Zechariah 9 - Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

Judgment Against Other Nations

9 This is the Lord’s message against the land of Hadrach and against the city of Damascus. The tribes of Israel are not the only people who know about the Lord. Everyone looks to him for help.[a] 2 This message is also against the city of Hamath near Damascus. And this message is against Tyre and Sidon, even though those people have been so wise and skillful. 3 Tyre is built like a fort. The people there have collected so much silver that it is like dust, and gold is as common as clay. 4 But the Lord will take it all. He will destroy her powerful navy and that city will be destroyed by fire!

5 The people in Ashkelon will see this and they will be afraid. The people of Gaza will shake with fear, and the people of Ekron will lose all hope when they see this happen. There will be no king left in Gaza. No one will live in Ashkelon anymore. 6 The people in Ashdod will not even know who their real fathers are. The Lord says, “I will completely destroy the proud Philistines. 7 They will no longer eat meat with the blood still in it or any other forbidden food. Any Philistine left alive will become a part of my people; they will be just one more tribe in Judah. The people of Ekron will become a part of my people, as the Jebusites did. 8 I will protect my country. I will not let enemy armies pass through it. I will not let them hurt my people anymore. With my own eyes I have seen how much my people have suffered.”

The Future King

9 People of Zion,[b] rejoice!
People of Jerusalem, shout with joy!
Look, your king is coming to you!
He is the good king who won the victory, but he is humble.
He is riding on a donkey, on a young donkey born from a work animal.
10 I will take the war chariots away from Ephraim
and the horse soldiers from Jerusalem.
I will destroy the bows used in war.

Your king will bring news of peace to the nations.
He will rule from sea to sea,
from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.

The Lord Will Save His People

11 Jerusalem, we used blood to seal your agreement,
so I am setting your people free from that empty hole in the ground.[c]
12 Prisoners, go home!
Now you have something to hope for.
I am telling you now,
I am coming back to you.
13 Judah, I will use you like a bow.
Ephraim, I will use you like arrows.
Israel, I will use you like a sword
to fight against the men of Greece.
14 The Lord will appear to them,
and he will shoot his arrows like lightning.
The Lord God will blow the trumpet,
and the army will rush forward like a desert dust storm.
15 The Lord All-Powerful will protect them.
The soldiers will use rocks and slings to defeat the enemy.
They will spill the blood of their enemies.
It will flow like wine.
It will be like the blood that is thrown on the corners of the altar!
16 At that time the Lord their God
will save his people
like a shepherd saves his sheep.
They will be very precious to him.
They will be like sparkling jewels in his land.
17 Everything will be good and beautiful!
There will be a wonderful crop,
but it will not be just the food and wine.
It will be all the young men and women!

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 9:1 The Hebrew text here is hard to understand.
  2. Zechariah 9:9 People of Zion Literally, “Daughter Zion,” meaning the city of Jerusalem. See “Zion” in the Word List.
  3. Zechariah 9:11 empty hole in the ground People stored water in large holes in the ground. People sometimes used those holes as prisons.

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Zechariah 9 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

9 The burden of a word of Jehovah against the land of Hadrach, and Demmeseh -- his place of rest: (When to Jehovah [is] the eye of man, And of all the tribes of Israel.) 2 And also Hamath doth border thereon, Tyre and Zidon, for -- very wise! 3 And Tyre doth build a bulwark to herself, And doth heap...
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Zechariah 9 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

9 The burden of the word of the Lord, in the land of Hadrach, and of Damascus, (shall be for) the rest thereof; for of the Lord is the eye of man, and of all [the] lineages of Israel. (The charge, or the heavy burden, of the word of the Lord, for the land of Hadrach, and the city of Damascus, which ...
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Zechariah 9 - World English Bible (WEB)

9 A revelation.Yahweh’s word is against the land of Hadrach, and will rest upon Damascus;for the eye of man and of all the tribes of Israel is toward Yahweh;2 and Hamath, also, which borders on it; Tyre and Sidon, because they are very wise.3 Tyre built herself a stronghold, and heaped up silver lik...
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Zechariah 9 - The Voice (VOICE)

9 This is the message with which the Eternal burdened His prophet.He has set His message against the land of Hadrach, and the city of Damascus is its resting place.For the eyes of all humanity—especially His people from the tribes of Israel— are fixed on the Eternal.2 His message is also against Ham...
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Zechariah 9 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Judgment on Israel’s Enemies9 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 hers...
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Zechariah 9 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Judgment on Israel’s Enemies9 An OracleThe word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach and will rest upon Damascus.For to the Lord belong the cities of Aram,[a] even as all the tribes of Israel;2 Hamath also, which borders thereon, Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.3 Tyre has built herse...
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Zechariah 9 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Judgment on Israel’s Enemies9 An OracleThe word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach and will rest upon Damascus.For to the Lord belong the cities of Aram,[a] even as all the tribes of Israel;2 Hamath also, which borders thereon, Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.3 Tyre has built herse...
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Zechariah 9 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Judgement on Israel’s Enemies9 An Oracle.The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach and will rest upon Damascus.For to the Lord belongs the capital[a] of Aram,[b] as do all the tribes of Israel;2 Hamath also, which borders on it, Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.3 Tyre has built it...
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Zechariah 9 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Judgment on Israel’s Enemies9 An Oracle.The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach and will rest upon Damascus.For to the Lord belongs the capital[a] of Aram,[b] as do all the tribes of Israel;2 Hamath also, which borders on it, Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.(A)3 Tyre has built ...
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Zechariah 9 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Judgment against Israel’s Enemies9 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 a...
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Zechariah 9 - New Life Version (NLV)

Other Nations Are Judged9 The Word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach and will rest upon Damascus. For the eyes of men and all the family groups of Israel are on the Lord. 2 The Word of the Lord is against Hamath also, which is beside Hadrach, and against Tyre and Sidon, even though they ar...
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Zechariah 9 - New King James Version (NKJV)

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Zechariah 9 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Judgment on Israel’s enemies9 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]2 and on Hamath too, which borders on it, and on Tyre and Sidon, though they are very skilful.3 ...
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Zechariah 9 - New International Version (NIV)

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Zechariah 9 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

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Zechariah 9 - New English Translation (NET)

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