Zechariah 9
Good News Translation
Judgment on Neighboring Nations
9 (A)This is the Lord's message:
He has decreed punishment for the land of Hadrach and for the city of Damascus. Not only the tribes of Israel but also the capital of Syria belong to the Lord. 2 Hamath, which borders on Hadrach, also belongs to him, and so do the cities of Tyre and Sidon, with all their skill. 3 Tyre has built fortifications for herself and has piled up so much silver and gold that it is as common as dirt! 4 But the Lord will take away everything she has. He will throw her wealth into the sea, and the city will be burned to the ground.
5 (B)The city of Ashkelon will see this and be afraid. The city of Gaza will see it and suffer great pain. So will Ekron, and her hopes will be shattered. Gaza will lose her king, and Ashkelon will be left deserted. 6 People of mixed race will live in Ashdod. The Lord says, “I will humble all these proud Philistines. 7 They will no longer eat meat with blood in it, or other forbidden food. All the survivors will become part of my people and be like a clan in the tribe of Judah. Ekron will become part of my people, as the Jebusites[a] did. 8 I will guard my land and keep armies from passing through it. I will not allow tyrants to oppress my people any more. I have seen how my people have suffered.”
The Future King
9 (C)Rejoice, rejoice, people of Zion!
Shout for joy, you people of Jerusalem!
Look, your king is coming to you!
He comes triumphant and victorious,
but humble and riding on a donkey—
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 (D)The Lord says,
“I will remove the war chariots from Israel
and take the horses from Jerusalem;
the bows used in battle will be destroyed.
Your king will make peace among the nations;
he will rule from sea to sea,
from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.”
The Restoration of God's People
11 (E)The Lord says,
“Because of my covenant with you
that was sealed by the blood of sacrifices,
I will set your people free—
free from the waterless pit of exile.
12 Return, you exiles who now have hope;
return to your place of safety.
Now I tell you that I will repay you twice over
with blessing for all you have suffered.
13 I will use Judah like a soldier's bow
and Israel like the arrows.
I will use the men of Zion like a sword,
to fight the men of Greece.”
14 The Lord will appear above his people;
he will shoot his arrows like lightning.
The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet;
he will march in the storms from the south.
15 The Lord Almighty will protect his people,
and they will destroy their enemies.
They will shout in battle like drunk men
and will shed the blood of their enemies;
it will flow like the blood of a sacrifice
poured on the altar from a bowl.[b]
16 When that day comes, the Lord will save his people,
as a shepherd saves his flock from danger.
They will shine in his land
like the jewels of a crown.
17 How good and beautiful the land will be!
The young people will grow strong on its grain and wine.
Notas al pie
- Zechariah 9:7 The original inhabitants of Jerusalem, who became David's subjects after he captured the city.
- Zechariah 9:15 Verse 15 in Hebrew is unclear.
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
Complete Jewish Bible
9 A prophecy, the word of Adonai:
In the land of Hadrakh and Dammesek
is where [God] comes to rest,
for the eyes of humankind are directed toward Adonai,
as are those of all the tribes of Isra’el,
2 also Hamat at its border,
Tzor and Tzidon, for she is very wise.
3 Tzor built herself a fortified tower,
heaping up silver as if it were dust
and fine gold as if it were mud in the streets.
4 But Adonai will dispossess her
and break her power at sea,
while the city itself
will be destroyed by fire.
5 On seeing this, Ashkelon will be terrified;
‘Azah too will writhe in pain;
likewise ‘Ekron, as her hopes are dashed.
“The king will vanish from ‘Azah,
Ashkelon will be without people,
6 and a mixed people will live in Ashdod,
as I destroy the pride of the P’lishtim.
7 I will end their eating meat with its blood still in it,
snatching the disgusting things from between their teeth.”
But the surviving remnant will belong to our God;
it will be like a clan in Y’hudah;
and ‘Ekron will be like a Y’vusi.
8 “Then I will guard my house against armies,
so that none will march through or return.
No oppressor will ever again overrun them,
for now I am watching with my own eyes.
9 Rejoice with all your heart, daughter of Tziyon!
Shout out loud, daughter of Yerushalayim!
Look! Your king is coming to you.
He is righteous, and he is victorious.
Yet he is humble — he’s riding on a donkey,
yes, on a lowly donkey’s colt.
10 I will banish chariots from Efrayim
and war-horses from Yerushalayim.”
The warrior’s bow will be banished,
and he will proclaim peace to the nations.
He will rule from sea to sea,
and from the [Euphrates] River to the ends of the earth.
11 “Also you, by the blood of your covenant,
I release your prisoners from [the dungeon,]
the cistern that has no water in it.
12 Return to the stronghold,
you prisoners with hope!
This day I declare to you
that I will grant you double reparation.
13 For I have bent Y’hudah as my bow
and made Efrayim its arrow.
I will rouse your sons, Tziyon,
and make you like a warrior’s sword
against your sons, Greece.”
14 Adonai will appear over them,
and his arrow will flash like lightning.
Adonai Elohim will blow the shofar
and go out in the whirlwinds of the south.
15 Adonai-Tzva’ot will defend them;
they will devour and trample the sling-stones.
They will drink and roar
as if they had drunk wine;
they will be filled, like basins
and like the corners of the altar.
16 On that day Adonai their God
will save them as the flock of his people;
for they will be like gems in a crown,
sparkling over his countryside.
17 What wealth is theirs, what beauty!
Grain will make the young men thrive,
and new wine the young women.
Zechariah 9
The Message
The Whole World Has Its Eyes on God
9 1-6 War Bulletin:
God’s Message challenges the country of Hadrach.
It will settle on Damascus.
The whole world has its eyes on God.
Israel isn’t the only one.
That includes Hamath at the border,
and Tyre and Sidon, clever as they think they are.
Tyre has put together quite a kingdom for herself;
she has stacked up silver like cordwood,
piled gold high as haystacks.
But God will certainly bankrupt her;
he will dump all that wealth into the ocean
and burn up what’s left in a big fire.
Ashkelon will see it and panic,
Gaza will wring its hands,
Ekron will face a dead end.
Gaza’s king will die.
Ashkelon will be emptied out,
And a villain will take over in Ashdod.
6-8 “I’ll take proud Philistia down a peg:
I’ll make him spit out his bloody spoils
and abandon his vile ways.”
What’s left will be all God’s—a core of survivors,
a family brought together in Judah—
But enemies like Ekron will go the way of the Jebusites,
into the dustbin of history.
“I will set up camp in my home country
and defend it against invaders.
Nobody is going to hurt my people ever again.
I’m keeping my eye on them.
A Humble King Riding a Donkey
9-10 “Shout and cheer, Daughter Zion!
Raise your voice, Daughter Jerusalem!
Your king is coming!
a good king who makes all things right,
a humble king riding a donkey,
a mere colt of a donkey.
I’ve had it with war—no more chariots in Ephraim,
no more war horses in Jerusalem,
no more swords and spears, bows and arrows.
He will offer peace to the nations,
a peaceful rule worldwide,
from the four winds to the seven seas.
11-13 “And you, because of my blood covenant with you,
I’ll release your prisoners from their hopeless cells.
Come home, hope-filled prisoners!
This very day I’m declaring a double bonus—
everything you lost returned twice-over!
Judah is now my weapon, the bow I’ll pull,
setting Ephraim as an arrow to the string.
I’ll wake up your sons, O Zion,
to counter your sons, O Greece.
From now on
people are my swords.”
14-17 Then God will come into view,
his arrows flashing like lightning!
Master God will blast his trumpet
and set out in a whirlwind.
God-of-the-Angel-Armies will protect them—
all-out war,
The war to end all wars,
no holds barred.
Their God will save the day. He’ll rescue them.
They’ll become like sheep, gentle and soft,
Or like gemstones in a crown,
catching all the colors of the sun.
Then how they’ll shine! shimmer! glow!
the young men robust, the young women lovely!
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
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.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson