Zechariah 9
New Living Translation
Judgment against Israel’s Enemies
9 This is the message[a] from the Lord against the land of Aram[b] and the city of Damascus, for the eyes of humanity, including all the tribes of Israel, are on the Lord.
2 Doom is certain for Hamath,
near Damascus,
and for the cities of Tyre and Sidon,
though they are so clever.
3 Tyre has built a strong fortress
and has made silver and gold
as plentiful as dust in the streets!
4 But now the Lord will strip away Tyre’s possessions
and hurl its fortifications into the sea,
and it will be burned to the ground.
5 The city of Ashkelon will see Tyre fall
and will be filled with fear.
Gaza will shake with terror,
as will Ekron, for their hopes will be dashed.
Gaza’s king will be killed,
and Ashkelon will be deserted.
6 Foreigners will occupy the city of Ashdod.
I will destroy the pride of the Philistines.
7 I will grab the bloody meat from their mouths
and snatch the detestable sacrifices from their teeth.
Then the surviving Philistines will worship our God
and become like a clan in Judah.[c]
The Philistines of Ekron will join my people,
as the ancient Jebusites once did.
8 I will guard my Temple
and protect it from invading armies.
I am watching closely to ensure
that no more foreign oppressors overrun my people’s land.
Zion’s Coming King
9 Rejoice, O people of Zion![d]
Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!
Look, your king is coming to you.
He is righteous and victorious,[e]
yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—
riding on a donkey’s colt.
10 I will remove the battle chariots from Israel[f]
and the warhorses from Jerusalem.
I will destroy all the weapons used in battle,
and your king will bring peace to the nations.
His realm will stretch from sea to sea
and from the Euphrates River[g] to the ends of the earth.[h]
11 Because of the covenant I made with you,
sealed with blood,
I will free your prisoners
from death in a waterless dungeon.
12 Come back to the place of safety,
all you prisoners who still have hope!
I promise this very day
that I will repay two blessings for each of your troubles.
13 Judah is my bow,
and Israel is my arrow.
Jerusalem[i] is my sword,
and like a warrior, I will brandish it against the Greeks.[j]
14 The Lord will appear above his people;
his arrows will fly like lightning!
The Sovereign Lord will sound the ram’s horn
and attack like a whirlwind from the southern desert.
15 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will protect his people,
and they will defeat their enemies by hurling great stones.
They will shout in battle as though drunk with wine.
They will be filled with blood like a bowl,
drenched with blood like the corners of the altar.
16 On that day the Lord their God will rescue his people,
just as a shepherd rescues his sheep.
They will sparkle in his land
like jewels in a crown.
17 How wonderful and beautiful they will be!
The young men will thrive on abundant grain,
and the young women will flourish on new wine.
Footnotes
- 9:1a Hebrew An Oracle: The message.
- 9:1b Hebrew land of Hadrach.
- 9:7 Hebrew like a leader in Judah.
- 9:9a Hebrew O daughter of Zion!
- 9:9b Hebrew and is being vindicated.
- 9:10a Hebrew Ephraim, referring to the northern kingdom of Israel; also in 9:13.
- 9:10b Hebrew the river.
- 9:10c Or the end of the land.
- 9:13a Hebrew Zion.
- 9:13b Hebrew the sons of Javan.
Zechariah 9
Legacy Standard Bible
Yahweh’s Oracle Against Israel’s Enemies
9 The [a]oracle of the word of Yahweh is against the land of Hadrach, with (A)Damascus as its resting place (for the eyes of men, especially of all the tribes of Israel, are toward Yahweh),
2 And (B)Hamath also, which borders on it;
(C)And Tyre and (D)Sidon, [b]because [c]they are (E)very wise.
3 So Tyre built herself a (F)tight fortification
And (G)tied up silver like dust
And (H)fine gold like the mire of the streets.
4 Behold, the Lord will (I)dispossess her
And strike her wealth down into the sea;
And she will be (J)consumed with fire.
5 Ashkelon will see it and be afraid.
Gaza too will writhe in great pain;
Also Ekron, for her hope has been put to shame.
Moreover, the king will perish from Gaza,
And Ashkelon will not be inhabited.
6 And those of illegitimate birth will inhabit (K)Ashdod,
And I will cut off 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 [d]clan in Judah,
And Ekron like a Jebusite.
8 But I will camp around My house [e]because of an army,
Because of (L)him who passes by and returns;
And (M)no taskmaster will pass over them anymore,
For now I have seen with My eyes.
The Coming King of Zion
9 (N)Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Make a loud shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your (O)king is coming to you;
He is [f](P)righteous and (Q)endowed with salvation,
[g](R)Lowly and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a [h](S)colt, the [i]foal of a pack animal.
10 I will (T)cut off the chariot from Ephraim
And the (U)horse from Jerusalem;
And the (V)bow of war will be cut off.
And He will speak (W)peace to the nations;
And His (X)reign will be from sea to sea
And from the [j]River to the ends of the earth.
11 As for you also, because of the (Y)blood of your covenant,
I have set your (Z)prisoners free from the [k]waterless pit.
12 Return to the [l](AA)stronghold, O prisoners [m]who have the (AB)hope;
This very day I am declaring that I will return (AC)double to you.
13 For I will (AD)bend Judah [n]as My bow;
I will fill the bow with Ephraim.
And I will rouse up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O [o](AE)Greece;
And I will make you like a (AF)mighty man’s sword.
14 Then Yahweh will appear (AG)over them,
And His (AH)arrow will go forth like lightning;
And Lord Yahweh will blow the (AI)trumpet
And will go in the (AJ)storm winds of the south.
15 (AK)Yahweh of hosts will defend them.
And they will (AL)consume and trample on the (AM)stones of a sling;
And they will drink and (AN)roar as with wine;
And they will be filled like a sacrificial bowl,
Drenched like the (AO)corners of the altar.
16 And Yahweh their God will (AP)save them in that day
As the flock of His people;
For they are as the stones of a (AQ)crown,
[p]Sparkling in His land.
17 For what (AR)goodness and (AS)what beauty will be [q]theirs!
Grain will make the choice men flourish, and new wine the virgins.
Footnotes
- Zechariah 9:1 Or burden
- Zechariah 9:2 Or though
- Zechariah 9:2 They think they are
- Zechariah 9:7 Or chief
- Zechariah 9:8 Or as a guard, so that none will go back and forth
- Zechariah 9:9 Or vindicated and victorious
- Zechariah 9:9 Or humble, afflicted
- Zechariah 9:9 Or foal, cf. Gen 49:11
- Zechariah 9:9 Or donkey’s colt, cf. Gen 49:11; lit son of a female donkey
- Zechariah 9:10 The Euphrates River
- 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
- Zechariah 9:13 Lit Javan
- Zechariah 9:16 Or Displayed over
- Zechariah 9:17 Lit his
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