CHAPTER 9

1 The burden of the word of Jehovah On the land of Hadrach, And Damascus its resting-place, When to Jehovah shall be the eye of man And of all the tribes of Israel:

2 Even Hamath shall border on it, Tyre also Sidon, Though it be very wise:

3 And built hath Tyre a fortress for herself, And heaped together silver as dust, And gold as the mire of the streets;

4 Behold, Jehovah will drive her out, And smite in the sea her power, And with fire shall she be consumed. (239)

5 See shall Ashkelon, and fear, And Gaza, — and it will be very sorrowful; Ekron also, — for confounded shall be her expectation: And perish shall the king from Gaza, And Ashkelon shall not be inhabited;

6 And dwell shall a stranger in Ashdod, For I will cut off the pride of the Philistines;

7 And take away will I his blood from his mouth And his abominations from between his teeth; And he, the remnant, even he shall be for our God; He shall be even as a leader in Judah, And Ekron, as a Jebusite:

8 I will also be a camp to my house From an army, when passing through and returning; And pass through them shall the exactor no more; For now I have seen with mine eyes.

9 Exult greatly, thou daughter of Zion, Shout, thou daughter of Jerusalem; Behold, the King shall come to thee, Just and saved shall he be, Poor and riding on an ass, Even on a colt, the foal of an ass:

10 And cut off shall I the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; cut off also shall be the bow of war; And speak peace shall he to the nations; And his dominion shall be from sea to sea, And from the river to the extremities of the earth.

11 As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant, Have I sent forth thy captive From the pit, in which there was no water:

12 Return to the stronghold, ye captives of hope; Even to day I declare, Double blessings will I render to thee;

13 For I will bend for me Judah as a bow, I will fill my quiver with Ephraim; And will rouse thy sons, O Zion, Against thy sons, O Greece; And I will make thee as the sword of a mighty man:

14 Jehovah also shall over them be seen, And go forth as lightning shall his arrow; Yea, the Lord Jehovah, with the trumpet shall he blow, And march forth in the whirlwind of the south. (269)

15 Jehovah of hosts will defend them, And they shall devour and subdue with sling-stones; They shall also drink and make a noise as through wine, And filled shall they be as the bowls, As the corners of the altar;

16 And save them shall Jehovah their God In that day, as a flock, his own people; For as the stones of a crown shall they be raised over his land.

17 For how great is his goodness! And how great his beauty! Corn shall refresh young men, And new wine the maids. (276)