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Punishment on Israel’s Enemies

·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.
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].
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.
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.
·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.
·Foreigners [A mixed/mongrel people] will live in Ashdod,
    and I will ·destroy [L cut off] the pride of the Philistines.
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].
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].

The King Is Coming

Rejoice greatly, ·people of Jerusalem [L Daughter Zion]!
    Shout for joy, ·people of Jerusalem [L Daughter Jerusalem]!
[L Look; T Behold] Your king is coming to you.
    He ·does what is right [is righteous/just], and he saves.
    He is ·gentle [lowly; humble] and riding on a donkey,
    on ·the colt [L a colt, the foal] of a donkey [Matt. 21:5; John 12:15].
10 I will ·take away [L cut off] the chariots from Ephraim
    and the ·horses [warhorses] from Jerusalem.
    The bows used in war will be broken.
The king will ·talk about [announce; bring] peace to the nations.
    His ·kingdom [dominion; rule] will go from sea to sea,
and from the ·Euphrates River [L River] to the ends of the earth.

11 As for you, because of the blood of ·the agreement [my covenant/treaty] with you
    I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12 You prisoners who have hope,
    return to ·your place of safety [the fortress/stronghold].
Today I ·am telling you [announce; declare]
    that I will ·give you back twice as much as before [return double what you lost].
13 I will ·use [L bend] Judah like a bow
    and Ephraim like the arrows.
·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple], I will ·use your men [L rouse your sons/children]
    ·to fight the men of [against your sons/children,] Greece.
I will use you like a warrior’s sword.

14 Then the Lord will appear above them,
    and his arrows will shoot like lightning.
The Lord God will blow the trumpet,
    and he will march in the ·storms [whirlwinds] of the south.
15 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will protect them;
    they will ·destroy [L eat and subdue] the enemy with slingshots.
They will drink and shout like drunks.
    They will be filled like a bowl
    used for sprinkling blood ·at [or and drenched with blood like] the corners of the altar.
16 On that day the Lord their God will save them
    as ·if his people were sheep [L the flock of his people].
They will shine in his land
    like jewels in a crown.
17 They will be so ·pretty [fine; good] and beautiful.
    The young men will grow strong on the grain
    and the young women on new wine.

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