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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.

10 Ask ye of Jehovah rain in the time of the latter rain, even of Jehovah that maketh lightnings; and he will give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. For the teraphim have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie; and [q]they have told false dreams, they comfort in vain: therefore they go their way like sheep, they are afflicted, because there is no shepherd. Mine anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the he-goats; for Jehovah of hosts hath visited his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them as his goodly horse in the battle. From him shall come forth the corner-stone, from him the nail, from him the battle bow, from him every [r]ruler together. And they shall be as mighty men, treading down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle; and they shall fight, because Jehovah is with them; and the riders on horses shall be confounded. And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will [s]bring them back; for I have mercy upon them; and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am Jehovah their God, and I will hear them. And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine; yea, their children shall see it, and rejoice; their heart shall be glad in Jehovah.

I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them; and they shall increase as they have increased. [t]And I will sow them among the peoples; and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and shall return. 10 I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and place shall not be found for them. 11 And he will pass through the sea of affliction, and will smite [u]the waves in the sea, and all the depths of the Nile shall dry up; and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the sceptre of Egypt shall depart. 12 And I will strengthen them in Jehovah; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith Jehovah.

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
  17. Zechariah 10:2 Or, the dreamers speak falsely
  18. Zechariah 10:4 Or, exactor
  19. Zechariah 10:6 Or, cause them to dwell
  20. Zechariah 10:9 Or, And though I sow them . . . they shall remember etc.
  21. Zechariah 10:11 Or, the sea of waves

Judgment on Israel’s Enemies

A prophecy:(A)

The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrak
    and will come to rest on Damascus(B)
for the eyes of all people and all the tribes of Israel
    are on the Lord[a]
and on Hamath(C) too, which borders on it,
    and on Tyre(D) and Sidon,(E) though they are very skillful.
Tyre has built herself a stronghold;
    she has heaped up silver like dust,
    and gold like the dirt of the streets.(F)
But the Lord will take away her possessions
    and destroy(G) her power on the sea,
    and she will be consumed by fire.(H)
Ashkelon(I) will see it and fear;
    Gaza will writhe in agony,
    and Ekron too, for her hope will wither.
Gaza will lose her king
    and Ashkelon will be deserted.
A mongrel people will occupy Ashdod,
    and I will put an end(J) to the pride of the Philistines.
I will take the blood from their mouths,
    the forbidden food from between their teeth.
Those who are left will belong to our God(K)
    and become a clan in Judah,
    and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.(L)
But I will encamp(M) at my temple
    to guard it against marauding forces.(N)
Never again will an oppressor overrun my people,
    for now I am keeping watch.(O)

The Coming of Zion’s King

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!(P)
    Shout,(Q) Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,(R)
    righteous and victorious,(S)
lowly and riding on a donkey,(T)
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.(U)
10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
    and the warhorses from Jerusalem,
    and the battle bow will be broken.(V)
He will proclaim peace(W) to the nations.
    His rule will extend from sea to sea
    and from the River[b] to the ends of the earth.(X)
11 As for you, because of the blood of my covenant(Y) with you,
    I will free your prisoners(Z) from the waterless pit.(AA)
12 Return to your fortress,(AB) you prisoners of hope;
    even now I announce that I will restore twice(AC) as much to you.
13 I will bend Judah as I bend my bow(AD)
    and fill it with Ephraim.(AE)
I will rouse your sons, Zion,
    against your sons, Greece,(AF)
    and make you like a warrior’s sword.(AG)

The Lord Will Appear

14 Then the Lord will appear over them;(AH)
    his arrow will flash like lightning.(AI)
The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet;(AJ)
    he will march in the storms(AK) of the south,
15     and the Lord Almighty will shield(AL) them.
They will destroy
    and overcome with slingstones.(AM)
They will drink and roar as with wine;(AN)
    they will be full like a bowl(AO)
    used for sprinkling[c] the corners(AP) of the altar.
16 The Lord their God will save his people on that day(AQ)
    as a shepherd saves his flock.
They will sparkle in his land
    like jewels in a crown.(AR)
17 How attractive and beautiful they will be!
    Grain will make the young men thrive,
    and new wine the young women.

The Lord Will Care for Judah

10 Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime;
    it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms.
He gives showers of rain(AS) to all people,
    and plants of the field(AT) to everyone.
The idols(AU) speak deceitfully,
    diviners(AV) see visions that lie;
they tell dreams(AW) that are false,
    they give comfort in vain.(AX)
Therefore the people wander like sheep
    oppressed for lack of a shepherd.(AY)

“My anger burns against the shepherds,
    and I will punish the leaders;(AZ)
for the Lord Almighty will care
    for his flock, the people of Judah,
    and make them like a proud horse in battle.(BA)
From Judah will come the cornerstone,(BB)
    from him the tent peg,(BC)
from him the battle bow,(BD)
    from him every ruler.
Together they[d] will be like warriors in battle
    trampling their enemy into the mud of the streets.(BE)
They will fight because the Lord is with them,
    and they will put the enemy horsemen to shame.(BF)

“I will strengthen(BG) Judah
    and save the tribes of Joseph.
I will restore them
    because I have compassion(BH) on them.(BI)
They will be as though
    I had not rejected them,
for I am the Lord their God
    and I will answer(BJ) them.
The Ephraimites will become like warriors,
    and their hearts will be glad as with wine.(BK)
Their children will see it and be joyful;
    their hearts will rejoice(BL) in the Lord.
I will signal(BM) for them
    and gather them in.
Surely I will redeem them;
    they will be as numerous(BN) as before.
Though I scatter them among the peoples,
    yet in distant lands they will remember me.(BO)
They and their children will survive,
    and they will return.
10 I will bring them back from Egypt
    and gather them from Assyria.(BP)
I will bring them to Gilead(BQ) and Lebanon,
    and there will not be room(BR) enough for them.
11 They will pass through the sea of trouble;
    the surging sea will be subdued
    and all the depths of the Nile will dry up.(BS)
Assyria’s pride(BT) will be brought down
    and Egypt’s scepter(BU) will pass away.(BV)
12 I will strengthen(BW) them in the Lord
    and in his name they will live securely,(BX)
declares the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 9:1 Or Damascus. / For the eye of the Lord is on all people, / as well as on the tribes of Israel,
  2. Zechariah 9:10 That is, the Euphrates
  3. Zechariah 9:15 Or bowl, / like
  4. Zechariah 10:5 Or ruler, all of them together. / They