Zechariah 9

Modern

Literal

The Burden against Israel’s Enemies

¹This is the burden of the word of the LORD

against the land of Hadrach

and Damascus its resting place—

for the eyes of men

and of all the tribes of Israel

are upon the LORD—^a

¹The burden of the word of YHWH against the land of Hadrach, and Damascus its resting place—For unto YHWH is an eye on mankind, and on all the tribes of Israel—

²and also against Hamath,

which borders it,

as well as Tyre and Sidon,

though they are very shrewd.

²and Hamath that borders on her, and Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.

³Tyre has built herself a fortress;

she has heaped up silver like dust,

and gold like the dirt of the streets.

³And Tyre has built a tower for herself, and she has heaped up silver like the dust and gold like the mud of the streets.

⁴Behold, the Lord will impoverish her

and cast her wealth into the sea,^a

and she will be consumed by fire.

⁴Behold, the Lord will dispossess her, and cast her wealth into the sea, and she will be consumed by the fire!

⁵Ashkelon will see and fear;

Gaza will writhe in agony,

as will Ekron,

for her hope will wither.

There will cease to be a king in Gaza,

and Ashkelon will be uninhabited.

⁵Ashkelon will see and fear, and also Gaza will greatly writhe, and Ekron, for her expectation He has dried up. And the king will perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon will not be inhabited,

⁶A mixed race will occupy Ashdod,

and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.

⁶and a mixed race will dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.

⁷I will remove the blood from their mouths

and the abominations from between their teeth.

Then they too will become a remnant for our God;

they will become like a clan^a in Judah,

and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.

⁷And I will turn away the blood from his mouth, and the abominations from between his teeth; and the one who remains, even he is unto our God, and he will be like a clan in Judah, and Ekron like a Jebusite.

⁸But I will camp around My house because of an army,

because of those who march to and fro,

and never again will an oppressor overrun My people,

for now I keep watch with My own eyes.

⁸And I will camp around My house as a guard against the one passing by and the one returning; and no oppressor will pass through them anymore, for now I look on with My own eyes!

Zion’s Coming King

⁹Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!

Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem!

See, your King comes to you,

righteous and victorious,^a

humble and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.^b

⁹Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is righteous and bearing salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

¹⁰And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim^a

and the horse from Jerusalem,

and the bow of war will be broken.

Then He will proclaim peace to the nations.

His dominion will extend from sea to sea,

and from the Euphrates^b

to the ends of the earth.

¹⁰And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem; and the bow of battle will be cut off, and He will speak peace to the nations, and His dominion is from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.

¹¹As for you,

because of the blood of My covenant,

I will release your prisoners

from the waterless pit.

¹¹As for you also, by the blood of your covenant, I will set free your prisoners from the pit without water in it.

¹²Return to your stronghold,

O prisoners of hope;

even today I declare

that I will restore to you double.

¹²So return to the stronghold, O prisoners of hope. Even this day I declare that I will return double to you.

¹³For I will bend Judah as My bow

and fit it with Ephraim.

I will rouse your sons, O Zion,

against the sons of Greece.^a

I will make you like the sword

of a mighty man.

¹³For I have bent for Myself Judah as a bow, I have filled it with Ephraim, and I have raised up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Javan, and I have set like the sword of a mighty one!

The LORD Will Save His People

¹⁴Then the LORD will appear over them,

and His arrow will go forth like lightning.

The Lord GOD will sound the ram’s horn

and advance in the whirlwinds of the south.

¹⁴And YHWH will be seen over them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning; and the Lord YHWH will blow on the shofar, and He will go forth with storms from the south.

¹⁵The LORD of Hosts will shield them.

They will destroy and conquer with slingstones;

they will drink and roar as with wine.

And they will be filled like sprinkling bowls,

drenched like the corners of the altar.

¹⁵YHWH of Hosts will give cover over them, and they will devour, and they will conquer with stones of a sling; and they will drink and roar as if with wine, and they will be full like a bowl, like the corners of the altar!

¹⁶On that day the LORD their God will save them

as the flock of His people;

for like jewels in a crown

they will sparkle over His land.

¹⁶And YHWH their God will save them on that day, as the flock of His people; indeed the stones of a diadem, will be shining over His land.

¹⁷How lovely they will be,

and how beautiful!

Grain will make the young men flourish,

and new wine, the young women.

¹⁷For how great His goodness, and what His beauty! Grain for the young men, and new wine will make flourish the young women.