Judgment on Israel’s Enemies

A prophecy:(A)

The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrak
    and will come to rest on Damascus(B)
for the eyes of all people and all the tribes of Israel
    are on the Lord[a]
and on Hamath(C) too, which borders on it,
    and on Tyre(D) and Sidon,(E) though they are very skillful.
Tyre has built herself a stronghold;
    she has heaped up silver like dust,
    and gold like the dirt of the streets.(F)
But the Lord will take away her possessions
    and destroy(G) her power on the sea,
    and she will be consumed by fire.(H)
Ashkelon(I) will see it and fear;
    Gaza will writhe in agony,
    and Ekron too, for her hope will wither.
Gaza will lose her king
    and Ashkelon will be deserted.
A mongrel people will occupy Ashdod,
    and I will put an end(J) to the pride of the Philistines.
I will take the blood from their mouths,
    the forbidden food from between their teeth.
Those who are left will belong to our God(K)
    and become a clan in Judah,
    and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.(L)
But I will encamp(M) at my temple
    to guard it against marauding forces.(N)
Never again will an oppressor overrun my people,
    for now I am keeping watch.(O)

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Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 9:1 Or Damascus. / For the eye of the Lord is on all people, / as well as on the tribes of Israel,

Judgment against Israel’s Enemies

This is the message[a] from the Lord against the land of Aram[b] and the city of Damascus, for the eyes of humanity, including all the tribes of Israel, are on the Lord.

Doom is certain for Hamath,
    near Damascus,
and for the cities of Tyre and Sidon,
    though they are so clever.
Tyre has built a strong fortress
    and has made silver and gold
    as plentiful as dust in the streets!
But now the Lord will strip away Tyre’s possessions
    and hurl its fortifications into the sea,
    and it will be burned to the ground.
The city of Ashkelon will see Tyre fall
    and will be filled with fear.
Gaza will shake with terror,
    as will Ekron, for their hopes will be dashed.
Gaza’s king will be killed,
    and Ashkelon will be deserted.
Foreigners will occupy the city of Ashdod.
    I will destroy the pride of the Philistines.
I will grab the bloody meat from their mouths
    and snatch the detestable sacrifices from their teeth.
Then the surviving Philistines will worship our God
    and become like a clan in Judah.[c]
The Philistines of Ekron will join my people,
    as the ancient Jebusites once did.
I will guard my Temple
    and protect it from invading armies.
I am watching closely to ensure
    that no more foreign oppressors overrun my people’s land.

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Footnotes

  1. 9:1a Hebrew An Oracle: The message.
  2. 9:1b Hebrew land of Hadrach.
  3. 9:7 Hebrew like a leader in Judah.