Zechariah 9

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.

1This is a heavy message from the LORD. It is against the land of Hadrach and the city of Damascus. The eyes of everyone are on the LORD, and so are the eyes of all the families of Israel.

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

2The message is against Hamath too, which sits right next to them. It is also against the cities of Tyre and Sidon, even though they are very clever.

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

3Tyre built herself a strong, safe fort. She piled up silver like dust. She piled up gold like the mud in her streets.

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

4But look, the Lord will take all she owns. He will throw her riches into the sea. Fire will burn the city up.

5Ashkelon 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.

5The city of Ashkelon will see it and be afraid. Gaza will twist with pain, and so will Ekron. What Ekron hoped for will dry up. Gaza will have no king left. No one will live in Ashkelon.

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

6People of mixed families will live in the city of Ashdod. And I will put an end to the proud boasting of the Philistines.

NoteThe King James Bible says "a bastard" here. In this verse it does not mean a child born outside marriage. It means a people made of mixed families from different nations.

7And 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.

7I will take the blood out of their mouths. I will take the forbidden food from between their teeth. The ones who are left will belong to our God. They will be like one more family in Judah. The people of Ekron will belong too, the way the Jebusites did long ago.

8And 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.

8I will camp around my house like a guard. Armies march this way and that way, but I will be there. No cruel ruler will march over my people again. I am watching now with my own eyes.

9Rejoice 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.

9Be very glad, people of Zion! Shout for joy, people of Jerusalem! Look, your King is coming to you. He does what is right, and he wins. He is humble, and he rides on a donkey, on a young donkey.

10And 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.

10I will take away the war carts from Ephraim and the war horses from Jerusalem. The bows used in battle will be broken. Your King will speak peace to the nations. He will rule from one sea to the other sea. He will rule from the Euphrates River to the far ends of the earth.

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

11As for you, I made a promise with you, and blood sealed it. Because of that promise, I will set your prisoners free. I will lift them out of a deep pit with no water in it.

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

12Come back to your safe, strong place, you prisoners who still have hope. Today I say this: I will give you back twice as much as you lost.

13When 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.

13I will bend Judah like a bow. I will use Ephraim like the arrows. I will wake up your sons, Zion, to fight the sons of Greece. I will make you like the sword of a strong soldier.

14And 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.

14Then the LORD will show himself above them. His arrow will flash out like lightning. The Lord GOD will blow the ram's horn. He will march out in the storm winds from the south.

15The 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.

15The LORD, who leads the armies of heaven, will keep his people safe. They will win with stones thrown from slings. They will drink and shout the way men do after wine. They will be filled like the bowls used at God's altar.

NotePriests used wide bowls to carry blood to the altar. They poured it on the altar's four corners. So the bowls and the corners were soaked. That is the picture here.

16And 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.

16On that day the LORD their God will rescue them. He will save them the way a shepherd saves his sheep. They will shine over his land like jewels in a crown.

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

17How good God is! How lovely he is! Grain will make the young men strong and healthy. New wine will make the young women glad.

NoteThe King James Bible says "corn." In old English that word meant grain of any kind, like wheat or barley. It does not mean corn on the cob.