TSK · Zechariah 2:8

The LORD found him in a desolate land, in an empty wasteland where animals howl. He continually guarded him and taught him; he continually protected him like the pupil of his eye.

Protect me as you would protect the pupil of your eye! Hide me in the shadow of your wings!

I, I have spoken– yes, I have summoned him; I lead him and he will succeed.

All the sheep of Kedar will be gathered to you; the rams of Nebaioth will be available to you as sacrifices. They will go up on my altar acceptably, and I will bestow honor on my majestic temple.

“King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon devoured me and drove my people out. Like a monster from the deep he swallowed me. He filled his belly with my riches. He made me an empty dish. He completely cleaned me out.”

A Prophecy Against Edom“This is what the Sovereign LORD says:‘Edom has taken vengeance against the house of Judah; they have made themselves fully culpable by taking vengeance on them.

“Son of man, because Tyre has said about Jerusalem,‘Aha, the gateway of the peoples is broken; it has swung open to me. I will become rich, now that she has been destroyed,’

I will increase the number of people and animals on you; they will increase and be fruitful. I will cause you to be inhabited as in ancient times, and will do more good for you than at the beginning of your history. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

Then I will gather all the nations, and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. I will enter into judgment against them there concerning my people Israel who are my inheritance, whom they scattered among the nations. They partitioned my land,

This is what the LORD says:“Because Tyre has committed three crimes– make that four!– I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They sold a whole community to Edom; they failed to observe a treaty of brotherhood.

This is what the LORD says:“Because the Ammonites have committed three crimes– make that four!– I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They ripped open Gilead’s pregnant women so they could expand their territory.

Many nations have now assembled against you. They say,“Jerusalem must be desecrated, so we can gloat over Zion!”

When my enemies see this, they will be covered with shame. They say to me,“Where is the LORD your God?” I will gloat over them. Then they will be trampled down like mud in the streets.

For you will pay in full for your violent acts against Lebanon; terrifying judgment will come upon you because of the way you destroyed the wild animals living there. You have shed human blood and committed violent acts against lands, cities, and those who live in them.

But I am greatly displeased with the nations that take my grace for granted. I was a little displeased with them, but they have only made things worse for themselves.

“Yes, look here, I am about to punish them so that they will be looted by their own slaves.” Then you will know that the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has sent me.

And the streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing.

And the king will answer them,‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.’

Jesus replied,“If anyone loves me, he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him.

But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me.

He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

By this the love of God is revealed in us: that God has sent his one and only Son into the world so that we may live through him.