Zechariah 14
Contemporary English Version
War and Victory
14 The Lord will have his day. And when it comes, everything that was ever taken from Jerusalem will be returned and divided among its people. 2 But first, he will bring many nations to attack Jerusalem—homes will be robbed, women raped, and half of the population dragged off, though the others will be allowed to remain.
3 The Lord will attack those nations like a warrior fighting in battle. 4 He will take his stand on the Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem, and the mountain will split in half, forming a wide valley that runs from east to west. 5 Then you people will escape from the Lord's mountain, through this valley, which reaches to Azal.[a] You will run in all directions, just as everyone did when the earthquake struck[b] in the time of King Uzziah of Judah. Afterwards, the Lord my God will appear with his holy angels.
6 It will be a bright day that won't turn cloudy or cold.[c] 7 And the Lord has decided when it will happen—this time of unending day.
8 (A) In both summer and winter, life-giving streams will flow from Jerusalem, half of them to the Dead Sea in the east and half to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 9 Then there will be only one Lord who rules as King and whose name is worshiped everywhere on earth.
10-11 (B) From Geba down to Rimmon[d] south of Jerusalem, the entire country will be turned into flatlands, with Jerusalem still towering above. Then the city will be full of people, from Benjamin Gate, Old Gate Place, and Hananel Tower in the northeast part of the city over to Corner Gate in the northwest and down to King's Wine Press in the south. Jerusalem will always be secure and will never again be destroyed.
12 Here is what the Lord will do to those who attack Jerusalem: While they are standing there, he will make their flesh rot and their eyes fall from their sockets and their tongues drop out. 13 The Lord will make them go into a frenzy and start attacking each other, 14-15 until even the people of Judah turn against those in Jerusalem.[e] This same terrible disaster will also strike every animal nearby, including horses, mules, camels, and donkeys. Finally, everything of value in the surrounding nations will be collected and brought to Jerusalem—gold, silver, and piles of clothing.
16 (C) Afterwards, the survivors from those nations that attacked Jerusalem will go there each year to worship the King, the Lord All-Powerful, and to celebrate the Festival of Shelters. 17 No rain will fall on the land of anyone in any country who refuses to go to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord All-Powerful. 18-19 This horrible disaster will strike the Egyptians and everyone else who refuses to go there for the celebration.
20-21 At that time the words “Dedicated to the Lord” will be engraved on the bells worn by horses. In fact, every ordinary cooking pot in Jerusalem will be just as sacred to the Lord All-Powerful as the bowls used at the altar. Any one of them will be acceptable for boiling the meat of sacrificed animals, and there will no longer be a need to sell special pots and bowls.[f]
Footnotes
- 14.5 to Azal: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. The location of Azal is unknown.
- 14.5 earthquake struck: See Amos 1.1.
- 14.6 a bright … cold: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 14.10 From Geba down to Rimmon: Approximately the northern and southern borders of Judah before the exile (see 2 Kings 23.8); Geba is about 16 kilometers north of Jerusalem, and Rimmon is about 16 kilometers north of Beersheba.
- 14.13-15 each other … Jerusalem:
Or “each other. 14-15 But the people of Judah will fight on the side of Jerusalem.” - 14.20,21 special pots and bowls: Since all pots and bowls will be considered acceptable for use in the temple, there will be no more need for merchants to sell special ones to those people who come to offer sacrifices.
Zechariah 14
Young's Literal Translation
14 Lo, a day hath come to Jehovah, And divided hath been thy spoil in thy midst.
2 And I have gathered all the nations unto Jerusalem to battle, And captured hath been the city, And spoiled have been the houses, And the women are lain with, Gone forth hath half the city in a removal, And the remnant of the people are not cut off from the city.
3 And gone forth hath Jehovah, And He hath fought against those nations, As in the day of His fighting in a day of conflict.
4 And stood have His feet, in that day, On the mount of Olives, That [is] before Jerusalem eastward, And cleft hath been the mount of Olives at its midst, To the east, and to the west, a very great valley, And removed hath the half of the mount towards the north. And its half towards the south.
5 And ye have fled [to] the valley of My mountains, For join doth the valley of the mountains to Azal, And ye have fled as ye fled before the shaking, In the days of Uzziah king of Judah, And come in hath Jehovah my God, All holy ones [are] with Thee.
6 And it hath come to pass, in that day, The precious light is not, it is dense darkness,
7 And there hath been one day, It is known to Jehovah, not day nor night, And it hath been at evening-time -- there is light.
8 And it hath come to pass, in that day, Go forth do living waters from Jerusalem, Half of them unto the eastern sea, And half of them unto the western sea, In summer and in winter it is.
9 And Jehovah hath become king over all the land, In that day there is one Jehovah, and His name one.
10 Changed is all the land as a plain, From Gebo to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, And she hath been high, and hath dwelt in her place, Even from the gate of Benjamin To the place of the first gate, unto the front gate, And from the tower of Hananeel, Unto the wine-vats of the king.
11 And they have dwelt in her, And destruction is no more, And Jerusalem hath dwelt confidently.
12 And this is the plague with which Jehovah Doth plague all the peoples who have warred against Jerusalem, He hath consumed away its flesh, And it is standing on its feet, And its eyes are consumed in their holes, And its tongue is consumed in their mouth.
13 And it hath come to pass, in that day, A great destruction [from] Jehovah is among them, And they have seized each the hand of his neighbour, And gone up hath his hand against the hand of his neighbour.
14 And also Judah is fought with in Jerusalem, And gathered hath been the force of all the nations round about, Gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.
15 And so is the plague of the horse, of the mule, Of the camel, and of the ass, And of all the cattle that are in these camps, As this plague.
16 And it hath come to pass, Every one who hath been left of all the nations, Who are coming in against Jerusalem, They have also gone up from year to year, To bow themselves to the King, Jehovah of Hosts, And to celebrate the feast of the booths.
17 And it hath come to pass, That he who doth not go up of the families of the land unto Jerusalem, To bow himself to the King, Jehovah of Hosts, Even on them there is no shower.
18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, nor come in, Then not on them is the plague With which Jehovah doth plague the nations That go not up to celebrate the feast of booths.
19 This is the punishment of the sin of Egypt, And the punishment of the sin of all the nations, That go not up to celebrate the feast of booths.
20 In that day there is on bells of the horse, `Holy to Jehovah,' And the pots in the house of Jehovah Have been as bowls before the altar.
21 And every pot in Jerusalem, and in Judah, Have been holy to Jehovah of Hosts, And all those sacrificing have come in, And have taken of them, and boiled in them, And there is no merchant any more in the house of Jehovah of Hosts in that day!
Zechariah 14
New International Version
The Lord Comes and Reigns
14 A day of the Lord(A) is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions(B) will be plundered and divided up within your very walls.
2 I will gather all the nations(C) to Jerusalem to fight against it;(D) the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped.(E) Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city.(F) 3 Then the Lord will go out and fight(G) against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle.(H) 4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,(I) east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split(J) in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. 5 You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake[a](K) in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come,(L) and all the holy ones with him.(M)
6 On that day there will be neither sunlight(N) nor cold, frosty darkness. 7 It will be a unique(O) day—a day known only to the Lord—with no distinction between day and night.(P) When evening comes, there will be light.(Q)
8 On that day living water(R) will flow(S) out from Jerusalem, half of it east(T) to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter.(U)
9 The Lord will be king(V) over the whole earth.(W) On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.(X)
10 The whole land, from Geba(Y) to Rimmon,(Z) south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up(AA) high from the Benjamin Gate(AB) to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate,(AC) and from the Tower of Hananel(AD) to the royal winepresses, and will remain in its place.(AE) 11 It will be inhabited;(AF) never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure.(AG)
12 This is the plague with which the Lord will strike(AH) all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.(AI) 13 On that day people will be stricken by the Lord with great panic.(AJ) They will seize each other by the hand and attack one another.(AK) 14 Judah(AL) too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected(AM)—great quantities of gold and silver and clothing. 15 A similar plague(AN) will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps.
16 Then the survivors(AO) from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship(AP) the King,(AQ) the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.(AR) 17 If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship(AS) the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain.(AT) 18 If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord[b] will bring on them the plague(AU) he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.(AV) 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.(AW)
20 On that day holy to the Lord(AX) will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots(AY) in the Lord’s house will be like the sacred bowls(AZ) in front of the altar. 21 Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy(BA) to the Lord Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day(BB) there will no longer be a Canaanite[c](BC) in the house(BD) of the Lord Almighty.(BE)
Footnotes
- Zechariah 14:5 Or 5 My mountain valley will be blocked and will extend to Azel. It will be blocked as it was blocked because of the earthquake
- Zechariah 14:18 Or part, then the Lord
- Zechariah 14:21 Or merchant
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