Zechariah 7-9

New International Version

Justice and Mercy, Not Fasting

7 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah^(A) on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev.^(B) ²The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melek, together with their men, to entreat^(C) the Lord^(D) ³by asking the priests of the house of the Lord Almighty and the prophets, “Should I mourn^(E) and fast in the fifth^(F) month, as I have done for so many years?”

⁴Then the word of the Lord Almighty came to me: ⁵“Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted^(G) and mourned in the fifth and seventh^(H) months for the past seventy years,^(I) was it really for me that you fasted? ⁶And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?^(J) ⁷Are these not the words the Lord proclaimed through the earlier prophets^(K) when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest^(L) and prosperous, and the Negev and the western foothills^(M) were settled?’”^(N)

⁸And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: ⁹“This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice;^(O) show mercy and compassion to one another.^(P) ¹⁰Do not oppress the widow^(Q) or the fatherless, the foreigner^(R) or the poor.^(S) Do not plot evil against each other.’^(T)

¹¹“But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly^(U) they turned their backs^(V) and covered their ears.^(W) ¹²They made their hearts as hard as flint^(X) and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets.^(Y) So the Lord Almighty was very angry.^(Z)

¹³“‘When I called, they did not listen;^(AA) so when they called, I would not listen,’^(AB) says the Lord Almighty.^(AC) ¹⁴‘I scattered^(AD) them with a whirlwind^(AE) among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land they left behind them was so desolate that no one traveled through it.^(AF) This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.^(AG)’”

The Lord Promises to Bless Jerusalem

8 The word of the Lord Almighty came to me.

²This is what the Lord Almighty says: “I am very jealous^(AH) for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her.”

³This is what the Lord says: “I will return^(AI) to Zion^(AJ) and dwell in Jerusalem.^(AK) Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City,^(AL) and the mountain^(AM) of the Lord Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.^(AN)”

⁴This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem,^(AO) each of them with cane in hand because of their age. ⁵The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there.^(AP)”

⁶This is what the Lord Almighty says: “It may seem marvelous to the remnant of this people at that time,^(AQ) but will it seem marvelous to me?^(AR)” declares the Lord Almighty.

⁷This is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west.^(AS) ⁸I will bring them back^(AT) to live^(AU) in Jerusalem; they will be my people,^(AV) and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God.^(AW)”

⁹This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Now hear these words, ‘Let your hands be strong^(AX) so that the temple may be built.’ This is also what the prophets^(AY) said who were present when the foundation^(AZ) was laid for the house of the Lord Almighty. ¹⁰Before that time there were no wages^(BA) for people or hire for animals. No one could go about their business safely^(BB) because of their enemies, since I had turned everyone against their neighbor. ¹¹But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as I did in the past,”^(BC) declares the Lord Almighty.

¹²“The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit,^(BD) the ground will produce its crops,^(BE) and the heavens will drop their dew.^(BF) I will give all these things as an inheritance^(BG) to the remnant of this people.^(BH) ¹³Just as you, Judah and Israel, have been a curse^[a]^(BI) among the nations, so I will save^(BJ) you, and you will be a blessing.^[b]^(BK) Do not be afraid,^(BL) but let your hands be strong.^(BM)”

¹⁴This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Just as I had determined to bring disaster^(BN) on you and showed no pity when your ancestors angered me,” says the Lord Almighty, ¹⁵“so now I have determined to do good^(BO) again to Jerusalem and Judah.^(BP) Do not be afraid. ¹⁶These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth^(BQ) to each other, and render true and sound judgment^(BR) in your courts;^(BS) ¹⁷do not plot evil^(BT) against each other, and do not love to swear falsely.^(BU) I hate all this,” declares the Lord.

¹⁸The word of the Lord Almighty came to me.

¹⁹This is what the Lord Almighty says: “The fasts of the fourth,^(BV) fifth,^(BW) seventh^(BX) and tenth^(BY) months will become joyful^(BZ) and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth^(CA) and peace.”

²⁰This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, ²¹and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, ‘Let us go at once to entreat^(CB) the Lord and seek^(CC) the Lord Almighty. I myself am going.’ ²²And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to entreat him.”^(CD)

²³This is what the Lord Almighty says: “In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’”^(CE)

Judgment on Israel’s Enemies

9 A prophecy:^(CF)

The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrak
    and will come to rest on Damascus^(CG)—
for the eyes of all people and all the tribes of Israel
    are on the Lord—^[c]
²and on Hamath^(CH) too, which borders on it,
    and on Tyre^(CI) and Sidon,^(CJ) though they are very skillful.
³Tyre has built herself a stronghold;
    she has heaped up silver like dust,
    and gold like the dirt of the streets.^(CK)
⁴But the Lord will take away her possessions
    and destroy^(CL) her power on the sea,
    and she will be consumed by fire.^(CM)
⁵Ashkelon^(CN) 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.
⁶A mongrel people will occupy Ashdod,
    and I will put an end^(CO) to the pride of the Philistines.
⁷I will take the blood from their mouths,
    the forbidden food from between their teeth.
Those who are left will belong to our God^(CP)
    and become a clan in Judah,
    and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.^(CQ)
⁸But I will encamp^(CR) at my temple
    to guard it against marauding forces.^(CS)
Never again will an oppressor overrun my people,
    for now I am keeping watch.^(CT)

The Coming of Zion’s King

⁹Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!^(CU)
    Shout,^(CV) Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,^(CW)
    righteous and victorious,^(CX)
lowly and riding on a donkey,^(CY)
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.^(CZ)
¹⁰I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
    and the warhorses from Jerusalem,
    and the battle bow will be broken.^(DA)
He will proclaim peace^(DB) to the nations.
    His rule will extend from sea to sea
    and from the River^[d] to the ends of the earth.^(DC)
¹¹As for you, because of the blood of my covenant^(DD) with you,
    I will free your prisoners^(DE) from the waterless pit.^(DF)
¹²Return to your fortress,^(DG) you prisoners of hope;
    even now I announce that I will restore twice^(DH) as much to you.
¹³I will bend Judah as I bend my bow^(DI)
    and fill it with Ephraim.^(DJ)
I will rouse your sons, Zion,
    against your sons, Greece,^(DK)
    and make you like a warrior’s sword.^(DL)

The Lord Will Appear

¹⁴Then the Lord will appear over them;^(DM)
    his arrow will flash like lightning.^(DN)
The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet;^(DO)
    he will march in the storms^(DP) of the south,
¹⁵    and the Lord Almighty will shield^(DQ) them.
They will destroy
    and overcome with slingstones.^(DR)
They will drink and roar as with wine;^(DS)
    they will be full like a bowl^(DT)
    used for sprinkling^[e] the corners^(DU) of the altar.
¹⁶The Lord their God will save his people on that day^(DV)
    as a shepherd saves his flock.
They will sparkle in his land
    like jewels in a crown.^(DW)
¹⁷How attractive and beautiful they will be!
    Grain will make the young men thrive,
    and new wine the young women.

Footnotes

Zechariah 8:13 That is, your name has been used in cursing (see Jer. 29:22); or, you have been regarded as under a curse.
Zechariah 8:13 Or and your name will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or and you will be seen as blessed
Zechariah 9:1 Or Damascus. / For the eye of the Lord is on all people, / as well as on the tribes of Israel,
Zechariah 9:10 That is, the Euphrates
Zechariah 9:15 Or bowl, / like