Zechariah - Chapter 9

Translation and Transliteration of

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1A pronouncement: The word of Hashem. He will reside in the land of Hadrach and Damascus; For all men's eyes will turn to Hashem— Like all the tribes of Yisrael—

אמַשָּׂא דְבַר־יְהֹוָה בְּאֶרֶץ חַדְרָךְ וְדַמֶּשֶׂק מְנֻחָתוֹ כִּי לַיהֹוָה עֵין אָדָם וְכֹל שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

2Including Hamath, which borders on it, And Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.

בוְגַם־חֲמָת תִּגְבָּל־בָּהּ צֹר וְצִידוֹן כִּי חָכְמָה מְאֹד׃

3Tyre has built herself a fortress; She has amassed silver like dust, And gold like the mud in the streets.

גוַתִּבֶן צֹר מָצוֹר לָהּ וַתִּצְבָּר־כֶּסֶף כֶּעָפָר וְחָרוּץ כְּטִיט חוּצוֹת׃

4But my Lord will impoverish her; He will defeat her forces at sea, And she herself shall be consumed by fire.

דהִנֵּה אֲדֹנָי יוֹרִשֶׁנָּה וְהִכָּה בַיָּם חֵילָהּ וְהִיא בָּאֵשׁ תֵּאָכֵל׃

5Ashkelon shall see it and be frightened, Azza shall tremble violently, And Ekron, at the collapse of her hopes. Kingship shall vanish from Azza, Ashkelon shall be without inhabitants,

התֵּרֶא אַשְׁקְלוֹן וְתִירָא וְעַזָּה וְתָחִיל מְאֹד וְעֶקְרוֹן כִּי־הֹבִישׁ מֶבָּטָהּ וְאָבַד מֶלֶךְ מֵעַזָּה וְאַשְׁקְלוֹן לֹא תֵשֵׁב׃

6And a mongrel people shall settle in Ashdod. I will uproot the grandeur of Philistia.

ווְיָשַׁב מַמְזֵר בְּאַשְׁדּוֹד וְהִכְרַתִּי גְּאוֹן פְּלִשְׁתִּים׃

7But I will clean out the blood from its mouth, And the detestable things from between its teeth. Its survivors, too, shall belong to our God: They shall become like a clan in Yehuda, And Ekron shall be like the Jebusites.

זוַהֲסִרֹתִי דָמָיו מִפִּיו וְשִׁקֻּצָיו מִבֵּין שִׁנָּיו וְנִשְׁאַר גַּם־הוּא לֵאלֹהֵינוּ וְהָיָה כְּאַלֻּף בִּיהוּדָה וְעֶקְרוֹן כִּיבוּסִי׃

8And I will encamp in My House against armies, Against any that come and go, And no oppressor shall ever overrun them again; For I have now taken note with My own eyes.

חוְחָנִיתִי לְבֵיתִי מִצָּבָה מֵעֹבֵר וּמִשָּׁב וְלֹא־יַעֲבֹר עֲלֵיהֶם עוֹד נֹגֵשׂ כִּי עַתָּה רָאִיתִי בְעֵינָי׃

9Rejoice greatly, Fair Tzion; Raise a shout, Fair Yerushalayim! Lo, your king is coming to you. He is victorious, triumphant, Yet humble, riding on an ass, On a donkey foaled by a she-ass.

gee-LEE m'-OD bat tzi-YON ha-REE-ee BAT y'-ru-sha-LA-im hi-NAY mal-KAYCH ya-VO LAKH tza-DIK v'-no-SHA HU a-NEE v'-ro-KHAYV al kha-MOR v'-al A-yir ben a-to-NOT

טגִּילִי מְאֹד בַּת־צִיּוֹן הָרִיעִי בַּת יְרוּשָׁלַ ִם הִנֵּה מַלְכֵּךְ יָבוֹא לָךְ צַדִּיק וְנוֹשָׁע הוּא עָנִי וְרֹכֵב עַל־חֲמוֹר וְעַל־עַיִר בֶּן־אֲתֹנוֹת׃

9:9 Yet humble, riding on an ass

Zecharya describes the arrival in Yerushalayim of Israel’s king Mashiach, to the cheers of the people after having defeated Israel’s enemies. Though returning in miraculous victory, the Messiah will not enter the gates of Jerusalem on a glorious military steed. Instead, the Mashiach will ride on a humble donkey. Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, explains that a ‘donkey’ in Hebrew is chamor (חמור) which is similar to chomer (חומר) which means ‘materialism.’ This verse teaches that the Mashiach, who represents spirituality, will ride upon the donkey of materialism, for he will usher in a world where these two contrasting values will be fused together in the service of Hashem.

Damascus Gate, one of the gates of the Old City of Jerusalem.

A donkey in Nachal Gerar

10He shall banish chariots from Efraim And horses from Yerushalayim; The warrior's bow shall be banished. He shall call on the nations to surrender, And his rule shall extend from sea to sea And from ocean to land's end.

יוְהִכְרַתִּי־רֶכֶב מֵאֶפְרַיִם וְסוּס מִירוּשָׁלַ ִם וְנִכְרְתָה קֶשֶׁת מִלְחָמָה וְדִבֶּר שָׁלוֹם לַגּוֹיִם וּמָשְׁלוֹ מִיָּם עַד־יָם וּמִנָּהָר עַד־אַפְסֵי־אָרֶץ׃

11You, for your part, have released Your prisoners from the dry pit, For the sake of the blood of your covenant,

יאגַּם־אַתְּ בְּדַם־בְּרִיתֵךְ שִׁלַּחְתִּי אֲסִירַיִךְ מִבּוֹר אֵין מַיִם בּוֹ׃

12[Saying], “Return to Bizzaron, You prisoners of hope.” In return [I] announce this day: I will repay you double.

יבשׁוּבוּ לְבִצָּרוֹן אֲסִירֵי הַתִּקְוָה גַּם־הַיּוֹם מַגִּיד מִשְׁנֶה אָשִׁיב לָךְ׃

13For I have drawn Yehuda taut, And applied [My hand] to Efraim as to a bow, And I will arouse your sons, O Tzion, Against your sons, O Javan, And make you like a warrior's sword.

יגכִּי־דָרַכְתִּי לִי יְהוּדָה קֶשֶׁת מִלֵּאתִי אֶפְרַיִם וְעוֹרַרְתִּי בָנַיִךְ צִיּוֹן עַל־בָּנַיִךְ יָוָן וְשַׂמְתִּיךְ כְּחֶרֶב גִּבּוֹר׃

14And Hashem will manifest Himself to them, And His arrows shall flash like lightning; My Hashem shall sound the shofar And advance in a stormy tempest.

ידוַיהֹוָה עֲלֵיהֶם יֵרָאֶה וְיָצָא כַבָּרָק חִצּוֹ וַאדֹנָי יְהֹוִה בַּשּׁוֹפָר יִתְקָע וְהָלַךְ בְּסַעֲרוֹת תֵּימָן׃

15The lord of Hosts will protect them: [His] slingstones shall devour and conquer; They shall drink, shall rage as with wine, And be filled [with it] like a dashing bowl, Like the corners of an mizbayach.

טויְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת יָגֵן עֲלֵיהֶם וְאָכְלוּ וְכָבְשׁוּ אַבְנֵי־קֶלַע וְשָׁתוּ הָמוּ כְּמוֹ־יָיִן וּמָלְאוּ כַּמִּזְרָק כְּזָוִיּוֹת מִזְבֵּחַ׃

16Hashem their God shall prosper them On that day; [He shall pasture] His people like sheep. [They shall be] like crown jewels glittering on His soil.

טזוְהוֹשִׁיעָם יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כְּצֹאן עַמּוֹ כִּי אַבְנֵי־נֵזֶר מִתְנוֹסְסוֹת עַל־אַדְמָתוֹ׃

17How lovely, how beautiful they shall be, Producing young men like new grain, Young women like new wine!

יזכִּי מַה־טּוּבוֹ וּמַה־יָפְיוֹ דָּגָן בַּחוּרִים וְתִירוֹשׁ יְנוֹבֵב בְּתֻלוֹת׃