I will destroy the king of the city of Ashdod, as well as the leader of Ashkelon. Then I will turn against the people of the city of Ekron, and the last of the Philistines will die,” says the Lord God.
Uzziah fought a war against the Philistines. He tore down the walls around their towns of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod and built new towns near Ashdod and in other places among the Philistines.
So this is what the Lord God says: I will use my power against the Philistines. I will kill the Kerethites, and I will destroy those people still alive on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
“Tyre and Sidon and all of you regions of Philistia! What did you have against me? Were you punishing me for something I did, or were you doing something to hurt me? I will very quickly do to you what you have done to me.
Announce this to the strong buildings of Ashdod and to the strong buildings of Egypt: “Come to the mountains of Samaria, where you will see great confusion and people hurting others.”
The people of Jacob will be like a fire and the people of Joseph like a flame. But the people of Esau will be like dry stalks. The people of Jacob will set them on fire and burn them up. There will be no one left of the people of Esau.” This will happen because the Lord has said it.
“Sword, hit the shepherd. Attack the man who is my friend,” says the Lord All-Powerful. “Kill the shepherd, and the sheep will scatter, and I will punish the little ones.”
The city of Ashkelon will see it and be afraid. The people of Gaza will shake with fear, and the people of Ekron will lose hope. No king will be left in Gaza, and no one will live in Ashkelon anymore.
The Philistines had sent these gold models of the growths as penalty offerings to the Lord. They sent one model for each Philistine town: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron.