Zechariah, 9

1. 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.

1. Word of Yahweh. Yahweh dwells in the land of Hadrach and Damascus for the cities of Aram belong to him as do all the tribes of Israel,

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

2. and Hamath as well, on its border, and Tyre and Sidon, the people who do good business.

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

3. Tyre built herself a stronghold and piled up silver like dust, gold like the mud in the street.

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

4. But the Lord will take away her possessions and throw down her power on the sea and she herself will perish by fire.

5. 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.

5. Ashkelon will see and be afraid; Gaza, too, will tremble and Ekron as well for her hope will fade. The king will disappear from Gaza and Ashkelon will be without inhabitants.

6. And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.

6. People of low birth will occupy Ashdod. I will put an end to the pride of the Philistines.

7. 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.

7. I shall take the meat with blood from their mouth and their unclean food from between their teeth. Only a remnant of them will be left and they will become like a clan among the Judeans. The people of Ekron will be like the Jebusites at the present time.

8. 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.

8. I shall camp as a guard near my House to protect it from all who come and go. No longer shall an oppressor crush them now for I am aware of their affliction.

9. 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.

9. Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout for joy, daughter of Jerusalem! For your king is coming, just and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

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.

10. No more chariots in Ephraim, no more horses in Jerusalem, for he will do away with them. The warrior's bow shall be broken when he dictates peace to the nations. He will reign from sea to sea, and from the River 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.

11. As for you, for the sake of your covenant sealed with blood, I shall release your prisoners from the ancient cistern.

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

12. The prisoners who wait in expectation will return to you, O Zion; today I declare that I will repay you double for your exile.

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.

13. I shall bend my bow - Judah - and Ephraim shall be my arrow. I shall send your sons, O Zion, against the Greeks! For me you shall be a warrior's sword.

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.

14. Yahweh will appear above them, his arrows flashing like lightning. He will sound his horn and come in a storm from 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.

15. Yahweh, God of hosts, will protect them; they will triumph and trample the wicked. They will drink blood like wine and be filled with it like the bowls of the drink offering, like the horns of an 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.

16. On that day, Yahweh, their God, will save them and pasture them like a flock.

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.

17. How happy! how beautiful it will be! Grain will make young men flourish and new wine, the maidens!