Zechariah, chapter 9
Visions of Israel's Future
The second part of Zechariah (chapters 9–14) presents two messages about the future of the people of Israel (see 9.1; 12.1). These messages tell of the Lord defeating Israel's enemies and punishing worthless shepherds (leaders). Jerusalem will be attacked, but the Lord will save the city and create a new future for Jerusalem and its people.
Israel's enemies will be punished. The Lord will send a new king to bring peace to the nations. The Lord will protect Israel and Judah but bring disaster to the leaders who caused the people to sin.
Israel's Enemies Will Be Punished
his is a message from the Lord:
His eyes are on everyone,
especially the tribes of Israel.
So he pronounces judgment
against the cities of Hadrach and Damascus.
2Judgment will also fall on the nearby city of Hamath,
as well as on Tyre and Sidon,
whose people are clever.
3Tyre has built a fortress and piled up silver and gold,
as though they were dust or mud from the streets.
4Now the Lord will punish Tyre with poverty;
he will sink its ships and send it up in flames.
5Both Ashkelon and Gaza will tremble with fear;
Ekron will lose all hope.
Gaza's king will be killed,
and Ashkelon emptied of its people.
6A mob of half-breeds will settle in Ashdod,
and the Lord himself will rob Philistia of pride.
7No longer will the Philistines
eat meat with blood in it
or any unclean food.
They will become part of the people of our God
from the tribe of Judah.
And God will accept the people of Ekron,
as he did the Jebusites.
8God says, “I will stand guard to protect my temple
from those who come to attack.
I know what's happening,
and no one will mistreat my people ever again.”
The Lord Tells about the Coming King
9Everyone in Jerusalem, celebrate and shout!
Your king has won a victory,
and he is coming to you.
He is humble and rides on a donkey;
he comes on the colt of a donkey.
Everyone in Jerusalem, celebrate and shout! Your king has won a victory, and he is coming to you. He is humble and rides on a donkey; he comes on the colt of a donkey.
— Zech 9.9
10I, the Lord, will take away war chariots and horses
from Israel and Jerusalem.
Bows that were made for battle will be broken.
I will bring peace to nations,
and your king will rule from sea to sea.
His kingdom will reach from the Euphrates River
across the earth.
The Lord Promises To Rescue Captives
11When I made a sacred agreement with you,
my people,
we sealed it with blood.
Now some of you are captives in waterless pits,
but I will come to your rescue
12and offer you hope.
Return to your fortress,
because today I will reward you
with twice what you had.
13I will use Judah as my bow and Israel as my arrow.
I will take the people of Zion as my sword
and attack the Greeks.
The Lord Will Protect His People
14Like a cloud, the Lord God will appear
over his people,
and his arrows will flash like lightning.
God will sound his trumpet
and attack in a whirlwind from the south.
15The Lord All-Powerful will protect his people,
and they will trample down the sharpshooters and their slingshots.
They will drink and get rowdy;
they will be as full as a bowl
at the time of sacrifice.
16The Lord God will save them on that day,
because they are his people,
and they will shine on his land like jewels in a crown.
17How lovely they will be.
Young people will grow there like grain in a field
or grapes in a vineyard.