Zechariah 9:1-8
Expanded Bible
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].
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