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.

An oracle: The message of the Lord concerns the land of Hadrach, it rests upon Damascus. For the capital of Aram belongs to the Lord, as the tribes of Israel do,

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

and also Hamath which borders on it. Tyre and Sidon, for all their wisdom.

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.

Tyre built for herself a fortress. Heaped up silver as dust, and gold like the dirt 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.

But now the Lord will dispossess her, cast down her rampart into the sea. She will be consumed in 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 will see and fear, and Gaza writhe in anguish, Ekron, also for her hope will be put to shame. The king will perish from Gaza, Ashkelon will remain uninhabited.

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

A foreign people will settle in Ashdod, and I will humble 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.

I will take their blood from their mouth, and their abominations from between their teeth. They also will be a remnant for our God, like a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.

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.

But I will encamp as a guard about my house, so that none will pass through or return, and no oppressor will pass through them again, for now I have seen with my own 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.

Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, daughter of Jerusalem! Look, your king comes to you. Vindicated and victorious is he, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

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.

He will cut off chariots from Ephraim, and war horses from Jerusalem. The battle bow will be cut off, and he will speak peace to the nations. His rule will be from sea to sea, 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.

And you, too – because of your blood covenant, I have set free your prisoners from the waterless pit.

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

To the stronghold will the prisoners of hope return. This day I declare, I will restore double to you.

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 have bent Judah to me, like a bow which I have filled with Ephraim like an arrow. I will urge your sons, Zion, against the sons of Greece, I will make you like the sword of a hero.

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.

Then the Lord will be seen above them and his arrow will go forth like lightning. The Lord will blow a blast upon a trumpet, and travel on the whirlwinds 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 defend them. They will devour and tread down the slingstones, they will drink their blood like wine, they will be full like a bowl, like the crevices 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, as the jewel of a crown shining in his land.

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

How good and how beautiful will it be! Corn will make the young men flourish and new wine the young women!