Add parallel Print Page Options

Judgment Against Other Nations

This is the Lord’s message against the land of Hadrach and against the city of Damascus. The tribes of Israel are not the only people who know about the Lord. Everyone looks to him for help.[a] This message is also against the city of Hamath near Damascus. And this message is against Tyre and Sidon, even though those people have been so wise and skillful. Tyre is built like a fort. The people there have collected so much silver that it is like dust, and gold is as common as clay. But the Lord will take it all. He will destroy her powerful navy and that city will be destroyed by fire!

The people in Ashkelon will see this and they will be afraid. The people of Gaza will shake with fear, and the people of Ekron will lose all hope when they see this happen. There will be no king left in Gaza. No one will live in Ashkelon anymore. The people in Ashdod will not even know who their real fathers are. The Lord says, “I will completely destroy the proud Philistines. They will no longer eat meat with the blood still in it or any other forbidden food. Any Philistine left alive will become a part of my people; they will be just one more tribe in Judah. The people of Ekron will become a part of my people, as the Jebusites did. I will protect my country. I will not let enemy armies pass through it. I will not let them hurt my people anymore. With my own eyes I have seen how much my people have suffered.”

The Future King

People of Zion,[b] rejoice!
    People of Jerusalem, shout with joy!
Look, your king is coming to you!
    He is the good king who won the victory, but he is humble.
    He is riding on a donkey, on a young donkey born from a work animal.
10 I will take the war chariots away from Ephraim
    and the horse soldiers from Jerusalem.
    I will destroy the bows used in war.

Your king will bring news of peace to the nations.
    He will rule from sea to sea,
    from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.

The Lord Will Save His People

11 Jerusalem, we used blood to seal your agreement,
    so I am setting your people free from that empty hole in the ground.[c]
12 Prisoners, go home!
    Now you have something to hope for.
I am telling you now,
    I am coming back to you.
13 Judah, I will use you like a bow.
    Ephraim, I will use you like arrows.
Israel, I will use you like a sword
    to fight against the men of Greece.
14 The Lord will appear to them,
    and he will shoot his arrows like lightning.
The Lord God will blow the trumpet,
    and the army will rush forward like a desert dust storm.
15 The Lord All-Powerful will protect them.
    The soldiers will use rocks and slings to defeat the enemy.
They will spill the blood of their enemies.
    It will flow like wine.
    It will be like the blood that is thrown on the corners of the altar!
16 At that time the Lord their God
    will save his people
    like a shepherd saves his sheep.
They will be very precious to him.
    They will be like sparkling jewels in his land.
17 Everything will be good and beautiful!
    There will be a wonderful crop,
but it will not be just the food and wine.
    It will be all the young men and women!

The Lord’s Promises

10 Pray to the Lord for rain in the springtime. The Lord will send the lightning and the rain will fall, and he will make the plants grow in each person’s field.

People use their little statues and magic to learn what will happen in the future, but that is useless. They see visions and tell about their dreams, but it is nothing but worthless lies. So the people are like sheep wandering here and there crying for help, but there is no shepherd to lead them.

The Lord says, “I am very angry with the shepherds. I made them responsible for what happens to my sheep.” (The people of Judah are his flock, and the Lord All-Powerful really does take care of his flock. He cares for them as a soldier cares for his beautiful war horse.)

“The cornerstone, the tent peg, the war bow, and the advancing soldiers will all come from Judah together. They will defeat their enemy—it will be like soldiers marching through mud in the streets. They will fight, and since the Lord is with them, they will defeat even the enemy soldiers riding horses. I will make Judah’s family strong. I will help Joseph’s family win the war. I will bring them back safely and comfort them. It will be as if I never left them. I am the Lord their God, and I will help them. The people of Ephraim will be as happy as soldiers who have too much to drink. Their children will be rejoicing and they, too, will be happy. They will all have a happy time together with the Lord.

“I will whistle for them and call them all together. I really will save them. There will be many people. Yes, I have been scattering my people throughout the nations. But in those faraway places, they will remember me. They and their children will survive, and they will come back. 10 I will bring them back from Egypt and Assyria. I will bring them to the area of Gilead. And since there will not be enough room, I will also let them live in nearby Lebanon. 11 They will go through a sea of troubles, but the waves will be stopped. Even the deepest waters of the Nile River will dry up. I will destroy Assyria’s pride and take away Egypt’s power. 12 I, the Lord, will make my people strong, and they will live for me.” This is what the Lord said.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 9:1 The Hebrew text here is hard to understand.
  2. Zechariah 9:9 People of Zion Literally, “Daughter Zion,” meaning the city of Jerusalem. See “Zion” in the Word List.
  3. Zechariah 9:11 empty hole in the ground People stored water in large holes in the ground. People sometimes used those holes as prisons.

Bible Gateway Recommends

ERV Illustrated Paperback New Testament
ERV Illustrated Paperback New Testament
Retail: $3.99
Our Price: $2.49
Save: $1.50 (38%)
ERV Holy Bible--soft leather-look, teal, case of 24
ERV Holy Bible--soft leather-look, teal, case of 24
Retail: $445.76
Our Price: $334.99
Save: $110.77 (25%)
4.5 of 5.0 stars
ERV Duotone Bible, Black/Grey - Case of 24
ERV Duotone Bible, Black/Grey - Case of 24
Retail: $455.76
Our Price: $334.99
Save: $120.77 (26%)
5.0 of 5.0 stars
Holy Bible Easy to Read Version (ERV) English Green/Tan (Duotone)
Holy Bible Easy to Read Version (ERV) English Green/Tan (Duotone)
Retail: $18.99
Our Price: $13.99
Save: $5.00 (26%)
5.0 of 5.0 stars
ERV Paperback Bible
ERV Paperback Bible
Retail: $6.99
Our Price: $5.49
Save: $1.50 (21%)
4.5 of 5.0 stars
ERV God's Word: Your Journey to Freedom
ERV God's Word: Your Journey to Freedom
Retail: $7.99
Our Price: $6.29
Save: $1.70 (21%)
5.0 of 5.0 stars