Zechariah 9
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Judgment on Israel’s Enemies
9 An Oracle.
The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach
and will rest upon Damascus.
For to the Lord belongs the capital[a] of Aram,[b]
as do all the tribes of Israel;
2 Hamath also, which borders on it,
Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.(A)
3 Tyre has built itself a rampart
and heaped up silver like dust
and gold like the dirt of the streets.(B)
4 But now, the Lord will strip it of its possessions
and hurl its wealth into the sea,
and it shall be devoured by fire.(C)
5 Ashkelon shall see it and be afraid;
Gaza, too, and shall writhe in anguish;
Ekron also, because its hopes are withered.
The king shall perish from Gaza;
Ashkelon shall be uninhabited;(D)
6 a mongrel people shall settle in Ashdod,
and I will make an end of the pride of Philistia.(E)
7 I will take away its blood from its mouth
and its abominations from between its teeth;
it, too, shall be a remnant for our God;
it shall be like a clan in Judah,
and Ekron shall be like the Jebusites.(F)
8 Then I will encamp at my house as a guard,
so that no one shall march to and fro;
no oppressor shall again overrun them,
for now I have seen with my own eyes.(G)
The Coming Ruler of God’s People
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you;
triumphant and victorious is he,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.(H)
10 He[c] will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
and he shall command peace to the nations;
his dominion shall be from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.(I)
11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.(J)
12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
today I declare that I will restore to you double.(K)
13 For I have bent Judah as my bow;
I have made Ephraim its arrow.[d]
I will arouse your sons, O Zion,
against your sons, O Greece,
and wield you like a warrior’s sword.(L)
14 Then the Lord will appear over them,
and his arrow go forth like lightning;
the Lord God will sound the trumpet
and march forth in the whirlwinds of the south.(M)
15 The Lord of hosts will protect them,
and they shall consume and conquer the slingers;[e]
they shall drink their blood[f] like wine
and be full like a bowl,
drenched like the corners of the altar.(N)
Zechariah 9
Evangelical Heritage Version
The Word of the Lord Against Israel’s Enemies
9 A threatening oracle.
The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrak,
and against Damascus, its resting place,
because the eye of the Lord is on mankind and on all the tribes of Israel.
2 It is also against Hamath, which borders on Damascus,
and Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.
3 Tyre has built a stronghold for herself and has piled up silver like dust,
and gold like dirt from the streets.
4 Look, the Lord will seize everything she possesses
and throw her wealth into the sea,
and she will be consumed by fire.
5 Ashkelon will see it and be afraid.
Gaza will writhe in anguish,
and Ekron too, because her hopes have been dashed.
The kingship will perish from Gaza,
and Ashkelon will no longer be inhabited.
6 A mixed race will live in Ashdod,
and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.
7 I will remove their blood from their mouths
and their detestable things from between their teeth.
Philistia too will be a remnant for our God,
and it will be like a clan in Judah.
Ekron will be like the Jebusites.
8 I will set up camp around my house,
as a guard against those passing back and forth.
The oppressor will never again march over them,
because now I am watching with my own eyes.
Your Savior and King Is Coming!
9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
Look! Your King is coming to you.
He is righteous and brings salvation.
He is humble and is riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the horse from Jerusalem.
The battle bow will be taken away,
and he will proclaim peace to the nations.
His kingdom will extend from sea to sea,
from the River[a] to the ends of the earth.
11 As for you,
because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit.
12 Return to the stronghold, you prisoners who have hope.
This very day I declare that I will restore double to you.
13 For I will bend Judah as my bow,
and I will load it with Ephraim.
I will rouse your sons, Zion,
against your sons, Greece,
and I will make you like a strong warrior’s sword.
The Lord Will Appear
14 The Lord will appear above them,
and his arrow will go out like lightning.
The Lord God will sound the ram’s horn,
and he will go forth in the windstorms from the south.
15 The Lord of Armies will defend them,
and they will eat.
They will overpower their enemies with sling stones.
Then they will drink,
and they will be boisterous as if drunk with wine.
They will be filled like a sprinkling bowl used at the corners of the altar.
16 On that day the Lord their God will save them as the flock of his people.
For like the jewels of a crown they will shine on his land.
17 Yes, what goodness it will have! What beauty!
Grain will make the young men thrive,
and new wine will make the young women thrive.
Footnotes
- Zechariah 9:10 That is, the Euphrates
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.