Zechariah 9
New King James Version
Israel Defended Against Enemies
9 The [a]burden of the word of the Lord
Against the land of Hadrach,
And (A)Damascus its resting place
(For (B)the eyes of men
And all the tribes of Israel
Are on the Lord);
2 Also against (C)Hamath, which borders on it,
And against (D)Tyre and (E)Sidon, though they are very (F)wise.
3 For Tyre built herself a tower,
Heaped up silver like the dust,
And gold like the mire of the streets.
4 Behold, (G)the Lord will cast her out;
He will destroy (H)her power in the sea,
And she will be devoured by fire.
5 Ashkelon shall see it and fear;
Gaza also shall be very sorrowful;
And (I)Ekron, for He dried up her expectation.
The king shall perish from Gaza,
And Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.
6 “A[b] mixed race shall settle (J)in Ashdod,
And I will cut off the pride of the (K)Philistines.
7 I will take away the blood from his mouth,
And the abominations from between his teeth.
But he who remains, even he shall be for our God,
And shall be like a leader in Judah,
And Ekron like a Jebusite.
8 (L)I will camp around My house
Because of the army,
Because of him who passes by and him who returns.
No more shall an oppressor pass through them,
For now I have seen with My eyes.
The Coming King(M)
9 “Rejoice (N)greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, (O)your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I (P)will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
And the horse from Jerusalem;
The (Q)battle bow shall be cut off.
He shall speak peace to the nations;
His dominion shall be (R)‘from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.’
God Will Save His People
11 “As for you also,
Because of the blood of your covenant,
I will set your (S)prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12 Return to the stronghold,
(T)You prisoners of hope.
Even today I declare
That I will restore (U)double to you.
13 For I have bent Judah, My bow,
Fitted the bow with Ephraim,
And raised up your sons, O Zion,
Against your sons, O Greece,
And made you like the sword of a mighty man.”
14 Then the Lord will be seen over them,
And (V)His arrow will go forth like lightning.
The Lord God will blow the trumpet,
And go (W)with whirlwinds from the south.
15 The Lord of hosts will (X)defend them;
They shall devour and subdue with slingstones.
They shall drink and roar as if with wine;
They shall be filled with blood like [c]basins,
Like the corners of the altar.
16 The Lord their God will (Y)save them in that day,
As the flock of His people.
For (Z)they shall be like the [d]jewels of a crown,
(AA)Lifted like a banner over His land—
17 For (AB)how great is [e]its goodness
And how great its (AC)beauty!
(AD)Grain shall make the young men thrive,
And new wine the young women.
Footnotes
- Zechariah 9:1 oracle, prophecy
- Zechariah 9:6 Lit. An illegitimate one
- Zechariah 9:15 Sacrificial basins
- Zechariah 9:16 Lit. stones
- Zechariah 9:17 Lit. His
Zechariah 9
Amplified Bible
Prophecies against Neighboring Nations
9 The [a]oracle (a burdensome message) of the word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach [in Syria], with Damascus as its resting place (for the eyes of men, especially of all the tribes of Israel, are toward the Lord),(A)
2
And Hamath also, which borders on it (Damascus),
Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.
3
For Tyre built herself an [impregnable] stronghold [on an island offshore],
And she has heaped up silver like dust
And gold like the mire of the streets.
4
Behold, the Lord will [b]dispossess her
And throw her wealth into the sea;
And Tyre will be devoured by fire.
5
[c]Ashkelon will see it and fear;
Gaza will writhe in pain,
And Ekron, for her hope and expectation, has been ruined.
The king will perish from Gaza,
And Ashkelon will not be inhabited.
6
And a mongrel race will live in Ashdod,
And I will put an end to the pride and arrogance of the Philistines.
7
I will take the blood from their mouths
And their detestable things from between their teeth [those repulsive, idolatrous sacrifices eaten with the blood].
Then they too will be a remnant for our God,
And be like a clan in Judah,
And Ekron will be like one of the [d]Jebusites.
8
Then I will camp around My house [as a guard] because of an army,
Because of him who passes by and returns;
And no oppressor will again overrun them (Israel),
For now My eyes are upon them [providentially protecting them].
9
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O Daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King (Messianic King) is coming to you;
He is righteous and endowed with salvation,
[e]Humble and unassuming [in submission to the will of the Father] and riding on a [f]donkey,
Upon a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10
I will cut off the [war] chariot from Ephraim
And the [war] horse from Jerusalem,
And the bow of war will be cut off.
And He will speak [words of] peace to the nations,
And His dominion shall be from sea to sea [absolutely endless],
And from the River [Euphrates] to the ends of the earth.(B)
Salvation of Judah and Ephraim
11
As for you also, because of the blood of My covenant with you [My chosen people, the covenant that was sealed with blood]
I have freed your prisoners from the waterless pit.(C)
12
Return to the stronghold [of security and prosperity], O prisoners who have the hope;
Even today I am declaring that I will restore double [your former prosperity] to you [as firstborn among nations].(D)
13
For I will bend Judah as My bow,
I will fit the bow with Ephraim [as My arrow].
And I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece,
And will make you [Israel] like the sword of a warrior.
14
Then the Lord will be seen [hovering] over them [protecting His people],
And His arrow will go forth like lightning;
And the Lord God will blow the trumpet
And will march in the windstorms of the south.
15
The Lord of hosts shall defend and protect them;
And they will devour [the enemy] and trample down the slingstones [that have missed their mark],
And they will drink [of victory] and be boisterous as with wine;
And they shall be filled like sacrificial bowls [used to catch the blood],
Drenched like the corners of the [sacrificial] altar.
16
And the Lord their God shall save them on that day
As the flock of His people;
For they are like the [precious] jewels of a crown,
Displayed and glittering in His land.
17
For how great is God’s goodness and how great is His beauty! And how great [He will make Israel’s] goodliness and [Israel’s] beauty!
Grain and new wine will make the young men and virgins flourish.
Footnotes
- Zechariah 9:1 I.e. an urgent message the prophet is under compulsion to give.
- Zechariah 9:4 In 332 b.c. after a siege lasting seven months, Tyre was conquered by Alexander the Great. At that time Tyre consisted of two urban sites, one on the mainland and the other on the island a half mile from the shore. In order to conquer Tyre Alexander built a causeway from the mainland to the island. History records that he killed everyone except those who fled to the temples, then he ordered the houses to be set afire. The modern city of Sur, Lebanon, is near the site of ancient Tyre.
- Zechariah 9:5 Ashkelon, one of the five major Philistine cities (Josh 13:3) was the birthplace of Herod the Great, and the home of his sister, Salome. Gath and Ashdod are the major Philistine cities not named in this verse. Zechariah’s prophecy about Ashkelon’s total destruction was fulfilled during the time of the Crusades, (about a.d. 1260-1270), when Sultan Baibars, who was fighting against the Crusaders, reduced the site of ancient Ashkelon to ruins and filled the harbor with stones.
- Zechariah 9:7 An ancient tribal people who lived in the area around Jerusalem before it was captured by King David. They were absorbed by other tribes and lost their identity in Israel.
- Zechariah 9:9 Quoted in the NT to describe the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, see Matt 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-38; John 12:14-16.
- Zechariah 9:9 As a matter of discussion, the ancient rabbis noted an apparent contradiction between the coming of the Messiah with the clouds of heaven in Dan 7:13, and his riding on a donkey as prophesied here. Their solution was that Messiah would come with the clouds if Israel was worthy, but on a donkey if Israel was not.
Zechariah 9
Tree of Life Version
Judgment on Israel’s Enemies
9 The burden[a] of the word of Adonai is against the land of Hadrach
and will rest upon Damascus.
For the eyes of men and all the tribes of Israel
are toward Adonai—
2 and also upon Hamath bordering it,
and upon Tyre and Sidon, though they are very shrewd.
3 Tyre built herself a fortress
and heaped up silver like dust
and fine gold like dirt in the streets.
4 Behold, the Lord will impoverish her
and destroy her power on the sea,
while she will be devoured by fire.
5 Ashkelon will see it and fear.
Gaza will writhe in pain
as will Ekron because her hope will dry up.
The king will perish from Gaza
and Ashkelon will be uninhabited.
6 A mongrel people will live in Ashdod
and I will cut off the Philistines’ pride.
7 I will remove the blood from his mouth,
forbidden food from between his teeth.
Whoever is left will be a remnant for our God.
He will be like a leader in Judah,
and Ekron will be like a Jebusite.
8 But I will camp around My House
against marauding forces.
No oppressor will overrun them again—
for now I watch with My own eyes.
Zion’s Coming King
9 Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion!
Shout, daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you,
a righteous one bringing salvation.
He is lowly, riding on a donkey—
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.[b]
10 I will banish chariots from Ephraim
and horses from Jerusalem,
and the war bow will be broken.
He will speak shalom to the nations.
His rule will extend from sea to sea,
from the River to the ends of the earth.
11 As for you also, by the blood of your covenant,[c]
I will release your prisoners from the waterless Pit.
12 Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope!
Today I declare that I will restore twice as much to you.
13 I will bend Judah as my bow
and fill it with Ephraim.
I will rouse your sons, O Zion
against your sons, O Greece.
I will wield you like a warrior’s sword.
14 Then Adonai will be seen over them
as His arrow flashes like lightning.
Adonai Elohim will blow the shofar
and march in whirlwinds of the south.[d]
15 Adonai-Tzva’ot will defend them.
They will consume and conquer with sling stones.
They will drink and roar as with wine
and be filled like a bowl,
like the corners of the altar.
16 Adonai their God will save them on that day
as the flock of His people.
They will be like gems of a crown
sparkling over His land.
17 How good and beautiful it will be!
Grain will make the young men thrive
and new wine the virgin women.”
Footnotes
- Zechariah 9:1 Or, weighty oracle.
- Zechariah 9:9 cf. Matt. 21:5; John 12:15.
- Zechariah 9:11 cf. Matt. 26:28; Luke 22:20.
- Zechariah 9:14 cf. Matt. 24:31.
Zechariah 9
New Living Translation
Judgment against Israel’s Enemies
9 This is the message[a] from the Lord against the land of Aram[b] and the city of Damascus, for the eyes of humanity, including all the tribes of Israel, are on the Lord.
2 Doom is certain for Hamath,
near Damascus,
and for the cities of Tyre and Sidon,
though they are so clever.
3 Tyre has built a strong fortress
and has made silver and gold
as plentiful as dust in the streets!
4 But now the Lord will strip away Tyre’s possessions
and hurl its fortifications into the sea,
and it will be burned to the ground.
5 The city of Ashkelon will see Tyre fall
and will be filled with fear.
Gaza will shake with terror,
as will Ekron, for their hopes will be dashed.
Gaza’s king will be killed,
and Ashkelon will be deserted.
6 Foreigners will occupy the city of Ashdod.
I will destroy the pride of the Philistines.
7 I will grab the bloody meat from their mouths
and snatch the detestable sacrifices from their teeth.
Then the surviving Philistines will worship our God
and become like a clan in Judah.[c]
The Philistines of Ekron will join my people,
as the ancient Jebusites once did.
8 I will guard my Temple
and protect it from invading armies.
I am watching closely to ensure
that no more foreign oppressors overrun my people’s land.
Zion’s Coming King
9 Rejoice, O people of Zion![d]
Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!
Look, your king is coming to you.
He is righteous and victorious,[e]
yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—
riding on a donkey’s colt.
10 I will remove the battle chariots from Israel[f]
and the warhorses from Jerusalem.
I will destroy all the weapons used in battle,
and your king will bring peace to the nations.
His realm will stretch from sea to sea
and from the Euphrates River[g] to the ends of the earth.[h]
11 Because of the covenant I made with you,
sealed with blood,
I will free your prisoners
from death in a waterless dungeon.
12 Come back to the place of safety,
all you prisoners who still have hope!
I promise this very day
that I will repay two blessings for each of your troubles.
13 Judah is my bow,
and Israel is my arrow.
Jerusalem[i] is my sword,
and like a warrior, I will brandish it against the Greeks.[j]
14 The Lord will appear above his people;
his arrows will fly like lightning!
The Sovereign Lord will sound the ram’s horn
and attack like a whirlwind from the southern desert.
15 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will protect his people,
and they will defeat their enemies by hurling great stones.
They will shout in battle as though drunk with wine.
They will be filled with blood like a bowl,
drenched with blood like the corners of the altar.
16 On that day the Lord their God will rescue his people,
just as a shepherd rescues his sheep.
They will sparkle in his land
like jewels in a crown.
17 How wonderful and beautiful they will be!
The young men will thrive on abundant grain,
and the young women will flourish on new wine.
Footnotes
- 9:1a Hebrew An Oracle: The message.
- 9:1b Hebrew land of Hadrach.
- 9:7 Hebrew like a leader in Judah.
- 9:9a Hebrew O daughter of Zion!
- 9:9b Hebrew and is being vindicated.
- 9:10a Hebrew Ephraim, referring to the northern kingdom of Israel; also in 9:13.
- 9:10b Hebrew the river.
- 9:10c Or the end of the land.
- 9:13a Hebrew Zion.
- 9:13b Hebrew the sons of Javan.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
