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 Hadrach and its respite in Damascus. For the eye of man and of all the tribes of Israel is of the Lord.

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

Hamath also is at its limits, and Tyre and Sidon. For, of course, they have assumed themselves to be exceedingly wise.

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

And Tyre has built herself a fortress, and she has piled together silver, as if it were soil, and gold, as if it were the mud of the streets.

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

Behold, the Lord will possess her, and he will strike her strength in the sea, and she will be devoured by 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.

Ashkelon will see and be afraid. Both Gaza and he will be very sorrowful, as well as Ekron, because her hope has been confounded. And the king will pass away from Gaza, and Ashkelon will not be inhabited.

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

And the divider will sit in Ashdod, and I will scatter the arrogance 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 away his blood from his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth, and yet he will be left for our God, and he will be like a governor in Judah, and Ekron will be like 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 encircle my house with those who serve me in war, going and returning, and the exactor will no longer pass over them. For now I have seen with my 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 well, daughter of Zion, shout for joy, daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, your King will come to you: the Just One, the Savior. He is poor and riding upon a donkey, and upon a colt, the son of a donkey.

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 I will scatter the four-horse chariot out of Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem, and the bow of war will be destroyed. And he will speak peace to the Gentiles, and his power will be from sea to sea, and from the rivers even to the end of the earth.

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

You, likewise, by the blood of your testimony, have sent forth your prisoners from the pit, in which there is no water.

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

Turn back to the fortress, prisoners of hope. Today, I also announce that I will repay 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.

because I have stretched out Judah for myself, like a bow; I have filled Ephraim. And I will raise up your sons, Zion, above your sons, Greece. And I will set you as the sword of the strength.

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 God will be seen over them, and his arrow will go forth like lightning. And the Lord God will sound the trumpet, and he will go forth into the whirlwind of the South.

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 of hosts will protect them. And they will devour and subdue with the stones of the sling. And, when drinking, they will become inebriated, as if with wine, and they will be filled like bowls and like the horns of 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 in that day, the Lord their God will save them as the flock of his people. For holy stones will be lifted up over 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 what is his goodness and what is his beauty, other than grain among the elect and wine springing forth virgins?