Zechariah 9

1 The prophecy of the word of Jehovah is against the land of Hadrach, And upon Damascus shall it come down, For the eye of Jehovah is over man, And over 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 against Hamath, which bordereth thereon, And Tyre and Sidon, though she be very wise.

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

3 Though Tyre hath built her a fortress, And hath heaped up silver as dust, And fine gold as the mire 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 cast her out, And will smite her power into the sea, And she shall 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 Askelon shall see it and fear, Gaza also shall see and tremble, And Ekron, because her expectation shall be put to shame. The king shall perish from Gaza, And Askelon 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 strangers shall dwell in Ashdod, And I will cut off the pride 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 out of his mouth, And his abominations from between his teeth; And even he shall be left for our God, And he shall be as a governor 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 clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.

8 And I will encamp about my house, as a garrison, Against him that passeth by and him that returneth, And no oppressor shall pass through them any more; For now have I seen with my own 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 greatly, daughter of Zion, Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, thy king cometh to thee; He is just and victorious, Mild, and riding upon an ass, Even upon a colt, the foal of an ass.

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 cut off the chariot from Ephraim, And the horse from Jerusalem; And the battle-bow shall be cut off. And he shall speak peace to the nations; And his dominion shall be 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 As for thee also, on account of thy blood-sealed covenant, I will set thy prisoners free from 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 Return ye to the strong-hold, ye prisoners of hope! Even this day do I declare it: I will restore double unto thee.

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

13 For I will bend Judah as a bow for myself; As a bow will I extend Ephraim to the utmost; And I will raise up thy sons, O Zion, Against thy sons, O Greece, And make thee as the sword of a mighty man.

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 Jehovah shall be seen over them. And his arrow shall go forth as lightning; And the Lord Jehovah shall blow the trumpet, And shall go forth 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 Jehovah of hosts shall defend them; And they shall devour, and trample under feet the sling-stones, And they shall drink, and shout as through wine, And they shall be filled like a bowl, like the corners 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 Jehovah, their God, shall save them in that day; He will save his people as a flock; For they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifting themselves up in 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 How great shall be their prosperity, and how great their beauty! Corn shall make the young men thrive, and new wire the maidens.

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