1An oracle: The message of the Lord concerns the land of Hadrach, it rests upon Damascus. For the capital of Aram belongs to the Lord , as the tribes of Israel do,
2and also Hamath which borders on it. Tyre and Sidon, for all their wisdom.
3Tyre built for herself a fortress. Heaped up silver as dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets.
4But now the Lord will dispossess her, cast down her rampart into the sea. She will be consumed in fire.
5Ashkelon will see and fear, and Gaza writhe in anguish, Ekron, also for her hope will be put to shame. The king will perish from Gaza, Ashkelon will remain uninhabited.
6A foreign people will settle in Ashdod, and I will humble the pride of the Philistines.
7I will take their blood from their mouth, and their abominations from between their teeth. They also will be a remnant for our God, like a tribe in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.
8But I will encamp as a guard about my house, so that none will pass through or return, and no oppressor will pass through them again, for now I have seen with my own eyes.
9Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, daughter of Jerusalem! Look, your king comes to you. Vindicated and victorious is he, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10He will cut off chariots from Ephraim, and war horses from Jerusalem. The battle bow will be cut off, and he will speak peace to the nations. His rule will be from sea to sea, from the river to the ends of the earth.
11And you, too – because of your blood covenant, I have set free your prisoners from the waterless pit.
12To the stronghold will the prisoners of hope return. This day I declare, I will restore double to you.
13For I have bent Judah to me, like a bow which I have filled with Ephraim like an arrow. I will urge your sons, Zion, against the sons of Greece, I will make you like the sword of a hero.
14Then the Lord will be seen above them and his arrow will go forth like lightning. The Lord will blow a blast upon a trumpet, and travel on the whirlwinds of the south.
15The Lord of hosts will defend them. They will devour and tread down the slingstones, they will drink their blood like wine, they will be full like a bowl, like the crevices of the altar.
16And the Lord their God will save them on that day, as the flock of his people, as the jewel of a crown shining in his land.
17How good and how beautiful will it be! Corn will make the young men flourish and new wine the young women!