Zechariah 9

1 The oracle of the word of Yahweh on the land of Hadrach, and, Damascus, shall be the resting-place thereof, —For, Yahweh, hath an eye—to mankind, and to all the tribes of Israel;

An oracle. The word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach, and will rest upon Damascus; for the eye of man and of all the tribes of Israel is toward the LORD;

2 Moreover also, Hamath, adjoineth thereto, Tyre and Zidon, —because very wise;

and Hamath, also, which borders on it; Tyre and Sidon, because they are very wise.

3 Therefore did Tyre build a stronghold for herself, —and did heap up silver like dust, yea gold, like the mire of the lanes.

Tyre built herself a stronghold, and heaped up silver like the dust, and fine gold like the mire of the streets.

4 Lo! My Lord, shall dispossess her, and smite, into the sea, her fortress, —and, she herself, in fire, shall be consumed.

Look, the LORD will dispossess her, and he will strike her power in the sea; and she will be devoured with fire.

5 Ashkelon, shall see, and fear, Gaza, also, which shall writhe in great anguish, Ekron, also, because abashed is her expectation, —and the king, shall perish, from Gaza, and, Ashkelon, not be inhabited;

Ashkelon will see it, and fear; Gaza also, and will writhe in agony; as will Ekron, for her expectation will be disappointed; and the king will perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon will not be inhabited.

6 And there shall be seated a half-breed in Ashdod, —So will I cut off the arrogance of the Philistines;

Foreigners will dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.

7 And will take away his reeking prey out of his mouth, and his abominations, from between his teeth, but, he that is left, even he, shall belong to our God, —So shall he become as a chief in Judah, and, Ekron, as a Jebusite!

I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth; and he also will be a remnant for our God; and he will be as a chieftain in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite.

8 Then will I encamp about my house—against an army, against him that passeth by, and against him that returneth, neither shall an exactor, tread them down any more, —for, now, have I seen with mine own eyes.

I will camp around my house against the army, that none pass through or return; and no oppressor will pass through them any more: for now I have seen with my eyes.

9 Exult greatly, O daughter of Zion, Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem, Lo! thy king, cometh unto thee, vindicated and victorious, is he, —lowly, and riding upon an ass, yea, upon a colt, a young ass.

Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion. Shout, daughter of Jerusalem. Look, your king comes to you. He is righteous, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

10 So will he cut off the chariot out of Ephraim, and the horse out of Jerusalem, and the war-bow, shall be cut off, So shall he speak peace to the nations, and, his dominion, shall be from sea to sea, and from the river [Euphrates] to the ends of the earth.

I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow will be cut off; and he will speak peace to the nations: and his dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the River to the farthest parts of the earth.

11 As for thee also, —By the blood of thy covenant, have I sent forth thy prisoners out of a pit, wherein is no water.

As for you also, because of the blood of your covenant, I have set free your prisoners from the pit in which is no water.

12 Return to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope, —Even to-day, do I declare—Double, will I return to thee!

Turn to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.

13 For I have bent for me—Judah, As a bow, have I grasped Ephraim, Thus will I rouse up thy sons, O Zion, against the sons of Greece, and will make thee as the sword of a mighty one.

For indeed I bend Judah as a bow for me. I have filled the bow with Ephraim; and I will stir up your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece, and will make you like the sword of a mighty man.

14 But, Yahweh, over them, will appear, and forth shall go, as lightning, his arrow, —Yea, My Lord Yahweh, with a horn, will blow, and will move along in the whirlwinds of the south.

The LORD will be seen over them; and his arrow will go forth like lightning; and the LORD will blow the trumpet, and will go with whirlwinds of the south.

15 Yahweh of hosts, will throw a covering over them, so shall they eat, and trample underfoot sling-stones, and shall drink—shall shout as with wine, —and shall be filled like tossing-bowls, —like the corners of an altar.

The LORD of hosts will defend them; and they will destroy and overcome with sling stones; and they will drink, and roar as through wine; and they will be filled like bowls, like the corners of the altar.

16 So will Yahweh their God, save them, on that day. yea, as a flock of sheep, his people, —for [they shall be like] the jewels of a diadem sparkling over his land.

The LORD their God will save them in that day as the flock of his people; for they are like the jewels of a crown, lifted on high over his land.

17 For how excellent it is! Yea how beautiful! Corn, shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the maidens.

For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty. Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine the virgins.