Zechariah 9:1-8

Living Bible

9 This is the message concerning God’s curse on the lands of Hadrach and Damascus, for the Lord is closely watching all mankind, as well as Israel.^[a]

² “Doomed is Hamath, near Damascus, and Tyre and Sidon too, shrewd though they be. ³ Though Tyre has armed herself to the hilt and become so rich that silver is like dirt to her, and fine gold like dust in the streets, ⁴ yet the Lord will dispossess her and hurl her fortifications into the sea; and she shall be set on fire and burned to the ground.

⁵ “Ashkelon will see it happen and be filled with fear; Gaza will huddle in desperation, and Ekron will shake with terror, for their hopes that Tyre would stop the enemies’ advance will all be dashed. Gaza will be conquered, her king killed, and Ashkelon will be completely destroyed.

⁶ “Foreigners will take over the city of Ashdod, the rich city of the Philistines. ⁷ I will yank her idolatry out of her mouth and pull from her teeth her sacrifices that she eats with blood. Everyone left will worship God and be adopted into Israel as a new clan: the Philistines of Ekron will intermarry with the Jews, just as the Jebusites did so long ago. ⁸ And I will surround my Temple like a guard to keep invading armies from entering Israel. I am closely watching their movements, and I will keep them away; no foreign oppressors will again overrun my people’s land.