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 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,

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

And against Hamath, which bordereth thereon, And Tyre and Sidon, though she 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.

Though Tyre hath built her a fortress, And hath heaped up silver as 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 cast her out, And will smite her power into the sea, And she shall be devoured by 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,

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.

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

And strangers 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 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.

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, 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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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, on account of thy blood-sealed covenant, I will set thy prisoners free from the pit wherein 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 ye to the strong-hold, ye prisoners of hope! Even this day do I declare it: I will restore double 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 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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

How great shall be their prosperity, and how great their beauty! Corn shall make the young men thrive, and new wire the maidens.