The Burden against Israel’s Enemies 1 UST This is another message that Yahweh gave to me: He pays close attention to all people everywhere, and especially to all the Israelite tribes. This message is about the region of Hadrach and the city of Damascus, where he is staying. BSB BSB: This is the burden of the word of the LORD against the land of Hadrach and Damascus its resting place—for the eyes of men and of all the tribes of Israel are upon the LORD—
2 UST Hamath also is a nearby city, as are the cities of Tyre and Sidon, whose people think that they are very wise. BSB BSB: and also against Hamath, which borders it, as well as Tyre and Sidon, though they are very shrewd.
3 UST The people of Tyre have built a strong wall around their city, and they have piled up as much silver and gold as if it were dust and mud in the streets. BSB BSB: Tyre has built herself a fortress; she has heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets.
4 UST But look out! The Lord will take away everything that the people of Tyre own and destroy their merchant ships out at sea, and an enemy army will burn their city down. BSB BSB: Behold, the Lord will impoverish her and cast her wealth into the sea, and she will be consumed by fire.
5 UST When the people of the city of Ashkelon see that happen, they will be scared. The people of the city of Gaza will also tremble in great anguish, and the people of the city of Ekron will tremble too, because they will no longer expect anything good to happen. There will no longer be a king ruling in Gaza, and no one will live in Ashkelon anymore. BSB BSB: Ashkelon will see and fear; Gaza will writhe in agony, as will Ekron, for her hope will wither. There will cease to be a king in Gaza, and Ashkelon will be uninhabited.
6 UST People of mixed descent will live in the city of Ashdod, and so I will cause the Philistine people to no longer be proud. BSB BSB: A mixed race will occupy Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.
7 UST I will no longer allow them to eat meat that still has blood in it, and I will no longer allow them to eat the disgusting food that they offered to their idols. Then the Philistine people who survive will worship me and become my people, like one of the clans in Judah. The people of the city of Ekron will become my people, just as the people of the city of Jebus did. BSB BSB: I will remove the blood from their mouths and the abominations from between their teeth. Then they too will become a remnant for our God; they will become like a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.
8 UST I will protect my temple like an army that guards it, so that no enemy soldiers can march through it or come back to attack it. No one who oppresses my people will ever invade them again, because now I am watching over my people carefully. BSB BSB: But I will camp around My house because of an army, because of those who march to and fro, and never again will an oppressor overrun My people, for now I keep watch with My own eyes.
Zion’s Coming King (Matthew 21:1–11; Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:28–40; John 12:12–19)
9 UST You people of Jerusalem, rejoice very much! Shout joyfully, everyone in Jerusalem! Look! Your king is coming to you. He does what is right, and God will give him victory. He is humble, and he will ride into the city on a donkey, on a young donkey. BSB BSB: Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 UST I will take away the chariots from the region of Ephraim and the war horses from the city of Jerusalem, and I will destroy the bows that soldiers use in war. Your king will tell the nations that they will now live peacefully. He will rule over all the earth, from one sea to the farthest sea, and from the Euphrates River to the most distant places on the earth. BSB BSB: And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem, and the bow of war will be broken. Then He will proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion will extend from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.
11 UST As for you people of Jerusalem, because of the blood of the animals that the priests killed when I made my covenant with you, I will set your people free, the ones who suffer like prisoners stuck in a dry pit. BSB BSB: As for you, because of the blood of My covenant, I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit.
12 UST You people who are like prisoners but who still confidently expect me to help you, return to your land, where you will be safe. Today I am telling you that I will give back to you twice as much as you have lost. BSB BSB: Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; even today I declare that I will restore to you double.
13 UST I will use the people of Judah to fight for me as a warrior uses a bow, and I will use the people of Ephraim like the arrows in that bow. People of Jerusalem, I will stir up your young men to fight against the army of Greece, and I will make you as powerful as a warrior’s sword. BSB BSB: For I will bend Judah as My bow and fit it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against the sons of Greece. I will make you like the sword of a mighty man.
The LORD Will Save His People 14 UST Then Yahweh will appear above his people, and the arrows that he shoots will flash like lightning. Yahweh my Lord will blow a trumpet to signal the attack, and he will advance fiercely, like a storm blowing from the south. BSB BSB: Then the LORD will appear over them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning. The Lord GOD will sound the ram’s horn and advance in the whirlwinds of the south.
15 UST Yahweh, the commander of the heavenly armies, will protect his people. His soldiers will completely defeat their enemies who attack them with slingstones. Those soldiers will shout in victory and celebrate as noisily as men who have drunk much wine. They will be as full of joy as the bowls that the priests fill with blood and pour out on the corners of the altar. BSB BSB: The LORD of Hosts will shield them. They will destroy and conquer with slingstones; they will drink and roar as with wine. And they will be filled like sprinkling bowls, drenched like the corners of the altar.
16 UST On that day, Yahweh, the God his people worship, will rescue them just as a shepherd rescues his flock of sheep from danger. They will be as precious to him as sparkling jewels in a crown shining over his land. BSB BSB: On that day the LORD their God will save them as the flock of His people; for like jewels in a crown they will sparkle over His land.
17 UST How wonderful and how beautiful everything will be! The young men will grow strong from eating plenty of grain, and the young women will grow strong from drinking plenty of new wine. BSB BSB: How lovely they will be, and how beautiful! Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine, the young women.