gold like the mud in the streets.
4 But [L look; T behold] the Lord will take away all she has
and ·destroy her power on [or throw her fortifications into] the sea.
That city will be ·destroyed [consumed; devoured] by fire.
5 ·The city of Ashkelon [L Ashkelon] will see it and be afraid.
·The people of Gaza [L Gaza] will ·shake with fear [writhe in anguish],
and ·the people of Ekron [L Ekron] ·will lose hope [or their hope will wither].
No king will be left in Gaza,
and no one will live in Ashkelon anymore.
6 ·Foreigners [A mixed/mongrel people] will live in Ashdod,
and I will ·destroy [L cut off] the pride of the Philistines.
7 I will ·stop them from drinking blood [L take the blood from their mouths; Lev. 3:17; Deut. 12:16, 23]
and ·from eating forbidden food [L its abominations from between its teeth].
Those left alive will belong to God.
They will be ·leaders [or like a clan] in Judah,
and Ekron will become like the Jebusites [C ancient inhabitants of Jerusalem who were assimilated into Judah].
8 I will ·protect [encamp around] my ·Temple [L house]
from armies who would come or go.
No ·one [oppressor] will ·hurt [overrun; pass over] my people again,
because now I ·am watching them [L see with my eyes].
The King Is Coming
9 Rejoice greatly, ·people of Jerusalem [L Daughter Zion]!
Shout for joy, ·people of Jerusalem [L Daughter Jerusalem]!
[L Look; T Behold] Your king is coming to you.
He ·does what is right [is righteous/just], and he saves.
He is ·gentle [lowly; humble] and riding on a donkey,
on ·the colt [L a colt, the foal] of a donkey [Matt. 21:5; John 12:15].
10 I will ·take away [L cut off] the chariots from Ephraim
and the ·horses [warhorses] from Jerusalem.
The bows used in war will be broken.
The king will ·talk about [announce; bring] peace to the nations.
His ·kingdom [dominion; rule] will go from sea to sea,
and from the ·Euphrates River [L River] to the ends of the earth.
11 As for you, because of the blood of ·the agreement [my covenant/treaty] with you
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12 You prisoners who have hope,
return to ·your place of safety [the fortress/stronghold].
Today I ·am telling you [announce; declare]
that I will ·give you back twice as much as before [return double what you lost].
13 I will ·use [L bend] Judah like a bow
and Ephraim like the arrows.
·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple], I will ·use your men [L rouse your sons/children]
·to fight the men of [against your sons/children,] Greece.
I will use you like a warrior’s sword.
14 Then the Lord will appear above them,
and his arrows will shoot like lightning.
The Lord God will blow the trumpet,
and he will march in the ·storms [whirlwinds] of the south.
15 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will protect them;
they will ·destroy [L eat and subdue] the enemy with slingshots.
They will drink and shout like drunks.
They will be filled like a bowl
used for sprinkling blood ·at [or and drenched with blood like] the corners of the altar.
16 On that day the Lord their God will save them
as ·if his people were sheep [L the flock of his people].
They will shine in his land
like jewels in a crown.
17 They will be so ·pretty [fine; good] and beautiful.
The young men will grow strong on the grain
and the young women on new wine.