He will bring peace. Assyria will surely come into our country and walk over our large buildings. We will set up seven shepherds, eight leaders of the people.
I will destroy the king of Assyria in my country; I will trample him on my mountains. He placed a heavy load on my people, but that weight will be removed.
I say of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd and will do all that I want him to do. He will say to Jerusalem, “You will be built again!” He will tell the Temple, “Your foundations will be rebuilt.” ’ ”
Then people from the west will fear the Lord, and people from the east will fear his glory. The Lord will come quickly like a fast-flowing river, driven by the breath of the Lord.
This is what the Lord says: “When there is juice left in the grapes, people do not destroy them, because they know there is good left in them. So I will do the same thing to my servants— I will not completely destroy them.
This is what the Lord says: “For the many crimes of Damascus, I will punish them. They drove over the people of Gilead with threshing boards that had iron teeth.
They will come through the sea of trouble. The waves of the sea will be calm, and the Nile River will dry up. I will defeat Assyria’s pride and destroy Egypt’s power over other countries.
The Lord says, “I am angry at my shepherds, and I will punish the leaders. I, the Lord All-Powerful, care for my flock, the people of Judah. I will make them like my proud war horses.
“At that time I will make the leaders of Judah like a fire burning a stack of wood or like a fire burning straw. They will destroy all the people around them left and right. But the people of Jerusalem will remain safe.
I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the horses from Jerusalem. The bows used in war will be broken. The king will talk to the nations about peace. His kingdom will go from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.
I will use Judah like a bow and Ephraim like the arrows. Jerusalem, I will use your men to fight the men of Greece. I will use you like a warrior’s sword.
They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. He will defeat them with his called, chosen, and faithful followers.”