1 T he burden of a word of Jehovah against the land of Hadrach, and Demmeseh -- his place of rest: (When to Jehovah the eye of man, And of all the tribes of Israel.)

The burden or oracle (the thing to be lifted up) of the word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach, and Damascus shall be its resting place, for the Lord has an eye upon mankind as upon all the tribes of Israel,

2 A nd also Hamath doth border thereon, Tyre and Zidon, for -- very wise!

And Hamath also, which borders on, Tyre with Sidon, though they are very wise.

3 A nd Tyre doth build a bulwark to herself, And doth heap silver as dust, And gold as mire of out-places.

And Tyre has built herself a stronghold, and heaped up silver like dust and fine gold like the mire of the streets.

4 L o, the Lord doth dispossess her, And He hath smitten in the sea her force, And she with fire is consumed.

Behold, the Lord will cast her out and dispossess her; He will smite her power in the sea and into it and shall be devoured by fire.

5 S ee doth Ashkelon and fear, Also Gaza, and she is exceedingly pained, Also Ekron -- for her expectation dried up, And perished hath a king from Gaza, And Ashkelon doth not remain,

shall see it and fear; Ashkelon, Gaza also, and be sorely pained, and Ekron, for her confidence and expectation shall be put to shame, and a king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.

6 A nd dwelt hath a foreigner in Ashdod, And I have cut off the excellency of the Philistines.

And a mongrel people shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will put an end to the pride of the Philistines.

7 A nd turned aside his blood from his mouth, His abominations from between his teeth, And he hath remained, even he, to our God, And he hath been as a leader in Judah, And Ekron as a Jebusite.

And I will take out of mouths and from between their teeth the abominable idolatrous sacrifices eaten with the blood. And they too shall remain and be a remnant for our God, and they shall be like chieftains (the head over a thousand) in Judah, and Ekron shall be like one of the Jebusites.

8 A nd I have pitched for My house a camp, Because of the passer through, and of the returner, And pass not through against them again doth an exactor, For, now, I have seen with My eyes.

Then I will encamp about My house as a guard or a garrison so that none shall march back and forth, and no oppressor or demanding collector shall again overrun them, for now My eyes are upon them.

9 R ejoice exceedingly, O daughter of Zion, Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem, Lo, thy King doth come to thee, Righteous -- and saved is He, Afflicted -- and riding on an ass, And on a colt -- a son of she-asses.

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O Daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you; He is just and having salvation, patient, meek, lowly, and riding on a donkey, upon a colt, the foal of a donkey.

10 A nd I have cut off the chariot from Ephraim, And the horse from Jerusalem, Yea, cut off hath been the bow of battle, And he hath spoken peace to nations, And his rule from sea unto sea, And from the river unto the ends of earth.

And I will cut off and exterminate the war chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off; and He shall speak the word and peace shall come to the nations, and His dominion shall be from the Sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth!

11 A lso thou -- by the blood of thy covenant, I have sent thy prisoners out of the pit, There is no water in it.

As for you also, because of and for the sake of the covenant blood, I have released and sent forth your imprisoned people out of the waterless pit.

12 T urn back to a fenced place, Ye prisoners of the hope, Even to-day a second announcer I restore to thee.

Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope; even today do I declare that I will restore double your former prosperity to you.

13 F or I have trodden for Me Judah, A bow I have filled Ephraim, And I have stirred up thy sons, O Zion, Against thy sons, O Javan, And I have set thee as the sword of a hero.

For I have bent Judah for Myself as My bow, filled the bow with Ephraim as My arrow, and will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and will make you as the sword of a mighty man.

14 A nd Jehovah doth appear for them, And gone forth as lightning hath His arrow, And the Lord Jehovah with a trumpet bloweth, And He hath gone with whirlwinds of the south.

And the Lord shall be seen over them and His arrow shall go forth as the lightning, and the Lord God will blow the trumpet and will go forth in the windstorms of the south.

15 J ehovah of Hosts doth cover them over, And they consumed, and subdued sling-stones, Yea, they have drunk, They have made a noise as wine, And they have been full as a bowl, As corners of an altar.

The Lord of hosts shall defend and protect them; and they shall devour and they shall tread on as on slingstones, and they shall drink and be noisy and turbulent as from wine and become full like bowls, like the corners of the altar.

16 A nd saved them hath Jehovah their God In that day, as a flock of His people, For stones of a crown are displaying themselves over His ground.

And the Lord their God will save them on that day as the flock of His people, for they shall be as the jewels of a crown, lifted high over and shining glitteringly upon His land.

17 F or what His goodness! and what His beauty! Corn the young men, And new wine the virgins -- make fruitful!

For how great is God’s goodness and how great is His beauty! And how great goodliness and beauty! Grain shall make the young men thrive and fresh wine the maidens.