Zechariah 7-9
New American Standard Bible
7 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is (A)Chislev. 2 Now the town of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and [a]their men to [b](B)seek the favor of the Lord, 3 speaking to the (C)priests who belong to the house of the Lord of armies, and to the prophets, saying, “Shall I weep in the (D)fifth month [c]and fast, as I have done these many years?” 4 Then the word of the Lord of armies came to me, saying, 5 “Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months [d]these (E)seventy years, was it actually for (F)Me that you fasted? 6 And when you eat and drink, [e]do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? 7 Are these not the words which the Lord (G)proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and (H)carefree along with its cities around it, and the [f](I)Negev and the [g]foothills were inhabited?’”
8 Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “This is what the Lord of armies has said: ‘(J)Dispense true justice and practice (K)kindness and compassion each to his brother; 10 and (L)do not oppress the widow or the [h]orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do (M)not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’ 11 But they (N)refused to pay attention, and [i](O)turned a stubborn shoulder and [j](P)plugged their ears from hearing. 12 They also made their (Q)hearts as hard as (R)a diamond [k]so that they could not hear the Law and the (S)words which the Lord of armies had sent by His Spirit through the (T)former prophets; therefore great (U)wrath came from the Lord of armies. 13 And just as (V)He called and they would not listen, so (W)they called and I would not listen,” says the Lord of armies; 14 “but I [l](X)scattered them with a (Y)storm wind among all the nations whom they did not know. So the land was (Z)desolated behind them [m]so that (AA)no one went back and forth, since they (AB)made the pleasant land desolate.”
The Coming Peace and Prosperity of Zion
8 Then the word of the Lord of armies came, saying, 2 “The Lord of armies says this: ‘I am (AC)exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.’ 3 The Lord says this: ‘I will return to Zion and (AD)dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of (AE)Truth, and the mountain of the Lord of armies will be called the Holy Mountain.’ 4 The Lord of armies says this: ‘(AF)Old men and old women will again sit in the public squares of Jerusalem, each person with his staff in his hand because of [n]age. 5 And the public squares of the city will be filled with (AG)boys and girls playing in its squares.’ 6 The Lord of armies says this: ‘If it is (AH)too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be (AI)too difficult in My sight?’ declares the Lord of armies. 7 The Lord of armies says this: ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the [o](AJ)east and from the land of the [p]west; 8 and I will (AK)bring them back and they will (AL)live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be (AM)My people, and I will be their God in [q]truth and righteousness.’
9 “The Lord of armies says this: ‘Let your hands be (AN)strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the (AO)prophets, those who spoke in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of armies was laid, so that the temple might be built. 10 For before those days there was (AP)no wage for man nor any wage for animal; and for him who went out or came in there was no [r](AQ)peace because of [s]his enemies, and I (AR)sent all the people against one another. 11 But now I will (AS)not [t]treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ declares the Lord of armies. 12 ‘For there will be (AT)the seed of peace: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce, and the heavens will provide their (AU)dew; and I will give to the remnant of this people (AV)all these things as an inheritance. 13 And it will come about that just as you were a (AW)curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a (AX)blessing. Do not fear; let your (AY)hands be strong.’
14 “For this is what the Lord of armies says: ‘Just as I (AZ)determined to do harm to you when your fathers provoked Me to anger,’ says the Lord of armies, ‘and I have not (BA)relented, 15 so I have again determined in these days to (BB)do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. (BC)Do not fear! 16 These are the things which you shall do: speak the (BD)truth to one another; (BE)judge with truth and judgment for peace at your [u]gates. 17 Also let none of you (BF)devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love [v](BG)perjury; for all these things are what I (BH)hate,’ declares the Lord.”
18 Then the word of the Lord of armies came to me, saying, 19 “The Lord of armies says this: ‘The fast of the (BI)fourth, the fast of the (BJ)fifth, the fast of the (BK)seventh, and the fast of the (BL)tenth months will become (BM)joy, jubilation, and [w]cheerful festivals for the house of Judah; so (BN)love truth and peace.’
20 “The Lord of armies says this: ‘It will yet turn out that (BO)peoples will come, that is, the inhabitants of many cities. 21 The inhabitants of one city will go to another, saying, “Let’s go at once to (BP)plead for the favor of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of armies; [x]I also will go.” 22 So (BQ)many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the Lord of armies in Jerusalem, and to (BR)plead for the favor of the Lord.’ 23 The Lord of armies says this: ‘In those days ten people from all the [y]nations will [z](BS)grasp the [aa]garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”
Prophecies against Neighboring Nations
9 The pronouncement of the word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach, with (BT)Damascus as its resting place (for the eyes of mankind, especially of all the tribes of Israel, are toward the Lord),
2 And (BU)Hamath also, which borders on it;
(BV)Tyre and (BW)Sidon, [ab]though [ac]they are (BX)very wise.
3 For Tyre built herself a (BY)fortress,
And (BZ)piled up silver like dust,
And (CA)gold like the mud of the streets.
4 Behold, the Lord will (CB)dispossess her
And throw her wealth into the sea;
And she will be (CC)consumed with fire.
5 Ashkelon will see it and be afraid.
Gaza too will writhe in great pain;
Also Ekron, because her hope has been ruined.
Moreover, the king will perish from Gaza,
And Ashkelon will not be inhabited.
6 And a people of mixed origins will live in (CD)Ashdod,
And I will eliminate the pride of the Philistines.
7 And I will remove their blood from their mouth
And their detestable things from between their teeth.
Then they also will be a remnant for our God,
And be like a [ad]clan in Judah,
And Ekron will be like a Jebusite.
8 But I will camp around My house [ae]because of an army,
Because of (CE)him who passes by and returns;
And (CF)no oppressor will pass over them anymore,
For now I have seen with My eyes.
9 (CG)Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your (CH)king is coming to you;
He is [af](CI)righteous and (CJ)endowed with salvation,
(CK)Humble, and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a (CL)colt, the [ag]foal of a donkey.
10 And I will (CM)eliminate the chariot from Ephraim
And the (CN)horse from Jerusalem;
And the (CO)bow of war will be eliminated.
And He will speak (CP)peace to the nations;
And His (CQ)dominion will be from sea to sea,
And from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.
Restoration of Judah and Ephraim
11 As for you also, because of the (CR)blood of My covenant with you,
I have set your (CS)prisoners free from the [ah]waterless pit.
12 Return to the [ai](CT)stronghold, you prisoners [aj]who have the (CU)hope;
This very day I am declaring that I will restore (CV)double to you.
13 For I will (CW)bend Judah [ak]as My bow,
I will fill the bow with Ephraim.
And I will stir up your sons, Zion, against your sons, (CX)Greece;
And I will make you like a (CY)warrior’s sword.
14 Then the Lord will appear (CZ)over them,
And His (DA)arrow will go forth like lightning;
And the Lord [al]God will blow the (DB)trumpet,
And march in the (DC)storm winds of the south.
15 (DD)The Lord of armies will protect them.
And they will (DE)devour and trample on the (DF)slingstones;
And they will drink and be (DG)boisterous as with wine;
And they will be filled like a sacrificial basin,
Drenched like the (DH)corners of the altar.
16 And the Lord their God will (DI)save them on that day
As the flock of His people;
For they are like the precious stones of a (DJ)crown,
Sparkling on His land.
17 For how great will [am]their (DK)loveliness and (DL)beauty be!
Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine, the virgins.
Footnotes
- Zechariah 7:2 Lit his
- Zechariah 7:2 Lit soften the face of
- Zechariah 7:3 Lit to fast
- Zechariah 7:5 Lit and this
- Zechariah 7:6 Lit is it not you who eat and you who drink
- Zechariah 7:7 I.e., South country
- Zechariah 7:7 Heb Shephelah
- Zechariah 7:10 Or fatherless
- Zechariah 7:11 Lit gave
- Zechariah 7:11 Lit made their ears heavy
- Zechariah 7:12 Lit from hearing
- Zechariah 7:14 Lit stormed them away upon all
- Zechariah 7:14 Lit from passing and from returning
- Zechariah 8:4 Lit the multitude of days
- Zechariah 8:7 Lit sunrise
- Zechariah 8:7 Lit setting sun
- Zechariah 8:8 Or faithfulness
- Zechariah 8:10 Or security
- Zechariah 8:10 Lit the adversary
- Zechariah 8:11 Lit be to the
- Zechariah 8:16 I.e., the place where court was held
- Zechariah 8:17 Lit a false oath
- Zechariah 8:19 Or goodly
- Zechariah 8:21 Or let me go too
- Zechariah 8:23 Lit languages of the nations
- Zechariah 8:23 Lit grasp, and they will grasp
- Zechariah 8:23 Lit hem of a garment
- Zechariah 9:2 Or because
- Zechariah 9:2 I.e., they think they are
- Zechariah 9:7 Or chief
- Zechariah 9:8 Or as a garrison, so that none will go back and forth
- Zechariah 9:9 Or vindicated and victorious
- Zechariah 9:9 Lit son of a female donkey
- Zechariah 9:11 Lit cistern in which there is no water
- Zechariah 9:12 Or Stronghold
- Zechariah 9:12 Lit of the hope
- Zechariah 9:13 Lit for Me as a bow
- Zechariah 9:14 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Zechariah 9:17 Lit his
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