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The Lord Protects His House

This is the divine revelation.

The Lord’s word is against the land of Hadrach
and will rest on Damascus
and also Hamath, which borders on it,
and Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.
(The eyes of humanity and of all the tribes of Israel are on the Lord.) [a]

Tyre built itself a fortress.
It piled up silver like dust
and gold like mud in the streets.
The Lord will take away its possessions.
He will throw its wealth into the sea
and burn the city down.
Ashkelon will see ⌞this⌟ and be afraid.
Gaza will also be in great pain,
also Ekron, because its hope will fade.
Gaza will lose its king.
Ashkelon will no longer be lived in.
A mixed race will live in Ashdod,
and I will cut off the Philistines’ arrogance.
I will remove the blood from their mouths
and the disgusting things from between their teeth.
Then only a few of them will be left for our God
like a tribe in Judah,
and Ekron will be like a Jebusite.
I will camp in front of my house
as a guard against those who come and go.
No oppressors will pass through them,
because I have seen it with my own eyes.

The Lord Sends His King

Rejoice with all your heart, people of Zion!
Shout in triumph, people of Jerusalem!
Look! Your King is coming to you:
He is righteous and victorious.
He is humble and rides on a donkey,
on a colt, a young pack animal.
10 He [b] will make sure there are no chariots in Ephraim
or war horses in Jerusalem.
There will be no battle bows.
He will announce peace to the nations.
He will rule from sea to sea
and from the ⌞Euphrates⌟ River to the ends of the earth.

11 I will set your captives free from the waterless pit
because of the blood that sealed my promise [c] to you.
12 Return to your fortress, you captives who have hope.
Today I tell you that I will return to you double ⌞blessings⌟.
13 I will bend Judah as my bow
and draw my bow with Ephraim ⌞as its arrow⌟.
I will stir up your people, Zion, against your people, Greece,
and I will use you like a warrior’s sword.

14 The Lord will appear over them,
and his arrow will go out like lightning.
The Almighty Lord will blow the ram’s horn
and will march in the storms from the south.
15 The Lord of Armies will defend them.
They will destroy and trample the stones used in slings.
They will drink and shout as if they were drunk.
They will be filled like a sacrificial bowl
⌞used for sprinkling⌟ the corners of the altar.
16 On that day the Lord their God will rescue them
as the flock of his people.
They will certainly sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown.
17 They will be beautiful and lovely.[d]
Young men will prosper on grain,
and young women will prosper on new wine.

Footnotes

  1. 9:2 This sentence has been moved from verse 1 to express the complex Hebrew paragraph structure more clearly in English.
  2. 9:10 Greek, Syriac; Masoretic Text “I.”
  3. 9:11 Or “covenant.”
  4. 9:17 Or “He will be beautiful and lovely.”

The burden of the word of the Lord in the land of Hadrach, and Damascus shall be the rest thereof: when the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the Lord.

And Hamath also shall border thereby; Tyrus, and Zidon, though it be very wise.

And Tyrus did build herself a strong hold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets.

Behold, the Lord will cast her out, and he will smite her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire.

Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Gaza also shall see it, and be very sorrowful, and Ekron; for her expectation shall be ashamed; and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.

And a bastard shall 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: but he that remaineth, even he, shall be for our God, and he shall be as a governor in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite.

And I will encamp about mine house because of the army, because of him that passeth by, and because of him that returneth: and no 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 having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and 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 heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.

11 As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.

12 Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee;

13 When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man.

14 And the Lord shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.

15 The Lord of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar.

16 And the Lord their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.

17 For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids.

Yahweh’s Oracle Against Israel’s Enemies

The [a]oracle of the word of Yahweh is against the land of Hadrach, with (A)Damascus as its resting place (for the eyes of men, especially of all the tribes of Israel, are toward Yahweh),

And (B)Hamath also, which borders on it;
(C)And Tyre and (D)Sidon, [b]because [c]they are (E)very wise.
So Tyre built herself a (F)tight fortification
And (G)tied up silver like dust
And (H)fine gold like the mire of the streets.
Behold, the Lord will (I)dispossess her
And strike her wealth down into the sea;
And she will be (J)consumed with fire.
Ashkelon will see it and be afraid.
Gaza too will writhe in great pain;
Also Ekron, for her hope has been put to shame.
Moreover, the king will perish from Gaza,
And Ashkelon will not be inhabited.
And those of illegitimate birth will inhabit (K)Ashdod,
And I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.
And I will remove their blood from their mouth
And their detestable things from between their teeth.
Then they also will be a remnant for our God,
And be like a [d]clan in Judah,
And Ekron like a Jebusite.
But I will camp around My house [e]because of an army,
Because of (L)him who passes by and returns;
And (M)no taskmaster will pass over them anymore,
For now I have seen with My eyes.

The Coming King of Zion

(N)Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Make a loud shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your (O)king is coming to you;
He is [f](P)righteous and (Q)endowed with salvation,
[g](R)Lowly and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a [h](S)colt, the [i]foal of a pack animal.
10 I will (T)cut off the chariot from Ephraim
And the (U)horse from Jerusalem;
And the (V)bow of war will be cut off.
And He will speak (W)peace to the nations;
And His (X)reign will be from sea to sea
And from the [j]River to the ends of the earth.

11 As for you also, because of the (Y)blood of your covenant,
I have set your (Z)prisoners free from the [k]waterless pit.
12 Return to the [l](AA)stronghold, O prisoners [m]who have the (AB)hope;
This very day I am declaring that I will return (AC)double to you.
13 For I will (AD)bend Judah [n]as My bow;
I will fill the bow with Ephraim.
And I will rouse up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O [o](AE)Greece;
And I will make you like a (AF)mighty man’s sword.
14 Then Yahweh will appear (AG)over them,
And His (AH)arrow will go forth like lightning;
And Lord Yahweh will blow the (AI)trumpet
And will go in the (AJ)storm winds of the south.
15 (AK)Yahweh of hosts will defend them.
And they will (AL)consume and trample on the (AM)stones of a sling;
And they will drink and (AN)roar as with wine;
And they will be filled like a sacrificial bowl,
Drenched like the (AO)corners of the altar.
16 And Yahweh their God will (AP)save them in that day
As the flock of His people;
For they are as the stones of a (AQ)crown,
[p]Sparkling in His land.
17 For what (AR)goodness and (AS)what beauty will be [q]theirs!
Grain will make the choice men flourish, and new wine the virgins.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 9:1 Or burden
  2. Zechariah 9:2 Or though
  3. Zechariah 9:2 They think they are
  4. Zechariah 9:7 Or chief
  5. Zechariah 9:8 Or as a guard, so that none will go back and forth
  6. Zechariah 9:9 Or vindicated and victorious
  7. Zechariah 9:9 Or humble, afflicted
  8. Zechariah 9:9 Or foal, cf. Gen 49:11
  9. Zechariah 9:9 Or donkey’s colt, cf. Gen 49:11; lit son of a female donkey
  10. Zechariah 9:10 The Euphrates River
  11. Zechariah 9:11 Lit cistern in which there is no water
  12. Zechariah 9:12 Or Stronghold
  13. Zechariah 9:12 Lit of the hope
  14. Zechariah 9:13 Lit for Me
  15. Zechariah 9:13 Lit Javan
  16. Zechariah 9:16 Or Displayed over
  17. Zechariah 9:17 Lit his