Zechariah 9

¹A word of the Lord: The Lord has come to the land of Hadrach, and Damascus is his resting-place: for the towns of Aram are the Lord's,

²As well as Hamath, which is by its limit, and Tyre and Zidon, because they are very wise.

³And Tyre made for herself a strong place, and got together silver like dust and the best gold like the earth of the streets.

⁴See, the Lord will take away her heritage, overturning her power in the sea; and she will be burned up with fire.

⁵Ashkelon will see it with fear, and Gaza, bent with pain; and Ekron, for her hope will be shamed: and the king will be cut off from Gaza, and Ashkelon will be unpeopled.

⁶And a mixed people will be living in Ashdod, and I will have the pride of the Philistines cut off.

⁷And I will take away his blood from his mouth, and his disgusting things from between his teeth; and some of his people will be kept for our God: and he will be as a family in Judah, and Ekron as one living in Jerusalem.

⁸And I will put my forces in position round my house, so that there may be no coming and going: and no cruel master will again go through them: for now I have seen his trouble.

⁹Be full of joy, O daughter of Zion; give a glad cry, O daughter of Jerusalem: see, your king comes to you: he is upright and has overcome; gentle and seated on an ass, on a young ass.

¹⁰And he will have the war-carriage cut off from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the bow of war will be cut off: and he will say words of peace to the nations: and his rule will be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

¹¹And as for you, because of the blood of your agreement, I have sent out your prisoners from the deep hole in which there is no water.

¹²And they will come back to you, O daughter of Zion, as prisoners of hope: today I say to you that I will give you back twice as much;

¹³For I have made Judah a bow bent for my use, I have made Ephraim the arrows of the bow; I will make your sons, O Zion, take up arms against your sons, O Greece, and will make you like the sword of a man of war.

¹⁴And the Lord will be seen over them, and his arrow will go out like the thunder-flame: and the Lord God, sounding the war-horn, will go in the storm-winds of the South.

¹⁵The Lord of armies will be a cover for them; and they will overcome, crushing under foot the armed men; they will take their blood for drink like wine: they will be full like the sides of the altar.

¹⁶And the Lord their God will be their saviour in that day, giving them food like the flock of his people: for they will be like the jewels of a crown shining over his land.

¹⁷For how good it is and how beautiful! grain will make the young men strong and new wine the virgins.

Zechariah 9

¹An 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;

²and Hamath, also, which borders on it; Tyre and Sidon, because they are very wise.

³Tyre built herself a stronghold, and heaped up silver like the dust, and fine gold like the mire of the streets.

⁴Behold, the Lord will dispossess her, and he will strike her power in the sea; and she will be devoured with fire.

⁵Ashkelon 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.

⁶Foreigners will dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.

⁷I 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.

⁸I will encamp 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.

⁹Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, 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.

¹⁰I 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 ends of the earth.

¹¹As for you also, because of the blood of your covenant, I have set free your prisoners from the pit in which is no water.

¹²Turn to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope! Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.

¹³For 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.

¹⁴The Lord will be seen over them; and his arrow will go forth like lightning; and the Lord God will blow the trumpet, and will go with whirlwinds of the south.

¹⁵The 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.

¹⁶The 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.

¹⁷For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine the virgins.