Zechariah 9

1 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,

The burden of the word of Jehovah upon the land of Hadrach, and Damascus its resting-place (for the eye of man and of all the tribes of Israel is toward Jehovah),

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

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

3 Tyre built for herself a fortress. Heaped up silver as dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets.

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

4 But now the Lord will dispossess her, cast down her rampart into the sea. She will be consumed in fire.

Behold, the Lord will dispossess her, and he will smite her power in the sea, and she shall be devoured with fire.

5 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.

Ashkelon shall see it, and fear, Gaza also, and shall be greatly pained, and Ekron, for her expectation shall be put to shame. And the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.

6 A foreign people will settle in Ashdod, and I will humble the pride of the Philistines.

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

7 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.

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

8 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.

And I will encamp the army around my house, that none pass through or return, and no oppressor shall pass through them any more. For now I have seen with my eyes.

9 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.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, thy king comes to thee. He is just, and having salvation, lowly, and riding upon a donkey, even upon a colt the foal of a donkey.

10 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.

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 And you, too – because of your blood covenant, I have set free your prisoners from the waterless pit.

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

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

Turn you back to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will render double to thee.

13 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.

For I have bent Judah for me. I have filled the bow with Ephraim. And I will stir up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and will make thee as the sword of a mighty man.

14 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.

And Jehovah shall be seen over them. And his arrow shall go forth as the lightning. And the lord Jehovah will blow the trumpet, and will go with whirlwinds of the south.

15 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.

Jehovah of hosts will defend them. And they shall devour, and shall tread down the sling-stones. And they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine, and they shall be filled like bowls, like the corners of the altar.

16 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.

And Jehovah their God will save them in that day as the flock of his people, as for the stones of a crown, lifted on high over his land.

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

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