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 oracle of the word of Yahweh on the land of Hadrach, and, Damascus, shall be the resting-place thereof, —For, Yahweh, hath an eye—to mankind, and to all the tribes of Israel;

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

Moreover also, Hamath, adjoineth thereto, Tyre and Zidon, —because very wise;

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

Therefore did Tyre build a stronghold for herself, —and did heap up silver like dust, yea gold, like the mire of the lanes.

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

Lo! My Lord, shall dispossess her, and smite, into the sea, her fortress, —and, she herself, in fire, shall be consumed.

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, shall see, and fear, Gaza, also, which shall writhe in great anguish, Ekron, also, because abashed is her expectation, —and the king, shall perish, from Gaza, and, Ashkelon, not be inhabited;

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

And there shall be seated a half-breed in Ashdod, —So will I cut off 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 will take away his reeking prey out of his mouth, and his abominations, from between his teeth, but, he that is left, even he, shall belong to our God, —So shall he become as a chief 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.

Then will I encamp about my house—against an army, against him that passeth by, and against him that returneth, neither shall an exactor, tread them down any more, —for, now, have I seen with mine 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.

Exult greatly, O daughter of Zion, Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem, Lo! thy king, cometh unto thee, vindicated and victorious, is he, —lowly, and riding upon an ass, yea, upon a colt, a young 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.

So will he cut off the chariot out of Ephraim, and the horse out of Jerusalem, and the war-bow, shall be cut off, So shall he speak peace to the nations, and, his dominion, shall be from sea to sea, and from the river [Euphrates] 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, —By the blood of thy covenant, have I sent forth thy prisoners out of a 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 to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope, —Even to-day, do I declare—Double, will I return to 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 have bent for me—Judah, As a bow, have I grasped Ephraim, Thus will I rouse up thy sons, O Zion, against the sons of Greece, and will make thee as the sword of a mighty one.

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.

But, Yahweh, over them, will appear, and forth shall go, as lightning, his arrow, —Yea, My Lord Yahweh, with a horn, will blow, and will move along in the 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.

Yahweh of hosts, will throw a covering over them, so shall they eat, and trample underfoot sling-stones, and shall drink—shall shout as with wine, —and shall be filled like tossing-bowls, —like the corners of an 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.

So will Yahweh their God, save them, on that day. yea, as a flock of sheep, his people, —for [they shall be like] the jewels of a diadem sparkling 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 how excellent it is! Yea how beautiful! Corn, shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the maidens.