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

Moreover also, Hamath, adjoineth thereto, Tyre and Zidon, —because 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.

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

4 See, the Lord will take away her heritage, overturning her power in the sea; and she will be burned up with 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 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, 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 And a mixed people will be living in Ashdod, and I will have the pride of the Philistines cut off.

And there shall be seated a half-breed in Ashdod, —So will I cut off the arrogance 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 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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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, —By the blood of thy covenant, have I sent forth thy prisoners out of a pit, wherein 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 to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope, —Even to-day, do I declare—Double, will I return to 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 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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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

For how excellent it is! Yea how beautiful! Corn, shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the maidens.