New International Version

New Living Translation

Judgment on Israel’s Enemies

A prophecy:
The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrak
and will come to rest on Damascus —
for the eyes of all people and all the tribes of Israel
are on the Lord — a

1

Judgment against Israel’s Enemies

This is the messagea from the LORD against the land of Aramb and the city of Damascus, for the eyes of humanity, including all the tribes of Israel, are on the LORD.

2

and on Hamath too, which borders on it,
and on Tyre and Sidon, though they are very skillful.

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 herself a stronghold;
she has heaped up silver like dust,
and gold like the dirt of the streets.

3

Tyre has built a strong fortress
and has made silver and gold
as plentiful as dust in the streets!

4

But the Lord will take away her possessions
and destroy her power on the sea,
and she will be consumed by fire.

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

Ashkelon will see it and fear;
Gaza will writhe in agony,
and Ekron too, for her hope will wither.
Gaza will lose her king
and Ashkelon will be deserted.

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

A mongrel people will occupy Ashdod,
and I will put an end to the pride of the Philistines.

6

Foreigners will occupy the city of Ashdod.
I will destroy the pride of the Philistines.

7

I will take the blood from their mouths,
the forbidden food from between their teeth.
Those who are left will belong to our God
and become a clan in Judah,
and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.

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

But I will encamp at my temple
to guard it against marauding forces.
Never again will an oppressor overrun my people,
for now I am keeping watch.

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

The Coming of Zion’s King

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

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 take away the chariots from Ephraim
and the warhorses from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow will be broken.
He will proclaim peace to the nations.
His rule will extend from sea to sea
and from the Riverb to the ends of the earth.

10

I will remove the battle chariots from Israelf
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 Riverg to the ends of the earth.h

11

As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit.

11

Because of the covenant I made with you,
sealed with blood,
I will free your prisoners
from death in a waterless dungeon.

12

Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope;
even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.

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

I will bend Judah as I bend my bow
and fill it with Ephraim.
I will rouse your sons, Zion,
against your sons, Greece,
and make you like a warrior’s sword.

13

Judah is my bow,
and Israel is my arrow.
Jerusalemi is my sword,
and like a warrior, I will brandish it against the Greeks.j

14

The Lord Will Appear

Then the Lord will appear over them;
his arrow will flash like lightning.
The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet;
he will march in the storms of the south,

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

and the Lord Almighty will shield them.
They will destroy
and overcome with slingstones.
They will drink and roar as with wine;
they will be full like a bowl
used for sprinklingc the corners of the altar.

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

The Lord their God will save his people on that day
as a shepherd saves his flock.
They will sparkle in his land
like jewels in a crown.

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 attractive and beautiful they will be!
Grain will make the young men thrive,
and new wine the young women.

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.

Parallel

New International Version

New Living Translation

Zechariah 9

Zechariah 9