Judgment of Zion’s Enemies

An Oracle

The word of the Lord
is against the land of Hadrach,
and Damascus(A) is its resting place—
for the eyes of men
and all the tribes of Israel
are on the Lord[a]
and also against Hamath,(B) which borders it,
as well as Tyre(C) and Sidon,(D)
though they are very shrewd.
Tyre has built herself a fortress;
she has heaped up silver like dust
and gold like the dirt of the streets.
Listen! The Lord will impoverish her
and cast her wealth into the sea;
she herself will be consumed by fire.(E)
Ashkelon will see it and be afraid;
Gaza too, and will writhe in great pain,
as will Ekron, for her hope will fail.
There will cease to be a king in Gaza,
and Ashkelon will become uninhabited.
A mongrel people will live in Ashdod,
and I will destroy the pride of the Philistines.(F)
I will remove the blood from their mouths
and the detestable things(G)
from between their teeth.
Then they too will become a remnant for our God;
they will become like a clan in Judah
and Ekron like the Jebusites.(H)
I will set up camp at My house against an army,[b]
against those who march back and forth,
and no oppressor will march against them again,
for now I have seen with My own eyes.

The Coming of Zion’s King

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem!
Look, your King is coming to you;
He is righteous and victorious,[c]
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.(I)
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the horse from Jerusalem.
The bow of war will be removed,
and He will proclaim peace to the nations.
His dominion will extend from sea to sea,
from the Euphrates River
to the ends of the earth.(J)
11 As for you,
because of the blood of your covenant,(K)
I will release your prisoners
from the waterless cistern.(L)
12 Return to a stronghold,
you prisoners who have hope;
today I declare that I will restore double to you.(M)
13 For I will bend Judah as My bow;
I will fill that bow with Ephraim.
I will rouse your sons, Zion,
against your sons, Greece.[d](N)
I will make you like a warrior’s sword.
14 Then the Lord will appear over them,
and His arrow will fly like lightning.
The Lord God will sound the trumpet
and advance with the southern storms.(O)
15 The Lord of Hosts will defend them.
They will consume and conquer with slingstones;
they will drink and be rowdy as if with wine.(P)
They will be as full as the sprinkling basin,(Q)
like those at the corners of the altar.(R)
16 The Lord their God will save them on that day
as the flock of His people;(S)
for they are like jewels in a crown,(T)
sparkling over His land.
17 How lovely and beautiful they will be!
Grain will make the young men flourish,
and new wine, the young women.

The Lord Restores His People

10 Ask the Lord for rain
in the season of spring rain.
The Lord makes the rain clouds,
and He will give them showers of rain
and crops in the field for everyone.(U)
For the idols speak falsehood,
and the diviners(V) see illusions;
they relate empty dreams
and offer empty comfort.
Therefore the people wander like sheep;
they suffer affliction because there is no shepherd.
My anger burns against the shepherds,
so I will punish the leaders.[e]
For the Lord of Hosts has tended His flock,
the house of Judah;
He will make them like His majestic steed in battle.
The cornerstone(W) will come from Judah.[f]
The tent peg(X) will come from them
and also the battle bow(Y) and every[g] ruler.
Together they will be like warriors in battle
trampling down the mud of the streets.
They will fight because the Lord is with them,
and they will put horsemen to shame.
I will strengthen the house of Judah
and deliver the house of Joseph.[h]
I will restore[i] them
because I have compassion on them,
and they will be
as though I had never rejected them.(Z)
For I am Yahweh their God,
and I will answer them.
Ephraim(AA) will be like a warrior,
and their hearts will be glad as if with wine.
Their children will see it and be glad;(AB)
their hearts will rejoice in Yahweh.

I will whistle(AC) and gather them
because I have redeemed(AD) them;
they will be as numerous as they once were.
Though I sow(AE) them among the nations,
they will remember(AF) Me in the distant lands;
they and their children will live and return.
10 I will bring them back from the land of Egypt
and gather them from Assyria.
I will bring them to the land of Gilead(AG)
and to Lebanon,
but it will not be enough for them.
11 Yahweh[j] will pass through the sea of distress
and strike the waves of the sea;
all the depths of the Nile will dry up.(AH)
The pride of Assyria will be brought down,
and the scepter of Egypt will come to an end.
12 I will strengthen(AI) them in Yahweh,
and they will march(AJ) in His name—
this is Yahweh’s declaration.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 9:1 Or eyes of the Lord are on mankind
  2. Zechariah 9:8 Or house as a guard
  3. Zechariah 9:9 Or and has salvation
  4. Zechariah 9:13 Lit Javan
  5. Zechariah 10:3 Lit male goats
  6. Zechariah 10:4 Lit them
  7. Zechariah 10:4 Lit also from them the . . . , from them every
  8. Zechariah 10:6 = the northern kingdom
  9. Zechariah 10:6 Other Hb mss, LXX read settle
  10. Zechariah 10:11 Lit He

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