Zacarias 9

1 An oracle. The word of Yahweh is against the land of Hadrach,

and Damascus is its resting place.

For to Yahweh belongs the eye of humankind,*"Eye of humankind" is difficult to understand in this context; some scholars emend the phrase to "cities of Aram" or "capital of Aram"

and all the tribes of Israel,

2 and also Hamath, which borders on it;

Tyre and Sidon—yes, they are very wise!*That is, wise in their own eyes (ironic)

3 Tyre has built a fortification for itself,*Hebrew "her"

and it heaped up silver like dust,

and gold like the mud of the streets.

4 Look! The Lord will drive it*Hebrew "her" out

and will hurl its*Hebrew "her" outer ramparts into the sea,

and it*Hebrew "she" will be consumed by fire.

5 Ashkelon will see and will be afraid,

and Gaza will writhe exceedingly,

and Ekron also, because its hope is ruined.*Traditionally "ashamed"; some presuppose a different Hebrew form and translate "withered"

And the king from Gaza will perish,

and Ashkelon will not be inhabited.

6 A mongrel people*That is, a people of mixed marriage; "half-breeds" will dwell in Ashdod,

and I will cut down the pride of the Philistines.

7 I will remove its*Hebrew "his" blood from its*Hebrew "his" mouth,

and its*Hebrew "his" abominations from between its*Hebrew "his" teeth.

And it*Hebrew "he" too will be a remnant for our God;

and it*Hebrew "he" will be like a tribal chief*This word is sometimes interpreted as "clan" in Judah,

and Ekron will be like the Jebusite.

8 But I will encamp at my temple*Or "house" like a guard,

against those crossing through and returning;

no oppressor will cross through them again,

for now I have seen with my own eyes.

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Look! Your king comes to you;

he is righteous and victorious,

humble and riding on a donkey,

and on a male donkey, the foal of*Literally "the son of " a female donkey!

10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim,

and the horse from Jerusalem;

the battle bow will be cut down,

and he will announce peace to the nations.

His dominion will be from sea to sea,

and from the River*That is, the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.

11 As for you also, because of the blood of your covenant,

I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit.*Literally "the cistern there is not water in him"

12 Return to the fortress,

O prisoners of hope;

today I am declaring that I will repay you double.

13 For I have bent Judah as my bow;

I have set Ephraim as an arrow.

I will set in motion your sons, O Zion,

against your sons, O Javan.*That is, Greece

I will wield you like the sword of a warrior.

14 Then Yahweh will appear over them,

and his arrow will go forth like lightning;

and my Lord Yahweh will blow the trumpet,

and he shall go out in the storm winds of the south.

15 Yahweh of hosts will defend them,

and they will devour and subdue the slingstones;*Perhaps metonymy for the slingers of stones

they will drink, they will make noise*LXX reads "they will drink blood like wine" like wine,

and they will be full like the sacrificial basin,*That is, the ceremonial bowl used by the priest for sprinkling blood

drenched like the corners of an altar.

16 And Yahweh their God will save them on that day,

as the flock of his people;

for they are like the stones of a diadem,

glittering on his land.

17 For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty!

Grain will make the young men thrive,

and new wine the young women.