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12 A revelation: Yahweh’s word concerning Israel. Yahweh, who stretches out the heavens, and lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him says: “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of reeling to all the surrounding peoples, and it will also be on Judah in the siege against Jerusalem. It will happen in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all the peoples. All who burden themselves with it will be severely wounded, and all the nations of the earth will be gathered together against it. In that day,” says Yahweh, “I will strike every horse with terror, and his rider with madness; and I will open my eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. The chieftains of Judah will say in their heart, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in Yahweh of Armies their God.’ In that day I will make the chieftains of Judah like a pan of fire among wood, and like a flaming torch among sheaves; and they will devour all the surrounding peoples, on the right hand and on the left; and Jerusalem will yet again dwell in their own place, even in Jerusalem. Yahweh also will save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of David’s house and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem not be magnified above Judah. In that day Yahweh will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem. He who is feeble among them at that day will be like David, and David’s house will be like God, like Yahweh’s angel before them. It will happen in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 10 I will pour on David’s house, and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication; and they will look to me[a] whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son, and will grieve bitterly for him, as one grieves for his firstborn. 11 In that day there will be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. 12 The land will mourn, every family apart; the family of David’s house apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; 13 the family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of the Shimeites apart, and their wives apart; 14 all the families who remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.

Footnotes

  1. 12:10 After “me”, the Hebrew has the two letters “Aleph Tav” (the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet), not as a word, but as a grammatical marker.

Jerusalem to Be Attacked

12 The pronouncement of the word of the Lord concerning Israel:

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

“On that day I will make the [e]clans of Judah like a (I)firepot among pieces of wood and a flaming torch among sheaves, so they will consume on the right and on the left all the surrounding peoples, while [f]the (J)inhabitants of Jerusalem again live 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 greater than Judah. On that day the Lord will (M)protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who [g](N)is feeble among them on 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 on that day I will (Q)seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

10 “And I will (R)pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem [h]the Spirit of grace and of pleading, so that they will look at Me whom they (S)pierced; and they will mourn for Him, like one (T)mourning for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. 11 On that day the (U)mourning in Jerusalem will be great, 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 are left, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 12:2 Lit of reeling
  2. Zechariah 12:4 Lit open My eyes
  3. Zechariah 12:5 Or chiefs
  4. Zechariah 12:5 Lit strength for me
  5. Zechariah 12:6 Or chiefs
  6. Zechariah 12:6 Lit Jerusalem...is again inhabited on its
  7. Zechariah 12:8 Lit stumbles
  8. Zechariah 12:10 Or a spirit
  9. Zechariah 12:11 I.e., broad valley
  10. Zechariah 12:11 Heb Megiddon