English Standard Version ESV
The Message Bible MSG
1 The burden of the word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach and Damascus is its resting place. For the LORD has an eye on mankind and on all the tribes of Israel,
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War Bulletin: God's Message challenges the country of Hadrach. It will settle on Damascus. The whole world has its eyes on God. Israel isn't the only one.
2 and on Hamath also, which borders on it, Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.
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That includes Hamath at the border, and Tyre and Sidon, clever as they think they are.
3 Tyre has built herself a rampart and heaped up silver like dust, and fine gold like the mud of the streets.
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Tyre has put together quite a kingdom for herself; she has stacked up silver like cordwood, piled gold high as haystacks.
4 But behold, the Lord will strip her of her possessions and strike down her power on the sea, and she shall be devoured by fire.
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But God will certainly bankrupt her; he will dump all that wealth into the ocean and burn up what's left in a big fire.
5 Ashkelon shall see it, and be afraid; Gaza too, and shall writhe in anguish; Ekron also, because its hopes are confounded. The king shall perish from Gaza; Ashkelon shall be uninhabited;
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Ashkelon will see it and panic, Gaza will wring its hands, Ekron will face a dead end. Gaza's king will die. Ashkelon will be emptied out,
6 a mixed people shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of Philistia.
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And a villain will take over in Ashdod. "I'll take proud Philistia down a peg:
7 I will take away its blood from its mouth, and its abominations from between its teeth; it too shall be a remnant for our God; it shall be like a clan in Judah, and Ekron shall be like the Jebusites.
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I'll make him spit out his bloody booty and abandon his vile ways." What's left will be all God's - a core of survivors, a family brought together in Judah - But enemies like Ekron will go the way of the Jebusites, into the dustbin of history.
8 Then I will encamp at my house as a guard, so that none shall march to and fro; no oppressor shall again march over them, for now I see with my own eyes.
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"I will set up camp in my home country and defend it against invaders. Nobody is going to hurt my people ever again. I'm keeping my eye on them. A Humble King Riding a Donkey
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
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"Shout and cheer, Daughter Zion! Raise the roof, Daughter Jerusalem! Your king is coming! a good king who makes all things right, a humble king riding a donkey, a mere colt of a donkey.
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
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I've had it with war - no more chariots in Ephraim, no more war horses in Jerusalem, no more swords and spears, bows and arrows. He will offer peace to the nations, a peaceful rule worldwide, from the four winds to the seven seas.
11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
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"And you, because of my blood covenant with you, I'll release your prisoners from their hopeless cells.
12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.
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Come home, hope-filled prisoners! This very day I'm declaring a double bonus - everything you lost returned twice-over!
13 For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior's sword.
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Judah is now my weapon, the bow I'll pull, setting Ephraim as an arrow to the string. I'll wake up your sons, O Zion, to counter your sons, O Greece. From now on people are my swords."
14 Then the LORD will appear over them, and his arrow will go forth like lightning; the Lord GOD will sound the trumpet and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south.
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Then God will come into view, his arrows flashing like lightning! Master God will blast his trumpet and set out in a whirlwind.
15 The LORD of hosts will protect them, and they shall devour, and tread down the sling stones, and they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine, and be full like a bowl, drenched like the corners of the altar.
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God-of-the-Angel-Armies will protect them - all-out war, The war to end all wars, no holds barred.
16 On that day the LORD their God will save them, as the flock of his people; for like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land.
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Their God will save the day. He'll rescue them. They'll become like sheep, gentle and soft, Or like gemstones in a crown, catching all the colors of the sun.
17 For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty! Grain shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women.
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Then how they'll shine! shimmer! glow! the young men robust, the young women lovely!
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.