Zechariah 9

1 A prophecy: A message from the Lord to the land of Hadrach, and Damascus its main objective. For the eyes of human beings together with all the tribes of Israel are on the Lord,

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;

2 and Hamath too since it is close by. Also Tyre and Sidon for they are very wise.

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

3 The people of Tyre built a fortress, and piled up silver like dust and gold like the dirt of the street.

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

4 But look at what will happen. The Lord will take away everything they have, and knock down their strong defenses into the sea. The city will be burned down.

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

5 The people of Ashkelon will see this and be terrified; those in Gaza will thrash around in agony like a woman giving birth; and the people of Ekron too, because their hopes are shattered. The king of Gaza will be killed, and Ashkelon will be deserted.

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;

6 Mixed-race people will live in Ashdod, and I will wipe out the Philistine's pride.

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

7 I will remove the blood-filled meat from their mouths; the unclean food from their jaws. Those who remain will belong to our God—they shall become like a family of Judah—and those from Ekron will become part of my people, just as the Jebusites did.

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!

8 I will make my camp in my Temple to guard it from invaders, and no oppressors will conquer them, for now I myself am keeping watch.

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.

9 Be happy and celebrate, people of Zion! Shout loudly, people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He does what is right and has salvation; he is humble, riding on a donkey—on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

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.

10 (I will remove the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem. I will destroy the bows used in battle.) He will proclaim peace to the nations, and he will rule from sea to sea, from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.

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.

11 And as for you, because my agreement with you, sealed with blood, I will set you free from the waterless pit.

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

12 Return to the stronghold, you prisoners who have hope! Today I promise I will repay you double what you lost.

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

13 I will use Judah as my bow, and I will load it with Ephraim my arrow. I will call up you men of Zion to fight against you men of Greece, wielding you like a warrior's sword.

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.

14 Then the Lord will appear over his people and his arrow will flash like lightning! The Lord God will blow the trumpet and march out like a windstorm from the south.

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.

15 The Lord Almighty will protect them. They will destroy their enemies, conquering them with slingshots. They will drink and shout loudly like people who are drunk. They will be filled like a bowl, soaked liked the corners of an altar.

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.

16 On that day the Lord their God will save them—his people that are his flock—for they will glitter as crown jewels in his land.

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.

17 How lovely and beautiful they will be! Young men will grow strong on grain, and young women flourish on the new wine.

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