Zechariah 9-10

Complete Jewish Bible

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.

10 Ask Adonai for rain in the spring,
Adonai who makes the rain clouds;
and he will give them showers of rain,
grass in the field to each one.
² For the household gods talk nonsense,
the diviners have seen a lie;
their dreams convey delusions,
and the comfort they offer is in vain.
Therefore they go their way like sheep
in distress from lack of a shepherd.

³ “My anger burns against the shepherds,
and I will vent it on the leaders of the flock.”
For Adonai-Tzva’ot will care for his flock,
the people of Y’hudah;
he will make them like his royal war-horse.
⁴ From them come cornerstone and tent peg,
from them the bow for battle,
from them all the rulers together.
⁵ They will be like warriors
trampling the mud of the streets in battle.
They will fight, because Adonai is with them;
they will rout even those on horseback.

⁶ “I will strengthen the house of Y’hudah
and save the house of Yosef.
I will bring them back in my compassion for them;
they will be as if I hadn’t driven them out;
for I am Adonai their God,
and I will answer them.
⁷ Efrayim’s men will be like warriors;
their hearts will be cheered as if from wine.
Their children will see it and rejoice,
their hearts will be glad in Adonai.

⁸ “I will whistle for them and gather them,
because I have redeemed them;
they will be as numerous
as they were before;
⁹ and I will sow them among the peoples.
In distant lands they will remember me;
they will rear their children and then return.
¹⁰ I will bring them back from the land of Egypt
and gather them out of Ashur.
I will bring them into Gil‘ad and the L’vanon,
until there is no more room for them.

¹¹ “Trouble will pass over the sea
and stir up waves in the sea;
all the depths of the Nile will be dried up,
the pride of Ashur will be brought down,
and the scepter of Egypt will leave.
¹² But I will strengthen [Isra’el] in Adonai;
they will travel here and there in his name,”

says Adonai.