Chapter 9

The Burden against Israel’s Enemies

¹This is the burden of the word of the LORD

against the land of Hadrach

and Damascus its resting place—

for the eyes of men

and of all the tribes of Israel

are upon the LORD^a—

²and also against Hamath,

which borders it,

as well as Tyre and Sidon,

though they are very shrewd.

³Tyre has built herself a fortress;

she has heaped up silver like dust,

and gold like the dirt of the streets.

⁴Behold, the Lord will impoverish her

and cast her wealth into the sea,^b

and she will be consumed by fire.

⁵Ashkelon will see and fear;

Gaza will writhe in agony,

as will Ekron,

for her hope will wither.

There will cease to be a king in Gaza,

and Ashkelon will be uninhabited.

⁶A mixed race will occupy Ashdod,

and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.

⁷I will remove the blood from their mouths

and the abominations from between their teeth.

Then they too will become a remnant for our God;

they will become like a clan^c in Judah,

and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.

⁸But I will camp around My house because of an army,

because of those who march to and fro,

and never again will an oppressor overrun My people,

for now I keep watch with My own eyes.

Zion’s Coming King

Matthew 21:1–11; Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:28–40; John 12:12–19

⁹Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!

Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem!

See, your King comes to you,

righteous and victorious,^d

humble and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.^e

¹⁰And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim^f

and the horse from Jerusalem,

and the bow of war will be broken.

Then He will proclaim peace to the nations.

His dominion will extend from sea to sea,

and from the Euphrates^g

to the ends of the earth.

¹¹As for you,

because of the blood of My covenant,

I will release your prisoners

from the waterless pit.

¹²Return to your stronghold,

O prisoners of hope;

even today I declare

that I will restore to you double.

¹³For I will bend Judah as My bow

and fit it with Ephraim.

I will rouse your sons, O Zion,

against the sons of Greece.^h

I will make you like the sword

of a mighty man.

The LORD Will Save His People

¹⁴Then the LORD will appear over them,

and His arrow will go forth like lightning.

The Lord GOD will sound the ram’s horn

and advance in the whirlwinds of the south.

¹⁵The LORD of Hosts will shield them.

They will destroy and conquer with slingstones;

they will drink and roar as with wine.

And they will be filled like sprinkling bowls,

drenched like the corners of the altar.

¹⁶On that day the LORD their God will save them

as the flock of His people;

for like jewels in a crown

they will sparkle over His land.

¹⁷How lovely they will be,

and how beautiful!

Grain will make the young men flourish,

and new wine, the young women.