Zechariah 9

1 This is the burden of the word of the LORD against the land of Hadrach and Damascus its resting place— for the eyes of men and of all the tribes of Israel are upon the LORD —

The burden of the word of the Lord, in the land of Sedrach, and his sacrifice [shall be] in Damascus; for the Lord looks upon men, and upon all the tribes of Israel.

2 and also against Hamath, which borders it, as well as Tyre and Sidon, though they are very shrewd.

And in Emath, [even] in her coasts, [are] Tyre and Sidon, because they were very wise.

3 Tyre has built herself a fortress; she has heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets.

And Tyrus built strongholds for herself, and heaped up silver as dust, and gathered gold as the mire of the ways.

4 Behold, the Lord will impoverish her and cast her wealth into the sea, and she will be consumed by fire.

And therefore the Lord will take them for a possession, and will strike her power in the sea; and she shall be consumed with fire.

5 Ashkelon will see and fear; Gaza will writhe in agony, as will Ekron, for her hope will wither. There will cease to be a king in Gaza, and Ashkelon will be uninhabited.

Ascalon shall see, and fear; Gaza also, and shall be greatly pained, and Accaron; for she is ashamed at her trespass; and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ascalon shall not be inhabited.

6 A mixed race will occupy Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.

And aliens shall dwell in Azotus, and I will bring down the pride of the Philistines.

7 I will remove the blood from their mouths and the abominations from between their teeth. Then they too will become a remnant for our God; they will become like a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.

And I will take their blood out of their mouth, and their abominations from between their teeth; and these also shall be left to our God, and they shall be as a captain of a thousand in Juda, and Accaron as a Jebusite.

8 But I will camp around My house because of an army, because of those who march to and fro, and never again will an oppressor overrun My people, for now I keep watch with My own eyes.

And I will set up a defence for my house, that they may not pass through, nor turn back, neither shall there any more come upon them one to drive them away: for now have I seen with mine eyes.

9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion; proclaim [it] aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, the King is coming to you, just, and a Saviour; he is meek and riding on an ass, and a young foal.

10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem, and the bow of war will be broken. Then He will proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion will extend from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.

And he shall destroy the chariots out of Ephraim, and the horse out of Jerusalem, and the bow of war shall be utterly destroyed; and [there shall be] abundance and peace out of the nations; and he shall rule over the waters as far as the sea, and the rivers [to] the ends of the earth.

11 As for you, because of the blood of My covenant, I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit.

And you by the blood of your covenant has sent forth your prisoners out of the pit that has no water.

12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; even today I declare that I will restore to you double.

You shall dwell in strongholds, you prisoners of the congregation: and for one day of your captivity I will recompense you double.

13 For I will bend Judah as My bow and fit it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against the sons of Greece. I will make you like the sword of a mighty man.

For I have bent you, O Juda, for myself [as] a bow, I have filled Ephraim; and I will raise up your children, O Sion, against the children of the Greeks, and I will handle you as the sword of a warrior.

14 Then the LORD will appear over them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning. The Lord GOD will sound the ram’s horn and advance in the whirlwinds of the south.

And the Lord shall be over them, and [his] arrow shall go forth as lightning: and the Lord Almighty shall blow with the trumpet; and shall proceed with the tumult of his threatening.

15 The LORD of Hosts will shield them. They will destroy and conquer with slingstones; they will drink and roar as with wine. And they will be filled like sprinkling bowls, drenched like the corners of the altar.

The Lord Almighty shall protect them, and they shall destroy them, and overwhelm them with sling-stones; and they shall swallow them down as wine, and fill the bowls as the altar.

16 On that day the LORD their God will save them as the flock of His people; for like jewels in a crown they will sparkle over His land.

And the Lord their God shall save them in that day, [even] his people as a flock; for holy stones are rolled upon his land.

17 How lovely they will be, and how beautiful! Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine, the young women.

For if he has anything good, and if he has anything fair, the young [men shall have] corn, and [there shall be] fragrant wine to the virgins.