1 An oracle. The word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach, and it comes to rest on Damascus; for the eyes of mankind, and of all the tribes of Israel, are on the LORD,
2 and Hamath too, which borders it, and Tyre and Sidon, for all their great wisdom.
3 Tyre has built herself a fortress and piled up silver like dust and gold like dirt in the streets.
4 But the Lord will take away what she owns and hurl her strength into the sea, and she will be consumed by fire.
5 Ashkelon will see it and be terrified; Gaza will writhe in agony, and Ekron too, because her hope has withered. Gaza will lose her king, and Ashkelon will be left empty.
6 A mixed people will settle in Ashdod, and I will put an end to the Philistines' pride.
7 I will remove the blood from his mouth and the detestable food from between his teeth; he too will be left as a remnant for our God and become like a chief in Judah, and Ekron like the Jebusites.
8 I will set up camp around my house as a guard against anyone who comes and goes; no oppressor will overrun them again, for now I am watching with my own eyes.
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout for joy, O daughter of Jerusalem! Look, your King is coming to you; he is righteous and bringing salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will remove the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem, and the war bow will be broken; he will announce peace to the nations, and he will rule from sea to sea, from the River to the farthest parts of the earth.
11 As for you, because of the blood of your covenant, I have released your captives from the waterless pit.
12 Come back to the fortress, you prisoners who have hope; even today I announce that I will repay you twice over.
13 For I have drawn Judah like my bow and loaded it with Ephraim; I will rouse your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece, and make you like a hero's sword.
14 The LORD will be seen above them, and his arrow will flash out like lightning; the Lord GOD will blow the ram's horn and advance in the storms from the south.
15 The LORD of hosts will shield them; they will devour and trample the sling stones; they will drink and roar as with wine, filled like a basin, like the corners of the altar.
16 On that day the LORD their God will rescue them as the flock of his people, for they are like gems in a crown, glittering over his land.
17 What goodness is his, and what beauty! Grain will make the young men thrive, and new wine the maidens.