Daily Reader's Bible - Flipbook - Page 22
Doom is certain for Hamath,
near Damascus,
and for the cities of Tyre and Sidon,
though they are so clever.
Tyre has built a strong fortress
and has made silver and gold
as plentiful as dust in the streets!
But now the Lord will strip away
Tyre’s possessions
and hurl its fortifications into the sea,
and it will be burned to the ground.
The city of Ashkelon will see Tyre fall
and will be filled with fear.
Gaza will shake with terror,
as will Ekron, for their hopes
will be dashed.
Gaza’s king will be killed,
and Ashkelon will be deserted.
Foreigners will occupy the city of Ashdod.
I will destroy the pride of
the Philistines.
I will grab the bloody meat
from their mouths
and snatch the detestable
sacrifices from their teeth.
Then the surviving Philistines
will worship our God
and become like a clan in Judah.
The Philistines of Ekron will
join my people,
as the ancient Jebusites once did.
I will guard my Temple
and protect it from invading armies.
I am watching closely to ensure
that no more foreign oppressors
overrun my people’s land.
Rejoice, O people of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O people
of Jerusalem!
Look, your king is coming to you.
He is righteous and victorious,
yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—
riding on a donkey’s colt.
I will remove the battle
chariots from Israel
and the warhorses from Jerusalem.
I will destroy all the weapons
used in battle,
and your king will bring
peace to the nations.
His realm will stretch from sea to sea
and from the Euphrates River
to the ends of the earth.
Because of the covenant I made with you,
sealed with blood,
I will free your prisoners
from death in a waterless dungeon.
Come back to the place of safety,
all you prisoners who still
have hope!
I promise this very day
that I will repay two blessings for
each of your troubles.
Judah is my bow,
and Israel is my arrow.
Jerusalem is my sword,
and like a warrior, I will brandish
it against the Greeks.
The LORD will appear above his people;
his arrows will fly like lightning!
The Sovereign LORD will sound
the ram’s horn
and attack like a whirlwind from
the southern desert.
The LORD of Heaven’s Armies
will protect his people,
and they will defeat their enemies
by hurling great stones.
They will shout in battle as
though drunk with wine.
They will be filled with
blood like a bowl,
drenched with blood like the
corners of the altar.
On that day the LORD their God
will rescue his people,
just as a shepherd rescues
his sheep.
They will sparkle in his land
like jewels in a crown.
How wonderful and beautiful
they will be!
The young men will thrive
on abundant grain,
and the young women will
flourish on new wine.
HOW THE KING REJOICES IN YOUR STRENGTH
[PSALM 21]
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
How the king rejoices in your strength, O LORD!
He shouts with joy because you give him victory.
For you have given him his heart’s desire;
you have withheld nothing he requested.
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Interlude
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