9
1 The burden of the word of the Lord in the land of Sedrach, and his sacrifice shall be in Damascus; for the Lord looks upon men, and upon all the tribes of Israel. 2 And in Emath, even in her coasts, are Tyre and Sidon, because they were very wise. 3 And Tyrus built strong-holds for herself, and heaped up silver as dust, and gathered gold as the mire of the ways.
4 And therefore the Lord will take them for a possession, and will smite her power in the sea; and she shall be consumed with fire. 5 Ascalon shall see, and fear; Gaza also, and shall be greatly pained, and Accaron; for she is ashamed *at her trespass; and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ascalon shall not be inhabited. 6 And aliens shall dwell in Azotus, and I will bring down the pride of the Philistines. 7 And I will take their blood out of their mouth, and their abominations from between their teeth; and these also shall be left to our God, and they shall be as a captain of a thousand in Juda, and Accaron as a Jebusite. 8 And I will set up a †defence for my house, that they may not pass through, nor turn back, neither shall there any more come upon them one to drive them away: for now have I seen with mine eyes.
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion; proclaim it aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem; ✡ behold, the King is coming to thee, just, and ‡a Saviour; he is meek and riding on an ass, and a young foal. 10 And he shall destroy the chariots out of Ephraim, and the horse out of Jerusalem, and the bow of war shall be utterly destroyed; and there shall be abundance and peace out of the nations; and he shall rule over the waters as far as the sea, and the rivers to the ends of the earth.
11 And thou by the blood of thy covenant hast sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit that has no water. 12 Ye shall dwell in strongholds, ye prisoners of the congregation: and for one day of thy §captivity I will recompense thee double. 13 For I have bent thee, O Juda, for myself as a bow, I have filled **Ephraim; and I will raise up thy children, O Sion, against the children of the Greeks, and I will handle thee as the sword of a warrior. 14 And the Lord shall be over them, and his arrow shall go forth as lightning: and the Lord Almighty shall blow with the trumpet; and shall proceed with the tumult of his threatening. 15 The Lord Almighty shall protect them, and they shall destroy them, and overwhelm them with sling-stones; and they shall swallow them down as wine, and fill ††the bowls as the altar. 16 And the Lord their God shall save them in that day, even his people as a flock; for holy stones are rolled upon his land. 17 For if he has anything good, and if he has anything fair, the young men shall have corn, and there shall be fragrant wine to the virgins.
* 9:5 Alex. of her hope. † 9:8 Or, bulwark. See Zeph. 2. 14. ✡ 9:9 Mat. 21. 5. ‡ 9:9 Gr. saving. § 9:12 Or, sojourning. ** 9:13 Or, it with Ephraim. †† 9:15 Alex. the altar as bowls.