God’s Message to Cush
18 How terrible it will be for the land beyond the rivers of Cush.
It is filled with the sound of wings.
2 That land sends messengers across the sea;
they go on the water in boats made of reeds.
Go, quick messengers,
to a people who are tall and smooth-skinned,
who are feared everywhere.
They are a powerful nation that defeats other nations.
Their land is divided by rivers.
3 All you people of the world, look!
Everyone who lives in the world, look!
You will see a banner raised on a mountain.
You will hear a trumpet sound.
4 The Lord said to me,
“I will quietly watch from where I live,
like heat in the sunshine,
like the dew in the heat of harvest time.”
5 The time will come, after the flowers have bloomed and before the harvest,
when new grapes will be budding and growing.
The enemy will cut the plants with knives;
he will cut down the vines and take them away.
6 They will be left for the birds of the mountains
and for the wild animals.
Birds will feed on them all summer,
and wild animals will eat them that winter.”
7 At that time a gift will be brought to the Lord All-Powerful
from the people who are tall and smooth-skinned,
who are feared everywhere.
They are a powerful nation that defeats other nations.
Their land is divided by rivers.
These gifts will be brought to the place of the Lord All-Powerful,
to Mount Zion.