Zechariah 9

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

The prophecy of the word of the Lord concerning the land of Chadrach, and Damascus his resting-place; for unto the Lord [will look] the eye of men, and [that of] all the tribes of Israel;

2 And also Hamath doth border thereon, Tyre and Zidon, for — very wise!

And also concerning Chamath that is bordering thereon, Tyre, and Zidon, though it be very wise.

3 And Tyre doth build a bulwark to herself, And doth heap silver as dust, And gold as mire of out-places.

And though Tyre have built herself a strong-hold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets:

4 Lo, the Lord doth dispossess her, And He hath smitten in the sea her force, And she with fire is consumed.

Behold, the Lord will drive her out, and he will strike down her power into the sea; and she herself shall be devoured with fire.

5 See doth Ashkelon and fear, Also Gaza, and she is exceedingly pained, Also Ekron — for her expectation dried up, And perished hath a king from Gaza, And Ashkelon doth not remain,

Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Gazzah also, and tremble greatly: and 'Ekron, for her trust will be made ashamed: and the king shall vanish from Gazzah, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.

6 And dwelt hath a foreigner in Ashdod, And I have cut off the excellency of the Philistines.

And aliens shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.

7 And turned aside his blood from his mouth, His abominations from between his teeth, And he hath remained, even he, to our God, And he hath been as a leader in Judah, And Ekron as a Jebusite.

And I will remove their bloody [-sacrifices] out of their mouth, and their abominations from between their teeth; and their land also shall be left for our God, and it shall be as a prince's [dwelling] in Judah, and 'Ekron shall be like Jebusi.

8 And I have pitched for My house a camp, Because of the passer through, and of the returner, And pass not through against them again doth an exactor, For, now, I have seen with My eyes.

And I will encamp about my house against armies, against those that pass to and fro, and there shall not pass over them any more an oppressor; for now do I look [on them] with my eyes.

9 Rejoice exceedingly, O daughter of Zion, Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem, Lo, thy King doth come to thee, Righteous — and saved is He, Afflicted — and riding on an ass, And on a colt — a son of she-asses.

Be greatly glad, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! behold, thy King will come unto thee, righteous and victorious is he, lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of a she-ass.

10 And I have cut off the chariot from Ephraim, And the horse from Jerusalem, Yea, cut off hath been the bow of battle, And he hath spoken peace to nations, And his rule [is] from sea unto sea, And from the river unto the ends of earth.

And I will cut off chariots from Ephraim, and horses from Jerusalem, and there shall be cut off the battle-bow, and he shall speak peace unto the nations; and his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth.

11 Also thou — by the blood of thy covenant, I have sent thy prisoners out of the pit, There is no water in it.

As for thee also, because of the blood of thy covenant, do I send forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein there is no water.

12 Turn back to a fenced place, Ye prisoners of the hope, Even to-day a second announcer I restore to thee.

Return you to the strong-hold, ye hopeful prisoners: even today do I declare, that I will recompense twofold [good] unto thee.

13 For I have trodden for Me Judah, A bow I have filled [with] Ephraim, And I have stirred up thy sons, O Zion, Against thy sons, O Javan, And I have set thee as the sword of a hero.

For I do bend Judah for me, grasp Ephraim [as] a bow; and I will stir up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Javan, and I will render thee as the sword of a mighty man.

14 And Jehovah doth appear for them, And gone forth as lightning hath His arrow, And the Lord Jehovah with a trumpet bloweth, And He hath gone with whirlwinds of the south.

And the Lord will appear over them, and then will go forth like the lightning his arrow: and the Lord Eternal will blow on the cornet, and he will go along in the tempests of the south.

15 Jehovah of Hosts doth cover them over, And they consumed, and subdued sling-stones, Yea, 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 be a shield over them; and they shall devour [the prey], and subdue the sling-stones; and they shall drink, make a noise as one [drunken with] wine; and they shall be filled like the offering-bowls, like the corners of the altar.

16 And saved them hath Jehovah their God 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; for [like] the stones of a crown, will they elevate themselves over his land.

17 For what His goodness! and what His beauty! Corn the young men, And new wine the virgins — make fruitful!

For how great will be [that generation's] happiness, and how great its beauty! corn shall make the young men sing joyfully, and new wine the virgins.