Zechariah 9

1 A word of the Lord: The Lord has come to the land of Hadrach, and Damascus is his resting-place: for the towns of Aram are the Lord's,

The prophecy of the word of the Lord concerning the land of Chadrach, and Damascus his resting-place; for unto the Lord [will look] the eye of men, and [that of] all the tribes of Israel;

2 As well as Hamath, which is by its limit, and Tyre and Zidon, because they are very wise.

And also concerning Chamath that is bordering thereon, Tyre, and Zidon, though it be very wise.

3 And Tyre made for herself a strong place, and got together silver like dust and the best gold like the earth of the streets.

And though Tyre have built herself a strong-hold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets:

4 See, the Lord will take away her heritage, overturning her power in the sea; and she will be burned up with fire.

Behold, the Lord will drive her out, and he will strike down her power into the sea; and she herself shall be devoured with fire.

5 Ashkelon will see it with fear, and Gaza, bent with pain; and Ekron, for her hope will be shamed: and the king will be cut off from Gaza, and Ashkelon will be unpeopled.

Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Gazzah also, and tremble greatly: and 'Ekron, for her trust will be made ashamed: and the king shall vanish from Gazzah, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.

6 And a mixed people will be living in Ashdod, and I will have the pride of the Philistines cut off.

And aliens shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.

7 And I will take away his blood from his mouth, and his disgusting things from between his teeth; and some of his people will be kept for our God: and he will be as a family in Judah, and Ekron as one living in Jerusalem.

And I will remove their bloody [-sacrifices] out of their mouth, and their abominations from between their teeth; and their land also shall be left for our God, and it shall be as a prince's [dwelling] in Judah, and 'Ekron shall be like Jebusi.

8 And I will put my forces in position round my house, so that there may be no coming and going: and no cruel master will again go through them: for now I have seen his trouble.

And I will encamp about my house against armies, against those that pass to and fro, and there shall not pass over them any more an oppressor; for now do I look [on them] with my eyes.

9 Be full of joy, O daughter of Zion; give a glad cry, O daughter of Jerusalem: see, your king comes to you: he is upright and has overcome; gentle and seated on an ass, on a young ass.

Be greatly glad, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! behold, thy King will come unto thee, righteous and victorious is he, lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of a she-ass.

10 And he will have the war-carriage cut off from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the bow of war will be cut off: and he will say words of peace to the nations: and his rule will be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

And I will cut off chariots from Ephraim, and horses from Jerusalem, and there shall be cut off the battle-bow, and he shall speak peace unto the nations; and his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth.

11 And as for you, because of the blood of your agreement, I have sent out your prisoners from the deep hole in which there is no water.

As for thee also, because of the blood of thy covenant, do I send forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein there is no water.

12 And they will come back to you, O daughter of Zion, as prisoners of hope: today I say to you that I will give you back twice as much;

Return you to the strong-hold, ye hopeful prisoners: even today do I declare, that I will recompense twofold [good] unto thee.

13 For I have made Judah a bow bent for my use, I have made Ephraim the arrows of the bow; I will make your sons, O Zion, take up arms against your sons, O Greece, and will make you like the sword of a man of war.

For I do bend Judah for me, grasp Ephraim [as] a bow; and I will stir up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Javan, and I will render thee as the sword of a mighty man.

14 And the Lord will be seen over them, and his arrow will go out like the thunder-flame: and the Lord God, sounding the war-horn, will go in the storm-winds of the South.

And the Lord will appear over them, and then will go forth like the lightning his arrow: and the Lord Eternal will blow on the cornet, and he will go along in the tempests of the south.

15 The Lord of armies will be a cover for them; and they will overcome, crushing under foot the armed men; they will take their blood for drink like wine: they will be full like the sides of the altar.

The Lord of hosts will be a shield over them; and they shall devour [the prey], and subdue the sling-stones; and they shall drink, make a noise as one [drunken with] wine; and they shall be filled like the offering-bowls, like the corners of the altar.

16 And the Lord their God will be their saviour in that day, giving them food like the flock of his people: for they will be like the jewels of a crown shining over his land.

And the Lord their God will save them on that day as the flock of his people; for [like] the stones of a crown, will they elevate themselves over his land.

17 For how good it is and how beautiful! grain will make the young men strong and new wine the virgins.

For how great will be [that generation's] happiness, and how great its beauty! corn shall make the young men sing joyfully, and new wine the virgins.