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 prophecy of the word of Jehovah is against the land of Hadrach, And upon Damascus shall it come down, For the eye of Jehovah is over man, And over 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 against Hamath, which bordereth thereon, And Tyre and Sidon, though she be very wise.

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

Though Tyre hath built her a fortress, And hath heaped up silver as dust, And fine gold as the mire 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 cast her out, And will smite her power into the sea, And she shall 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.

Askelon shall see it and fear, Gaza also shall see and tremble, And Ekron, because her expectation shall be put to shame. The king shall perish from Gaza, And Askelon shall not be inhabited.

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

And strangers shall dwell in Ashdod, And I will cut off 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 away his blood out of his mouth, And his abominations from between his teeth; And even he shall be left for our God, And he shall be as a governor in Judah, And Ekron 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 encamp about my house, as a garrison, Against him that passeth by and him that returneth, And no oppressor shall pass through them any more; For now have I seen with my own 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, daughter of Zion, Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, thy king cometh to thee; He is just and victorious, Mild, and riding upon an ass, Even upon a colt, the foal of an ass.

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 cut off the chariot from Ephraim, And the horse from Jerusalem; And the battle-bow shall be cut off. And he shall speak peace to the nations; And his dominion shall be from sea to sea, And from the river 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.

As for thee also, on account of thy blood-sealed covenant, I will set thy prisoners free from the pit wherein is no water.

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

Return ye to the strong-hold, ye prisoners of hope! Even this day do I declare it: I will restore double unto thee.

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 will bend Judah as a bow for myself; As a bow will I extend Ephraim to the utmost; And I will raise up thy sons, O Zion, Against thy sons, O Greece, And make thee as the sword of a mighty man.

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 Jehovah shall be seen over them. And his arrow shall go forth as lightning; And the Lord Jehovah shall blow the trumpet, And shall go forth with whirlwinds 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.

Jehovah of hosts shall defend them; And they shall devour, and trample under feet the sling-stones, And they shall drink, and shout as through wine, And they shall be filled like a bowl, like the corners 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 Jehovah, their God, shall save them in that day; He will save his people as a flock; For they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifting themselves up in his land.

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

How great shall be their prosperity, and how great their beauty! Corn shall make the young men thrive, and new wire the maidens.