Judgment on Israel's Enemies

The oracle of the word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach
    and (A)Damascus is its resting place.
For the Lord has an eye on mankind
    and on all the tribes of Israel,[a]
(B)and on Hamath also, which borders on it,
    (C)Tyre and (D)Sidon, though (E)they are very wise.
Tyre has built herself (F)a rampart
    and (G)heaped up silver like dust,
    and fine gold like the mud of the streets.
But behold, the Lord will strip her of her possessions
    and strike down (H)her power on the sea,
    and (I)she shall be devoured by fire.

(J)Ashkelon shall see it, and be afraid;
    Gaza too, and shall writhe in anguish;
    Ekron also, because its hopes are confounded.
The king shall perish from Gaza;
    Ashkelon shall be uninhabited;
(K)a mixed people[b] shall dwell in Ashdod,
    and I will cut off the pride of Philistia.
I will take away (L)its blood from its mouth,
    and (M)its abominations from between its teeth;
(N)it too shall be a remnant for our God;
    it shall be like (O)a clan in Judah,
    and Ekron shall be like the Jebusites.
Then (P)I will encamp at my house as a guard,
    (Q)so that none shall march to and fro;
(R)no oppressor shall again march over them,
    (S)for now I see with my own eyes.

The Coming King of Zion

(T)Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
    Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
(U)Behold, (V)your king is coming to you;
    righteous and having salvation is he,
(W)humble and mounted on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 (X)I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
    and (Y)the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
    and (Z)he shall speak peace to the nations;
(AA)his rule shall be from sea to sea,
    and from (AB)the River[c] to the ends of the earth.
11 As for you also, because of (AC)the blood of my covenant with you,
    (AD)I will set your prisoners free from (AE)the waterless pit.
12 Return to your stronghold, O (AF)prisoners of hope;
    today I declare that (AG)I will restore to you double.
13 For (AH)I have bent Judah as my bow;
    I have made Ephraim its arrow.
I will stir up your sons, O Zion,
    against your sons, (AI)O Greece,
    and wield you like a warrior's sword.

The Lord Will Save His People

14 Then the Lord will appear over them,
    and (AJ)his arrow will go forth like lightning;
(AK)the Lord God will sound the trumpet
    and will march forth in (AL)the whirlwinds (AM)of the south.
15 The Lord of hosts (AN)will protect them,
    and (AO)they shall devour, (AP)and tread down the sling stones,
and (AQ)they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine,
    and be full like a bowl,
    drenched (AR)like the corners of the altar.

16 On that day the Lord their God will save them,
    as (AS)the flock of his people;
for (AT)like the jewels of a crown
    they shall shine on his land.
17 (AU)For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty!
    (AV)Grain shall make the young men flourish,
    and new wine the young women.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 9:1 Or For the eye of mankind, especially of all the tribes of Israel, is toward the Lord
  2. Zechariah 9:6 Or a foreign people; Hebrew a bastard
  3. Zechariah 9:10 That is, the Euphrates

Judgment on Israel’s Enemies

A prophecy:(A)

The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrak
    and will come to rest on Damascus(B)
for the eyes of all people and all the tribes of Israel
    are on the Lord[a]
and on Hamath(C) too, which borders on it,
    and on Tyre(D) and Sidon,(E) though they are very skillful.
Tyre has built herself a stronghold;
    she has heaped up silver like dust,
    and gold like the dirt of the streets.(F)
But the Lord will take away her possessions
    and destroy(G) her power on the sea,
    and she will be consumed by fire.(H)
Ashkelon(I) will see it and fear;
    Gaza will writhe in agony,
    and Ekron too, for her hope will wither.
Gaza will lose her king
    and Ashkelon will be deserted.
A mongrel people will occupy Ashdod,
    and I will put an end(J) to the pride of the Philistines.
I will take the blood from their mouths,
    the forbidden food from between their teeth.
Those who are left will belong to our God(K)
    and become a clan in Judah,
    and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.(L)
But I will encamp(M) at my temple
    to guard it against marauding forces.(N)
Never again will an oppressor overrun my people,
    for now I am keeping watch.(O)

The Coming of Zion’s King

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!(P)
    Shout,(Q) Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,(R)
    righteous and victorious,(S)
lowly and riding on a donkey,(T)
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.(U)
10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
    and the warhorses from Jerusalem,
    and the battle bow will be broken.(V)
He will proclaim peace(W) to the nations.
    His rule will extend from sea to sea
    and from the River[b] to the ends of the earth.(X)
11 As for you, because of the blood of my covenant(Y) with you,
    I will free your prisoners(Z) from the waterless pit.(AA)
12 Return to your fortress,(AB) you prisoners of hope;
    even now I announce that I will restore twice(AC) as much to you.
13 I will bend Judah as I bend my bow(AD)
    and fill it with Ephraim.(AE)
I will rouse your sons, Zion,
    against your sons, Greece,(AF)
    and make you like a warrior’s sword.(AG)

The Lord Will Appear

14 Then the Lord will appear over them;(AH)
    his arrow will flash like lightning.(AI)
The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet;(AJ)
    he will march in the storms(AK) of the south,
15     and the Lord Almighty will shield(AL) them.
They will destroy
    and overcome with slingstones.(AM)
They will drink and roar as with wine;(AN)
    they will be full like a bowl(AO)
    used for sprinkling[c] the corners(AP) of the altar.
16 The Lord their God will save his people on that day(AQ)
    as a shepherd saves his flock.
They will sparkle in his land
    like jewels in a crown.(AR)
17 How attractive and beautiful they will be!
    Grain will make the young men thrive,
    and new wine the young women.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 9:1 Or Damascus. / For the eye of the Lord is on all people, / as well as on the tribes of Israel,
  2. Zechariah 9:10 That is, the Euphrates
  3. Zechariah 9:15 Or bowl, / like

The Restoration for Judah and Israel

10 Ask rain (A)from the Lord
    in the season of (B)the spring rain,
from the Lord (C)who makes the storm clouds,
    and (D)he will give them showers of rain,
    to everyone the vegetation in the field.
For (E)the household gods (F)utter nonsense,
    and the diviners see lies;
(G)they tell false dreams
    and give empty consolation.
Therefore (H)the people wander like sheep;
    they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd.

(I)“My anger is hot against the shepherds,
    and (J)I will punish the leaders;[a]
for (K)the Lord of hosts cares for his flock, the house of Judah,
    and will make them like his majestic steed in battle.
From him shall come (L)the cornerstone,
    from him (M)the tent peg,
from him the battle bow,
    from him every ruler—(N)all of them together.
They shall be like mighty men in battle,
    (O)trampling the foe in the mud of the streets;
they shall fight because the Lord is with them,
    and they shall put to shame (P)the riders on horses.

(Q)“I will strengthen the house of Judah,
    and (R)I will save the house of Joseph.
(S)I will bring them back (T)because I have compassion on them,
    and they shall be as though I had not rejected them,
    for (U)I am the Lord their God and I will answer them.
Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior,
    and (V)their hearts shall be glad as with wine.
Their children shall see it and be glad;
    their hearts shall rejoice in the Lord.

(W)“I will whistle for them and (X)gather them in,
    for I have redeemed them,
    and (Y)they shall be as many as they were before.
(Z)Though I scattered them among the nations,
    yet in far countries (AA)they shall remember me,
    and with their children they shall live and return.
10 (AB)I will bring them home from the land of Egypt,
    and gather them from Assyria,
and (AC)I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon,
    (AD)till there is no room for them.
11 (AE)He shall pass through the sea of troubles
    and strike down the waves of the sea,
    (AF)and all the depths of the Nile shall be dried up.
The pride of Assyria shall be laid low,
    and (AG)the scepter of Egypt shall depart.
12 (AH)I will make them strong in the Lord,
    and (AI)they shall walk in his name,”
declares the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 10:3 Hebrew the male goats

The Lord Will Care for Judah

10 Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime;
    it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms.
He gives showers of rain(A) to all people,
    and plants of the field(B) to everyone.
The idols(C) speak deceitfully,
    diviners(D) see visions that lie;
they tell dreams(E) that are false,
    they give comfort in vain.(F)
Therefore the people wander like sheep
    oppressed for lack of a shepherd.(G)

“My anger burns against the shepherds,
    and I will punish the leaders;(H)
for the Lord Almighty will care
    for his flock, the people of Judah,
    and make them like a proud horse in battle.(I)
From Judah will come the cornerstone,(J)
    from him the tent peg,(K)
from him the battle bow,(L)
    from him every ruler.
Together they[a] will be like warriors in battle
    trampling their enemy into the mud of the streets.(M)
They will fight because the Lord is with them,
    and they will put the enemy horsemen to shame.(N)

“I will strengthen(O) Judah
    and save the tribes of Joseph.
I will restore them
    because I have compassion(P) on them.(Q)
They will be as though
    I had not rejected them,
for I am the Lord their God
    and I will answer(R) them.
The Ephraimites will become like warriors,
    and their hearts will be glad as with wine.(S)
Their children will see it and be joyful;
    their hearts will rejoice(T) in the Lord.
I will signal(U) for them
    and gather them in.
Surely I will redeem them;
    they will be as numerous(V) as before.
Though I scatter them among the peoples,
    yet in distant lands they will remember me.(W)
They and their children will survive,
    and they will return.
10 I will bring them back from Egypt
    and gather them from Assyria.(X)
I will bring them to Gilead(Y) and Lebanon,
    and there will not be room(Z) enough for them.
11 They will pass through the sea of trouble;
    the surging sea will be subdued
    and all the depths of the Nile will dry up.(AA)
Assyria’s pride(AB) will be brought down
    and Egypt’s scepter(AC) will pass away.(AD)
12 I will strengthen(AE) them in the Lord
    and in his name they will live securely,(AF)
declares the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 10:5 Or ruler, all of them together. / They