6 Yahweh declares: “At that time, I’ll gather the lame people

≈and assemble those who were scattered—those who I’ve done harm to.

7 And I will turn those lame people into a growing group,

≈and those scattered ones into a strong nation,

and Yahweh will reign over them on Mt. Tsiyyon (Zion),

from now and until forever.

8 And you, watchtower for the flock,

hill of the daughter of Tsiyyon—

to you it will come—your former dominion will arrive—

the kingdom that belongs to the daughter of Yerushalem.

9 Now, why do you shout so loudly?

Is it because you don’t have a king?

≈Is it because your advisor passed away

that pain’s gripping you like that of a woman in labour.

10 Be in pain and labour daughter of Tsiyyon,

≈like a woman giving birth.

For now you need to go out of the city

≈and live in the countryside.

Then you’ll go to Babylon and be rescued from there.

≈There Yahweh will redeem you from your enemies’ control.

11 Now many nations have assembled against you.

They say, ‘Let her be overrun.

Let our eyes gloat over Tsiyyon’s fall.’

12 But those enemies don’t know Yahweh’s thoughts,

≈and they don’t understand his plans,

because he’s gathered them up like bundles of grain ready to be broken on the threshing floor.

13 Get going and thresh, daughter of Tsiyyon,

because I’ll make your horn into iron,

≈and I’ll make your hooves into bronze.

And you’ll break many peoples into pieces

and you’ll confiscate their unjust earnings to devote to Yahweh—

≈their wealth will be for the master of the whole world.”

5 Now come together in battle ranks, daughter of soldiers.

A siege has been set up against us.

They strike Israel’s judge on the cheek with a rod.