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
Zechariah 9
New King James Version
Israel Defended Against Enemies
9 The [a]burden of the word of the Lord
Against the land of Hadrach,
And (A)Damascus its resting place
(For (B)the eyes of men
And all the tribes of Israel
Are on the Lord);
2 Also against (C)Hamath, which borders on it,
And against (D)Tyre and (E)Sidon, though they are very (F)wise.
3 For Tyre built herself a tower,
Heaped up silver like the dust,
And gold like the mire of the streets.
4 Behold, (G)the Lord will cast her out;
He will destroy (H)her power in the sea,
And she will be devoured by fire.
5 Ashkelon shall see it and fear;
Gaza also shall be very sorrowful;
And (I)Ekron, for He dried up her expectation.
The king shall perish from Gaza,
And Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.
6 “A[b] mixed race shall settle (J)in Ashdod,
And I will cut off the pride of the (K)Philistines.
7 I will take away the blood from his mouth,
And the abominations from between his teeth.
But he who remains, even he shall be for our God,
And shall be like a leader in Judah,
And Ekron like a Jebusite.
8 (L)I will camp around My house
Because of the army,
Because of him who passes by and him who returns.
No more shall an oppressor pass through them,
For now I have seen with My eyes.
The Coming King(M)
9 “Rejoice (N)greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, (O)your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I (P)will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
And the horse from Jerusalem;
The (Q)battle bow shall be cut off.
He shall speak peace to the nations;
His dominion shall be (R)‘from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.’
God Will Save His People
11 “As for you also,
Because of the blood of your covenant,
I will set your (S)prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12 Return to the stronghold,
(T)You prisoners of hope.
Even today I declare
That I will restore (U)double to you.
13 For I have bent Judah, My bow,
Fitted the bow with Ephraim,
And raised up your sons, O Zion,
Against your sons, O Greece,
And made you like the sword of a mighty man.”
14 Then the Lord will be seen over them,
And (V)His arrow will go forth like lightning.
The Lord God will blow the trumpet,
And go (W)with whirlwinds from the south.
15 The Lord of hosts will (X)defend them;
They shall devour and subdue with slingstones.
They shall drink and roar as if with wine;
They shall be filled with blood like [c]basins,
Like the corners of the altar.
16 The Lord their God will (Y)save them in that day,
As the flock of His people.
For (Z)they shall be like the [d]jewels of a crown,
(AA)Lifted like a banner over His land—
17 For (AB)how great is [e]its goodness
And how great its (AC)beauty!
(AD)Grain shall make the young men thrive,
And new wine the young women.
Footnotes
- Zechariah 9:1 oracle, prophecy
- Zechariah 9:6 Lit. An illegitimate one
- Zechariah 9:15 Sacrificial basins
- Zechariah 9:16 Lit. stones
- Zechariah 9:17 Lit. His
Zechariah 9
Expanded Bible
Punishment on Israel’s Enemies
9 ·This message is [An oracle/burden of] the word of the Lord.
The message is against the land of Hadrach [C region north of Israel]
and ·the city of Damascus [L Damascus its resting place].
·All [L For the eyes of all] people, including all the tribes of Israel
·belong to [or are on] the Lord.
2 The message is also against the city of Hamath, on the border,
and against Tyre and Sidon [C cities on the coast northwest of Israel], ·with their skill [or though they are very wise/clever].
3 Tyre has built a ·strong wall [fortress; stronghold] for herself.
She has piled up silver like dust
and gold like the mud in the streets.
4 But [L look; T behold] the Lord will take away all she has
and ·destroy her power on [or throw her fortifications into] the sea.
That city will be ·destroyed [consumed; devoured] by fire.
5 ·The city of Ashkelon [L Ashkelon] will see it and be afraid.
·The people of Gaza [L Gaza] will ·shake with fear [writhe in anguish],
and ·the people of Ekron [L Ekron] ·will lose hope [or their hope will wither].
No king will be left in Gaza,
and no one will live in Ashkelon anymore.
6 ·Foreigners [A mixed/mongrel people] will live in Ashdod,
and I will ·destroy [L cut off] the pride of the Philistines.
7 I will ·stop them from drinking blood [L take the blood from their mouths; Lev. 3:17; Deut. 12:16, 23]
and ·from eating forbidden food [L its abominations from between its teeth].
Those left alive will belong to God.
They will be ·leaders [or like a clan] in Judah,
and Ekron will become like the Jebusites [C ancient inhabitants of Jerusalem who were assimilated into Judah].
8 I will ·protect [encamp around] my ·Temple [L house]
from armies who would come or go.
No ·one [oppressor] will ·hurt [overrun; pass over] my people again,
because now I ·am watching them [L see with my eyes].
The King Is Coming
9 Rejoice greatly, ·people of Jerusalem [L Daughter Zion]!
Shout for joy, ·people of Jerusalem [L Daughter Jerusalem]!
[L Look; T Behold] Your king is coming to you.
He ·does what is right [is righteous/just], and he saves.
He is ·gentle [lowly; humble] and riding on a donkey,
on ·the colt [L a colt, the foal] of a donkey [Matt. 21:5; John 12:15].
10 I will ·take away [L cut off] the chariots from Ephraim
and the ·horses [warhorses] from Jerusalem.
The bows used in war will be broken.
The king will ·talk about [announce; bring] peace to the nations.
His ·kingdom [dominion; rule] will go from sea to sea,
and from the ·Euphrates River [L River] to the ends of the earth.
11 As for you, because of the blood of ·the agreement [my covenant/treaty] with you
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12 You prisoners who have hope,
return to ·your place of safety [the fortress/stronghold].
Today I ·am telling you [announce; declare]
that I will ·give you back twice as much as before [return double what you lost].
13 I will ·use [L bend] Judah like a bow
and Ephraim like the arrows.
·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple], I will ·use your men [L rouse your sons/children]
·to fight the men of [against your sons/children,] Greece.
I will use you like a warrior’s sword.
14 Then the Lord will appear above them,
and his arrows will shoot like lightning.
The Lord God will blow the trumpet,
and he will march in the ·storms [whirlwinds] of the south.
15 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will protect them;
they will ·destroy [L eat and subdue] the enemy with slingshots.
They will drink and shout like drunks.
They will be filled like a bowl
used for sprinkling blood ·at [or and drenched with blood like] the corners of the altar.
16 On that day the Lord their God will save them
as ·if his people were sheep [L the flock of his people].
They will shine in his land
like jewels in a crown.
17 They will be so ·pretty [fine; good] and beautiful.
The young men will grow strong on the grain
and the young women on new wine.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.