Zechariah 9

1 The burden of the worde of the Lord in the land of Hadrach: and Damascus shalbe his rest: when the eyes of man, euen of all the tribes of Israel shalbe toward 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 And Hamath also shall border thereby: Tyrus also and Zidon, though they be very wise.

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

3 For Tyrus did build her selfe a strong holde, and heaped vp siluer as the dust, and golde as the myre of the streetes.

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

4 Beholde, the Lord wil spoyle her, and he wil smite her power in the Sea, and she shalbe deuoured with fire.

But now the Lord will dispossess her, cast down her rampart into the sea. She will be consumed in fire.

5 Ashkelon shall see it, and feare, and Azzah also shalbe very sorowfull, and Ekron: for her countenance shalbe ashamed, and the King shall perish from Azzah, and Ashkelon shall 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 stranger shall dwell in Ashdod, and I wil cut off the pride of the Philistims.

A foreign people will settle in Ashdod, and I will humble the pride of the Philistines.

7 And I wil take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from betweene his teeth: but he that remaineth, euen he shalbe for our God, and he shalbe as a prince in Iudah, but Ekron shalbe as a Iebusite.

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 campe about mine House against the armie, against him that passeth by, and against him that returneth, and no oppressour shall come vpon them any more: for now haue I seene with mine 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 Reioyce greatly, O daughter Zion: shoute for ioy, O daughter Ierusalem: beholde, thy King commeth vnto thee: he is iust and saued himselfe, poore and riding vpon an asse, and vpon a colt the foale of an asse.

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 wil cut off the charets from Ephraim, and the horse from Ierusalem: the bowe of the battel shalbe broken, and he shall speake peace vnto the heathen, and his dominion shalbe from sea vnto sea, and from the Riuer to the end of the land.

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 Thou also shalt be saued through the blood of thy couenant. I haue loosed thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.

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

12 Turne you to the strong holde, ye prisoners of hope: euen to day doe I declare, that I will render the double vnto thee.

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

13 For Iudah haue I bent as a bowe for me: Ephraims hand haue I filled, and I haue raised vp thy sonnes, O Zion, against thy sonnes, O Grecia, and haue made thee as a gyants sword.

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 shalbe seene ouer them, and his arrowe shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord God shall blowe the trumpet, and shall come forth with the whirlewindes 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 hostes shall defend them, and they shall deuoure them, and subdue them with sling stones, and they shall drinke, and make a noyse as thorowe wine, and they shalbe filled like bowles, and as the hornes 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 the Lord their God shall deliuer them in that day as the flocke of his people: for they shall be as the stones of the crowne lifted up upon 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 howe great is his goodnesse! and howe great is his beautie! corne shall make the yong men cherefull, and newe wine the maides.

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