| 1 A proclamation. The word of Yahweh is against Hadrach, it has come to rest on Damascus, for thesource of Aram belongs to Yahweh no less than al the tribes of Israel; |
| 2 on Hamath too, which borders on it, and on (Tyre and) Sidon, despite her acumen. |
| 3 Tyre has built herself a fortress, has heaped up silver like dust and gold like the dirt of the streets. |
| 4 And now the Lord is going to dispossess her; at sea he wil break her power, and she herself will go upin flames. |
| 5 Seeing this, Ashkelon wil be terrified, Gaza too, and writhe with grief, Ekron too, at the ruin of herprospects; the king wil vanish from Gaza and Ashkelon be unpeopled, |
| 6 while a half-breed wil live in Ashdod! Yes, I shal destroy the pride of the Philistine; |
| 7 I shal snatch his blood from his mouth, his abominations from between his teeth. But his remnant toowil belong to our God, becoming like a clan in Judah, and Ekron wil become like a Jebusite. |
| 8 I shal stand guard before my home to defend it against al comers, and no oppressor wil overrun themever again, for now I am on the alert. |
| 9 Rejoice heart and soul, daughter of Zion! Shout for joy, daughter of Jerusalem! Look, your king isapproaching, he is vindicated and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. |
| 10 He wil banish chariots from Ephraim and horses from Jerusalem; the bow of war wil be banished. Hewil proclaim peace to the nations, his empire wil stretch from sea to sea, from the River to the limits of the earth. |
| 11 As for you, because of the blood of your covenant I have released your prisoners from the pit in whichthere is no water. |
| 12 Come back to the fortress, you prisoners waiting in hope. This very day, I vow, I shal make it up to youtwice over. |
| 13 For I have strung Judah as a bow for myself, laid Ephraim on the string as an arrow, have roused yoursons, Zion, against your sons, Javan, and have made you like a warrior's sword. |
| 14 Then Yahweh wil appear above them and his arrow wil flash out like lightning. (The Lord) Yahweh wilsound the trumpet and advance in the storm-winds of the south. |
| 15 Yahweh Sabaoth will protect them! They wil devour, wil trample on the sling-stones, they wil drinkblood like wine, awash like bowls, like the corners of the altar. |
| 16 Yahweh their God wil give them victory when that day comes, like the sheep who are his people; yes,the stones of a diadem wil sparkle over his country. |
| 17 How fine, how splendid that will be, with wheat to make the young men flourish, and new wine themaidens! |