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Judgment on Israel’s Enemies

An Oracle

The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach
    and will rest upon Damascus.
For to the Lord belong the cities of Aram,[a]
    even as all the tribes of Israel;
Hamath also, which borders thereon,
    Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.
Tyre has built herself a rampart,
    and heaped up silver like dust,
    and gold like the mud of the streets.
But lo, the Lord will strip her of her possessions
    and hurl her wealth into the sea,
    and she shall be devoured by fire.

Ash′kelon 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;
    Ash′kelon shall be uninhabited;
a mongrel people shall dwell in Ashdod;
    and I will make an end of the pride of Philistia.
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 Jeb′usites.
Then I will encamp at my house as a guard,
    so that none shall march to and fro;
no oppressor shall again overrun them,
    for now I see with my own eyes.

The Coming Ruler of God’s People

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
    Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Lo, your king comes to you;
    triumphant and victorious is he,
humble and riding on an ass,
    on a colt the foal of an ass.
10 I will cut off the chariot from E′phraim
    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.

11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
    I will set your captives free from the waterless pit.
12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
    today I declare that I will restore to you double.
13 For I have bent Judah as my bow;
    I have made E′phraim its arrow.
I will brandish your sons, O Zion,
    over your sons, O Greece,
    and wield you like a warrior’s sword.

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.
15 The Lord of hosts will protect them,
    and they shall devour and tread down the slingers;[b]
and they shall drink their blood[c] like wine,
    and be full like a bowl,
    drenched like the corners of the altar.

16 On that day the Lord their God will save them
    for they are the flock of his people;
for like the jewels of a crown
    they shall shine on his land.
17 Yea, how good and how fair it shall be!
    Grain shall make the young men flourish,
    and new wine the maidens.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 9:1 Cn: Heb the eye of Adam (or man)
  2. Zechariah 9:15 Cn: Heb the slingstones
  3. Zechariah 9:15 Gk: Heb be turbulent

The [a]burden of the word of Jehovah upon the land of Hadrach, and Damascus shall be its resting-place (for [b]the eye of man and of all the tribes of Israel is toward Jehovah); and Hamath, also, which bordereth thereon; Tyre and Sidon, [c]because they are very wise. And Tyre did build herself a stronghold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets. Behold, the Lord will dispossess her, and he will smite [d]her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire. Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Gaza also, and shall be sore pained; and Ekron, for her expectation shall be put to shame; and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited. And [e]a bastard shall [f]dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines. And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth; and he also shall be a remnant for our God; and he shall be as a chieftain in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite.

And I will encamp about my house [g]against the army, that none pass through or return; and no [h]oppressor shall pass through them any more: for now have I seen with mine eyes.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh unto thee; he is just, and [i]having [j]salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, even upon a colt the foal of an ass. 10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off; and he shall speak peace unto the nations: and his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

11 As for thee also, because of the blood of thy covenant I have set free thy prisoners from the pit wherein is no water. 12 [k]Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even to-day do I declare that I will render double unto thee. 13 For I have bent Judah for me, I have filled the bow with Ephraim; and I will stir up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O [l]Greece, and will make thee as the sword of a mighty man. 14 And Jehovah shall be seen over them; and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning; and the Lord Jehovah will blow the trumpet, and will go with whirlwinds of the south. 15 Jehovah of hosts will defend them; and they shall devour, and shall tread down the sling-stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, like the corners of the altar. 16 And Jehovah their God will save them in that day as the flock of his people; for they shall be as the stones of a crown, [m]lifted on high over his land. 17 For how great is [n]his [o]goodness, and how great is [p]his beauty! grain shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the virgins.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 9:1 Or, oracle
  2. Zechariah 9:1 Or, Jehovah hath an eye upon men and upon all the tribe of Israel
  3. Zechariah 9:2 Or, though
  4. Zechariah 9:4 Or, the sea which is her rampart. Or, her rampart into the sea
  5. Zechariah 9:6 Or, a bastard race
  6. Zechariah 9:6 Or, sit as king
  7. Zechariah 9:8 Or, as otherwise read, as a garrison
  8. Zechariah 9:8 Or, exactor
  9. Zechariah 9:9 Hebrew saved.
  10. Zechariah 9:9 Or, victory
  11. Zechariah 9:12 Or, Return
  12. Zechariah 9:13 Hebrew Javan.
  13. Zechariah 9:16 Or, glittering upon etc.
  14. Zechariah 9:17 Or, their
  15. Zechariah 9:17 Or, prosperity
  16. Zechariah 9:17 Or, their