Bible in Basic English
A word of the Lord: The Lord has come to the land of Hadrach, and Damascus is his resting-place: for the towns of Aram are the Lord's,
As well as Hamath, which is by its limit, and Tyre and Zidon, because they are very wise.
And Tyre made for herself a strong place, and got together silver like dust and the best gold like the earth of the streets.
See, the Lord will take away her heritage, overturning her power in the sea; and she will be burned up with fire.
Ashkelon will see it with fear, and Gaza, bent with pain; and Ekron, for her hope will be shamed: and the king will be cut off from Gaza, and Ashkelon will be unpeopled.
And a mixed people will be living in Ashdod, and I will have the pride of the Philistines cut off.
And I will take away his blood from his mouth, and his disgusting things from between his teeth; and some of his people will be kept for our God: and he will be as a family in Judah, and Ekron as one living in Jerusalem.
And I will put my forces in position round my house, so that there may be no coming and going: and no cruel master will again go through them: for now I have seen his trouble.
Be full of joy, O daughter of Zion; give a glad cry, O daughter of Jerusalem: see, your king comes to you: he is upright and has overcome; gentle and seated on an ass, on a young ass.
And he will have the war-carriage cut off from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the bow of war will be cut off: and he will say words of peace to the nations: and his rule will be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
And as for you, because of the blood of your agreement, I have sent out your prisoners from the deep hole in which there is no water.
And they will come back to you, O daughter of Zion, as prisoners of hope: today I say to you that I will give you back twice as much;
For I have made Judah a bow bent for my use, I have made Ephraim the arrows of the bow; I will make your sons, O Zion, take up arms against your sons, O Greece, and will make you like the sword of a man of war.
And the Lord will be seen over them, and his arrow will go out like the thunder-flame: and the Lord God, sounding the war-horn, will go in the storm-winds of the South.
The Lord of armies will be a cover for them; and they will overcome, crushing under foot the armed men; they will take their blood for drink like wine: they will be full like the sides of the altar.
And the Lord their God will be their saviour in that day, giving them food like the flock of his people: for they will be like the jewels of a crown shining over his land.
For how good it is and how beautiful! grain will make the young men strong and new wine the virgins.
— Zechariah 9:1-1964, Bible in Basic English
“The Coming of the True King This is an oracle, the LORD’s message concerning the land of Hadrach, with its focus on Damascus: The eyes of all humanity, especially of the tribes of Israel, are toward the LORD, as are those of Hamath also, which adjoins Damascus, and Tyre and Sidon, though they consider themselves to be very wise. Tyre built herself a fortification and piled up silver like dust and gold like the mud of the streets! Nevertheless the Lord will evict her and shove her fortifications into the sea– she will be consumed by fire. Ashkelon will see and be afraid; Gaza will be in great anguish, as will Ekron, for her hope will have been dried up. Gaza will lose her king, and Ashkelon will no longer be inhabited. A mongrel people will live in Ashdod, for I will greatly humiliate the Philistines. I will take away their abominable religious practices; then those who survive will become a community of believers in our God, like a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites. Then I will surround my temple to protect it like a guard from anyone crossing back and forth; so no one will cross over against them anymore as an oppressor, for now I myself have seen it. Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Look! Your king is coming to you: he is legitimate and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey– on a young donkey, the foal of a female donkey. I will remove the chariot from Ephraim and the warhorse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be removed. Then he will announce peace to the nations. His dominion will be from sea to sea and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth. Moreover, as for you, because of our covenant relationship secured with blood, I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit. Return to the stronghold, you prisoners, with hope; today I declare that I will return double what was taken from you. I will bend Judah as my bow; I will load the bow with Ephraim, my arrow! I will stir up your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece, and I will make you, Zion, like a warrior’s sword. Then the LORD will appear above them, and his arrow will shoot forth like lightning; the Sovereign LORD will blow the trumpet and will proceed in the southern storm winds. The LORD of Heaven’s Armies will guard them, and they will prevail and overcome with sling stones. Then they will drink, and will become noisy like drunkards, full like the sacrificial basin or like the corners of the altar. On that day the LORD their God will deliver them as the flock of his people, for they are the precious stones of a crown sparkling over his land. How precious and fair! Grain will make the young men flourish and new wine the young women.”
A word of the Lord: The Lord has come to the land of Hadrach, and Damascus is his resting-place: for the towns of Aram are the Lord's,
As well as Hamath, which is by its limit, and Tyre and Zidon, because they are very wise.
And Tyre made for herself a strong place, and got together silver like dust and the best gold like the earth of the streets.
See, the Lord will take away her heritage, overturning her power in the sea; and she will be burned up with fire.
Ashkelon will see it with fear, and Gaza, bent with pain; and Ekron, for her hope will be shamed: and the king will be cut off from Gaza, and Ashkelon will be unpeopled.
And a mixed people will be living in Ashdod, and I will have the pride of the Philistines cut off.
And I will take away his blood from his mouth, and his disgusting things from between his teeth; and some of his people will be kept for our God: and he will be as a family in Judah, and Ekron as one living in Jerusalem.
And I will put my forces in position round my house, so that there may be no coming and going: and no cruel master will again go through them: for now I have seen his trouble.
Be full of joy, O daughter of Zion; give a glad cry, O daughter of Jerusalem: see, your king comes to you: he is upright and has overcome; gentle and seated on an ass, on a young ass.
And he will have the war-carriage cut off from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the bow of war will be cut off: and he will say words of peace to the nations: and his rule will be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
And as for you, because of the blood of your agreement, I have sent out your prisoners from the deep hole in which there is no water.
And they will come back to you, O daughter of Zion, as prisoners of hope: today I say to you that I will give you back twice as much;
For I have made Judah a bow bent for my use, I have made Ephraim the arrows of the bow; I will make your sons, O Zion, take up arms against your sons, O Greece, and will make you like the sword of a man of war.
And the Lord will be seen over them, and his arrow will go out like the thunder-flame: and the Lord God, sounding the war-horn, will go in the storm-winds of the South.
The Lord of armies will be a cover for them; and they will overcome, crushing under foot the armed men; they will take their blood for drink like wine: they will be full like the sides of the altar.
And the Lord their God will be their saviour in that day, giving them food like the flock of his people: for they will be like the jewels of a crown shining over his land.
For how good it is and how beautiful! grain will make the young men strong and new wine the virgins.