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.

“This is a declaration of Yahweh's word concerning the land of Hadrak and Damascus, its resting place; for the eyes of all humanity and all the tribes of Israel are toward Yahweh.

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

This declaration also concerns Hamath, which borders on Damascus, and it concerns Tyre and Sidon, for they are 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.

Tyre has built herself a stronghold and heaped up silver like dust and refined gold like mud in 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.

Look! The Lord will dispossess her and destroy her strength on the sea, so she will be devoured by 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 be afraid! Gaza also will tremble greatly! Ekron, her hopes will be disappointed! The king will perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall no longer be inhabited!

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

Strangers will make their homes 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.

For I will remove their blood from their mouths and their abominations from between their teeth. Then they will become a remnant for our God like a clan in Judah, and Ekron will become 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.

I will camp around my land against enemy armies, so no one can pass through or return, for no oppressor will overrun them, for now I see 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.

Shout with great joy, daughter of Zion! Shout with happiness, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold! Your king is coming to you with righteousness and is rescuing you. He is humble and is riding on a donkey, on the colt 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.

Then I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem, and the bow will be cut off from battle; for he will speak peace to the nations, and his dominion will 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 you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the pit where there is no water.

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

Return to the stronghold, prisoners of hope! Even today I am declaring that I will return 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 as my bow. I have filled my quiver with Ephraim. I have roused your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece, and have made you, Zion, like a warrior's sword!”

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.

Yahweh will appear to them, and his arrows will shoot out like lightning! For my Lord Yahweh will blow the trumpet and will advance with the storms from Teman.

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.

Yahweh of hosts will defend them, and they will devour them and defeat the stones of the slings. Then they will drink and shout like men drunk on wine, and they will be filled with wine like 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.

So Yahweh their God will rescue them on that day, as the flock of his people. They are the jewels of a crown that will shine on 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 they will be! The young men will flourish on grain and the virgins on sweet wine!”