Zechariah 9

The Coming of the True King

1 An oracle of the word of the Lord concerning the land of Hadrach,s with its focus on Damascus:t
The eyes of all humanity,s especially of the tribes of Israel, are toward the Lord,2 as are those of Hamath also, which adjoins Damascus, and Tyres and Sidon,s though they consider themselves to be very wise.3 Tyre built herself a fortification and piled up silver like dust and gold like the mud of the streets!4 Nevertheless the Lord will evict her and shove her fortificationst into the sea – she will be consumed by fire.5 Ashkelon will see and be afraid; Gaza will be in great anguish, as will Ekron, for her hope will have been dried up.t Gaza will lose her king, and Ashkelon will no longer be inhabited.6 A mongrel people will live in Ashdod, for I will greatly humiliate the Philistines.7 I will take away their abominable religious practices;t then those who survive will become a community of believers in our God,t like a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.

8 Then I will surround my templet to protect it like a guardt from anyone crossing back and forth; so no one will cross over against them anymore as an oppressor, for now I myself have seen it.

9 Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion!
Shout, daughter of Jerusalem!
Look! Your king is coming to you:
he is legitimatet and victorious,t
humble and riding on a donkeys –
on a young donkey, the foal of a female donkey.

10 I will removest the chariot from Ephraim
and the warhorse from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow will be removed.
Then he will announce peace to the nations.
His dominion will be from sea to sea
and from the Euphrates Rivert to the ends of the earth.
11 Moreover, as for you, because of our covenant relationship secured with blood, I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit.12 Return to the stronghold, you prisoners, with hope; today I declare that I will return double what was taken from you.

13 I will bend Judah as my bow; I will load the bow with Ephraim, my arrow!t I will stir up your sons, Zion, against yours, Greece, and I will make you, Zion,t like a warrior’s sword.
14 Then the Lord will appear above them, and his arrow will shoot forth like lightning; the Lord God will blow the trumpet and will sally forth on the southern storm winds.15 The Lord who rules over all will guard them, and they will prevail and overcome with sling stones. Then they will drink, and will become noisy like drunkards,t full like the sacrificial basin or like the corners of the altar.s16 On that day the Lord their God will deliver them as the flock of his people, for they are the precious stones of a crown sparkling over his land.

17 How precious and fair!s Grain will make the young men flourish and new wine the young women.

ZECHARIAH 9

Israel's Enemies //Will Be Punished

1  t t This is a message
from the [Lord]:
His eyes are on everyone,
especially the tribes
of Israel.t
So he pronounces judgment
against the cities
of Hadrach and Damascus.t

2 Judgment will also fall
on the nearby city
of Hamath,
as well as on Tyre and Sidon, t
whose people are clever.

3 Tyre has built a fortress
and piled up silver and gold,
as though they were dust
or mud from the streets.

4 Now the Lord will punish Tyre
with poverty;
he will sink its ships
and send it up in flames.

5  t Both Ashkelon and Gaza
will tremble with fear;
Ekron will lose all hope.
Gaza's king will be killed,
and Ashkelon emptied
of its people.

6 A mob of half-breeds
will settle in Ashdod, t
and the Lord himself
will rob Philistia of pride.

7 No longer will the Philistines
eat meat with blood in it
or any unclean food.t
They will become part
of the people of our God
from the tribe of Judah.
And God will accept
the people of Ekron,
as he did the Jebusites.t

8 God says, “I will stand guard
to protect my temple from those
who come to attack.
I know what's happening,
and no one will mistreat
my people ever again.”

The [Lord] Tells about //the Coming King

9  t Everyone in Jerusalem,
celebrate and shout!
Your king has won a victory,
and he is coming to you.
He is humble
and rides on a donkey;
he comes on the colt
of a donkey.

10  t I, the [Lord], will take away
war chariots and horses
from Israelt and Jerusalem.
Bows that were made for battle
will be broken.
I will bring peace to nations,
and your king will rule
from sea to sea.
His kingdom will reach
from the Euphrates River
across the earth.

The [Lord] Promises //To Rescue Captives

11  t When I made a sacred agreement
with you, my people,
we sealed it with blood.t
Now some of you are captives
in waterless pits,
but I will come to your rescue

12 and offer you hope.
Return to your fortress,
because today I will reward you
with twice what you had.

13 I will use Judah as my bow
and Israelt as my arrow.
I will take the people of Zion
as my sword
and attack the Greeks.

The [Lord] Will Protect //His People

14 Like a cloud, the [Lord] God
will appear over his people,
and his arrows will flash
like lightning.
God will sound his trumpet
and attack in a whirlwind
from the south.

15 The [Lord] All-Powerful
will protect his people,
and they will trample down
the sharpshooters
and their slingshots.
They will drink and get rowdy;
they will be as full as a bowl
at the time of sacrifice.

16 The [Lord] God will save them
on that day,
because they are his people,
and they will shine on his land
like jewels in a crown.

17 How lovely they will be.
Young people will grow there
like grain in a field
or grapes in a vineyard.