Zechariah 9

1 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.

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

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

3 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.

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

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

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 You, likewise, by the blood of your testimony, have sent forth your prisoners from the pit, 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 Turn back to the fortress, prisoners of hope. Today, I also announce that I will repay you double,

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

13 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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