He will bring a time of peace. Yes, the Assyrian army will come into our country and march through our land. But we have plenty of leaders we can send against them.
The Lord says, “I am very angry with the shepherds. I made them responsible for what happens to my sheep.” (The people of Judah are his flock, and the Lord All-Powerful really does take care of his flock. He cares for them as a soldier cares for his beautiful war horse.)
I will take the war chariots away from Ephraim and the horse soldiers from Jerusalem. I will destroy the bows used in war. Your king will bring news of peace to the nations. He will rule from sea to sea, from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.
The armies of heaven were following the rider on the white horse. They were also riding white horses. They were dressed in fine linen, white and clean.
They will make war against the Lamb. But the Lamb will defeat them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. And with him will be his chosen and faithful followers—the people he has called to be his.”
At that time I will make the leaders of Judah like a fire burning in a forest. They will destroy their enemies like fire burning straw. They will destroy the enemy all around them, and the people in Jerusalem will again be able to sit back and relax.”
This is what the Lord says: “I will definitely punish the people of Gaza for the many crimes they did. They took an entire nation of people and sent them as slaves to Edom.
This is what the Lord says: “I will definitely punish the people of Damascus for the many crimes they did. They crushed the people of Gilead with iron threshing tools.
The Lord says, “When there is new wine in the grapes, people squeeze out the wine. But they don’t completely destroy the grapes because the grapes can still be used. I will do the same thing to my servants. I will not destroy them completely.
People from the west to the east will fear the Lord and respect his Glory. He will come quickly, like a fast-flowing river driven by a wind from the Lord.
He says to Cyrus, “You are my shepherd. You will do what I want. You will say to Jerusalem, ‘You will be rebuilt!’ You will tell the Temple, ‘Your foundations will be put in place!’”
I will destroy the king of Assyria in my country. I will walk on him on my mountains. He forced my people to be his slaves; he put a yoke on their necks. But that pole will be taken off Judah’s neck, and that burden will be removed.
They will go through a sea of troubles, but the waves will be stopped. Even the deepest waters of the Nile River will dry up. I will destroy Assyria’s pride and take away Egypt’s power.