Jerusalem to Be Attacked

12 The [a]burden of the word of the Lord concerning Israel.

Thus declares the Lord who (A)stretches out the heavens, (B)lays the foundation of the earth, and (C)forms the spirit of man within him, “Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a (D)cup [b]that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against (E)Judah. It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy (F)stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be (G)severely [c]injured. And all the (H)nations of the earth will be gathered against it. In that day,” declares the Lord, “I will strike every horse with bewilderment and his rider with madness. But I will [d]watch over the house of Judah, while I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘[e]A strong support for us are the inhabitants of Jerusalem through the Lord of hosts, their God.’

“In that day I will make the clans of Judah like a (I)firepot among pieces of wood and a flaming torch among sheaves, so they will consume on the right hand and on the left all the surrounding peoples, while the (J)inhabitants of Jerusalem again dwell on their own sites in Jerusalem. The Lord also will (K)save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of (L)David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not be magnified above Judah. In that day the Lord will (M)defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who [f](N)is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like (O)God, like the (P)angel of the Lord before them. And in that day I will [g](Q)set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

10 “I will (R)pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, [h]the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have (S)pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one (T)mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. 11 In that day there will be great (U)mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the [i]plain of [j]Megiddo. 12 The land will mourn, every family by itself; the family of the house of David by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself and their wives by themselves; 13 the family of the house of Levi by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself and their wives by themselves; 14 all the families that remain, every family by itself and their wives by themselves.

False Prophets Ashamed

13 “In that day a (V)fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for (W)sin and for (X)impurity.

“It will come about in that day,” declares the Lord of hosts, “that I will (Y)cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered; and I will also remove the (Z)prophets and the (AA)unclean spirit from the land. And if anyone still (AB)prophesies, then his father and mother who gave birth to him will say to him, ‘You shall (AC)not live, for you have spoken (AD)falsely in the name of the Lord’; and his (AE)father and mother who gave birth to him will pierce him through when he prophesies. Also it will come about in that day that the prophets will each be (AF)ashamed of his vision when he prophesies, and they will not put on a (AG)hairy robe in order to deceive; but he will say, ‘I am (AH)not a prophet; I am a tiller of the ground, for a man [k]sold me as a slave in my youth.’ And one will say to him, ‘What are these wounds (AI)between your [l]arms?’ Then he will say, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of [m]my friends.’

“Awake, O (AJ)sword, against My (AK)Shepherd,
And against the man, My (AL)Associate,”
Declares the Lord of hosts.
(AM)Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered;
And I will (AN)turn My hand [n]against the little ones.
“It will come about in all the land,”
Declares the Lord,
“That (AO)two parts in it will be cut off and perish;
But the third will be left in it.
“And I will bring the third part through the (AP)fire,
Refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will (AQ)call on My name,
And I will (AR)answer them;
I will say, ‘They are (AS)My people,’
And they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 12:1 Or oracle
  2. Zechariah 12:2 Lit of reeling
  3. Zechariah 12:3 Lit scratched
  4. Zechariah 12:4 Lit open My eyes
  5. Zechariah 12:5 Lit My strength is
  6. Zechariah 12:8 Or stumbles
  7. Zechariah 12:9 Lit seek to
  8. Zechariah 12:10 Or a spirit
  9. Zechariah 12:11 I.e. broad valley
  10. Zechariah 12:11 Heb Megiddon
  11. Zechariah 13:5 Lit caused another to buy me
  12. Zechariah 13:6 Lit hands
  13. Zechariah 13:6 Lit those who love me
  14. Zechariah 13:7 Or upon