Zechariah 9

1 The burden of a word of YHWH against the land of Hadrach, and Demmeseh—his place of rest: (When to YHWH [is] the eye of man, And of all the tribes of Israel).

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 also Hamath borders thereon, Tyre and Sidon, for—very wise!

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

3 And Tyre builds a bulwark for herself, And heaps silver as dust, And gold as mire of out-places.

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

4 Behold, the Lord dispossesses her, And He has struck her force in the sea, And she is consumed with fire.

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

5 Ashkelon sees and fears, Also Gaza, and she is exceedingly pained, Also Ekron—for her expectation dried up, And a king has perished from Gaza, And Ashkelon does not remain,

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 a foreigner has dwelt in Ashdod, And I have cut off the excellence of the Philistines.

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

7 And turned aside his blood from his mouth, His abominations from between his teeth, And he has remained, even he, to our God, And he has been as a leader in Judah, And Ekron as 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 tribe in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.

8 And I have pitched a camp for My house, Because of the passer through, and of the returner, And an exactor does not pass through against them again, 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 exceedingly, O daughter of Zion, Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem, Behold, your King comes to you, Righteous and having salvation, Afflicted—and riding on a donkey, And on a colt—a son of female donkeys.

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 have cut off the chariot from Ephraim, And the horse from Jerusalem, Indeed, the bow of battle has been cut off, And He has spoken peace to nations, And His rule [is] from sea to sea, And from the river to the ends 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 Also You—by the blood of Your covenant, I have sent Your prisoners out of the pit, There is no water in it.

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

12 Return to a stronghold, You prisoners of the hope, Even today a second announcer I restore to you.

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

13 For I have trodden for Myself with Judah, I have filled a bow [with] Ephraim, And I have stirred up your sons, O Zion, Against your sons, O Javan, And I have set you as the sword of a hero.”

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 YHWH appears for them, And His arrow has gone forth as lightning, And Lord YHWH blows with a horn, And He has gone with whirlwinds 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 YHWH of Hosts covers them over, And they consumed, and subdued sling-stones, Indeed, they have drunk, They have made a noise as wine, And they have been full as a bowl, As corners of an 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 their God YHWH has saved them in that day, As a flock of His people, For stones of a crown are displaying themselves over His ground.

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 His goodness! And what His beauty! Grain the young men, And new wine the virgins—make fruitful!

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