Zacharias 9

1 The burden of the word of the Lord, in the land of Sedrach, and his sacrifice [shall be] in Damascus; for the Lord looks upon men, and upon all the tribes of Israel.

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 in Emath, [even] in her coasts, [are] Tyre and Sidon, because they were very wise.

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

3 And Tyrus built strongholds for herself, and heaped up silver as dust, and gathered gold as the mire of the ways.

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 And therefore the Lord will take them for a possession, and will strike her power in the sea; and she shall be consumed with fire.

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

5 Ascalon shall see, and fear; Gaza also, and shall be greatly pained, and Accaron; for she is ashamed at her trespass; and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ascalon shall not be inhabited.

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 And aliens shall dwell in Azotus, and I will bring down the pride of the Philistines.

And the divider will sit in Ashdod, and I will scatter the arrogance of the Philistines.

7 And I will take their blood out of their mouth, and their abominations from between their teeth; and these also shall be left to our God, and they shall be as a captain of a thousand in Juda, and Accaron as a Jebusite.

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 And I will set up a defence for my house, that they may not pass through, nor turn back, neither shall there any more come upon them one to drive them away: for now have I seen with mine 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 Sion; proclaim [it] aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, the King is coming to you, just, and a Saviour; he is meek and riding on an ass, and a young foal.

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 he shall destroy the chariots out of Ephraim, and the horse out of Jerusalem, and the bow of war shall be utterly destroyed; and [there shall be] abundance and peace out of the nations; and he shall rule over the waters as far as the sea, and the rivers [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 And you by the blood of your covenant has sent forth your prisoners out of the pit that has no water.

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

12 You shall dwell in strongholds, you prisoners of the congregation: and for one day of your captivity I will recompense you double.

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

13 For I have bent you, O Juda, for myself [as] a bow, I have filled Ephraim; and I will raise up your children, O Sion, against the children of the Greeks, and I will handle you as the sword of a warrior.

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 And the Lord shall be over them, and [his] arrow shall go forth as lightning: and the Lord Almighty shall blow with the trumpet; and shall proceed with the tumult of his threatening.

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 Almighty shall protect them, and they shall destroy them, and overwhelm them with sling-stones; and they shall swallow them down as wine, and fill the bowls as 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 And the Lord their God shall save them in that day, [even] his people as a flock; for holy stones are rolled upon 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 For if he has anything good, and if he has anything fair, the young [men shall have] corn, and [there shall be] fragrant wine to the virgins.

For what is his goodness and what is his beauty, other than grain among the elect and wine springing forth virgins?