Restoration of Judah and Israel

10 Ask (A)the Lord for (B)rain
In (C)the time of the [a]latter rain.
The Lord will make [b]flashing clouds;
He will give them showers of rain,
Grass in the field for everyone.

For the (D)idols[c] speak delusion;
The diviners envision (E)lies,
And tell false dreams;
They (F)comfort in vain.
Therefore the people wend their way like (G)sheep;
They are [d]in trouble (H)because there is no shepherd.

“My anger is kindled against the (I)shepherds,
(J)And I will punish the [e]goatherds.
For the Lord of hosts (K)will visit His flock,
The house of Judah,
And (L)will make them as His royal horse in the battle.
From him comes (M)the cornerstone,
From him (N)the tent peg,
From him the battle bow,
From him every [f]ruler together.
They shall be like mighty men,
Who (O)tread down their enemies
In the mire of the streets in the battle.
They shall fight because the Lord is with them,
And the riders on horses shall be put to shame.

“I will strengthen the house of Judah,
And I will save the house of Joseph.
(P)I will bring them back,
Because I (Q)have mercy on them.
They shall be as though I had not cast them aside;
For I am the Lord their God,
And I (R)will hear them.
Those of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man,
And their (S)heart shall rejoice as if with wine.
Yes, their children shall see it and be glad;
Their heart shall rejoice in the Lord.
I will (T)whistle for them and gather them,
For I will redeem them;
(U)And they shall increase as they once increased.

“I(V) will [g]sow them among the peoples,
And they shall (W)remember Me in far countries;
They shall live, together with their children,
And they shall return.
10 (X)I will also bring them back from the land of Egypt,
And gather them from Assyria.
I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon,
(Y)Until no more room is found for them.
11 (Z)He shall pass through the sea with affliction,
And strike the waves of the sea:
All the depths of [h]the River shall dry up.
Then (AA)the pride of Assyria shall be brought down,
And (AB)the scepter of Egypt shall depart.

12 “So I will strengthen them in the Lord,
And (AC)they shall walk up and down in His name,”
Says the Lord.

Desolation of Israel

11 Open (AD)your doors, O Lebanon,
That fire may devour your cedars.
Wail, O cypress, for the (AE)cedar has fallen,
Because the mighty trees are ruined.
Wail, O oaks of Bashan,
(AF)For the thick forest has come down.
There is the sound of wailing (AG)shepherds!
For their glory is in ruins.
There is the sound of roaring lions!
For the [i]pride of the Jordan is in ruins.

Prophecy of the Shepherds

Thus says the Lord my God, “Feed the flock for slaughter, whose owners slaughter them and (AH)feel no guilt; those who sell them (AI)say, ‘Blessed be the Lord, for I am rich’; and their shepherds do (AJ)not pity them. For I will no longer pity the inhabitants of the land,” says the Lord. “But indeed I will give everyone into his neighbor’s hand and into the hand of his king. They shall [j]attack the land, and I will not deliver them from their hand.”

So I fed the flock for slaughter, [k]in particular (AK)the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called [l]Beauty, and the other I called [m]Bonds; and I fed the flock. I [n]dismissed the three shepherds (AL)in one month. My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me. Then I said, “I will not feed you. (AM)Let what is dying die, and what is perishing perish. Let those that are left eat each other’s flesh.” 10 And I took my staff, [o]Beauty, and cut it in two, that I might break the covenant which I had made with all the peoples. 11 So it was broken on that day. Thus (AN)the[p] poor of the flock, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the Lord. 12 Then I said to them, “If it is [q]agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they (AO)weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.

13 And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the (AP)potter”—that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter. 14 Then I cut in two my other staff, [r]Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

15 And the Lord said to me, (AQ)“Next, take for yourself the implements of a foolish shepherd. 16 For indeed I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are cut off, nor seek the young, nor heal those that are broken, nor feed those that still stand. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in (AR)pieces.

17 “Woe(AS) to the worthless shepherd,
Who leaves the flock!
A sword shall be against his arm
And against his right eye;
His arm shall completely wither,
And his right eye shall be totally blinded.”

The Coming Deliverance of Judah

12 The [s]burden of the word of the Lord against Israel. Thus says the Lord, (AT)who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and (AU)forms the spirit of man within him: “Behold, I will make Jerusalem (AV)a cup of [t]drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. (AW)And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem (AX)a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. In that day,” says the Lord, (AY)“I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the Lord of hosts, their God.’ In that day I will make the governors of Judah (AZ)like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem.

“The Lord will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall not become greater than that of Judah. In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the Lord before them. It shall be in that day that I will seek to (BA)destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

Mourning for the Pierced One

10 (BB)“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will (BC)look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him (BD)as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. 11 In that day there shall be a great (BE)mourning in Jerusalem, (BF)like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of [u]Megiddo. 12 (BG)And the land shall 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 (BH)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 Shimei by itself, and their wives by themselves; 14 all the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves.

Notas al pie

  1. Zechariah 10:1 Spring rain
  2. Zechariah 10:1 Or lightning flashes
  3. Zechariah 10:2 Heb. teraphim
  4. Zechariah 10:2 afflicted
  5. Zechariah 10:3 Leaders
  6. Zechariah 10:4 Or despot
  7. Zechariah 10:9 Or scatter
  8. Zechariah 10:11 The Nile
  9. Zechariah 11:3 Or floodplain, thicket
  10. Zechariah 11:6 Lit. strike
  11. Zechariah 11:7 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX for the Canaanites
  12. Zechariah 11:7 Or Grace
  13. Zechariah 11:7 Or Unity
  14. Zechariah 11:8 Or destroyed, lit. cut off
  15. Zechariah 11:10 Or Grace
  16. Zechariah 11:11 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX the Canaanites
  17. Zechariah 11:12 good in your sight
  18. Zechariah 11:14 Or Unity
  19. Zechariah 12:1 oracle, prophecy
  20. Zechariah 12:2 Lit. reeling
  21. Zechariah 12:11 Heb. Megiddon

The Lord Will Care for Judah

10 Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime;
    it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms.
He gives showers of rain(A) to all people,
    and plants of the field(B) to everyone.
The idols(C) speak deceitfully,
    diviners(D) see visions that lie;
they tell dreams(E) that are false,
    they give comfort in vain.(F)
Therefore the people wander like sheep
    oppressed for lack of a shepherd.(G)

“My anger burns against the shepherds,
    and I will punish the leaders;(H)
for the Lord Almighty will care
    for his flock, the people of Judah,
    and make them like a proud horse in battle.(I)
From Judah will come the cornerstone,(J)
    from him the tent peg,(K)
from him the battle bow,(L)
    from him every ruler.
Together they[a] will be like warriors in battle
    trampling their enemy into the mud of the streets.(M)
They will fight because the Lord is with them,
    and they will put the enemy horsemen to shame.(N)

“I will strengthen(O) Judah
    and save the tribes of Joseph.
I will restore them
    because I have compassion(P) on them.(Q)
They will be as though
    I had not rejected them,
for I am the Lord their God
    and I will answer(R) them.
The Ephraimites will become like warriors,
    and their hearts will be glad as with wine.(S)
Their children will see it and be joyful;
    their hearts will rejoice(T) in the Lord.
I will signal(U) for them
    and gather them in.
Surely I will redeem them;
    they will be as numerous(V) as before.
Though I scatter them among the peoples,
    yet in distant lands they will remember me.(W)
They and their children will survive,
    and they will return.
10 I will bring them back from Egypt
    and gather them from Assyria.(X)
I will bring them to Gilead(Y) and Lebanon,
    and there will not be room(Z) enough for them.
11 They will pass through the sea of trouble;
    the surging sea will be subdued
    and all the depths of the Nile will dry up.(AA)
Assyria’s pride(AB) will be brought down
    and Egypt’s scepter(AC) will pass away.(AD)
12 I will strengthen(AE) them in the Lord
    and in his name they will live securely,(AF)
declares the Lord.

11 Open your doors, Lebanon,(AG)
    so that fire(AH) may devour your cedars!
Wail, you juniper, for the cedar has fallen;
    the stately trees are ruined!
Wail, oaks(AI) of Bashan;
    the dense forest(AJ) has been cut down!(AK)
Listen to the wail of the shepherds;
    their rich pastures are destroyed!
Listen to the roar of the lions;(AL)
    the lush thicket of the Jordan is ruined!(AM)

Two Shepherds

This is what the Lord my God says: “Shepherd the flock marked for slaughter.(AN) Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Praise the Lord, I am rich!’ Their own shepherds do not spare them.(AO) For I will no longer have pity on the people of the land,” declares the Lord. “I will give everyone into the hands of their neighbors(AP) and their king. They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue anyone from their hands.”(AQ)

So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter,(AR) particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock. In one month I got rid of the three shepherds.

The flock detested(AS) me, and I grew weary of them and said, “I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish.(AT) Let those who are left eat(AU) one another’s flesh.”

10 Then I took my staff called Favor(AV) and broke it, revoking(AW) the covenant I had made with all the nations. 11 It was revoked on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the Lord.

12 I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.(AX)

13 And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver(AY) and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord.(AZ)

14 Then I broke my second staff called Union, breaking the family bond between Judah and Israel.

15 Then the Lord said to me, “Take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd. 16 For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves.

17 “Woe to the worthless shepherd,(BA)
    who deserts the flock!
May the sword strike his arm(BB) and his right eye!
    May his arm be completely withered,
    his right eye totally blinded!”(BC)

Jerusalem’s Enemies to Be Destroyed

12 A prophecy:(BD) The word of the Lord concerning Israel.

The Lord, who stretches out the heavens,(BE) who lays the foundation of the earth,(BF) and who forms the human spirit within a person,(BG) declares: “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup(BH) that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling.(BI) Judah(BJ) will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations(BK) of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock(BL) for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure(BM) themselves. On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness,” declares the Lord. “I will keep a watchful eye over Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations.(BN) Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong,(BO) because the Lord Almighty is their God.’

“On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot(BP) in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume(BQ) all the surrounding peoples right and left, but Jerusalem will remain intact(BR) in her place.

“The Lord will save the dwellings of Judah first, so that the honor of the house of David and of Jerusalem’s inhabitants may not be greater than that of Judah.(BS) On that day the Lord will shield(BT) those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest(BU) among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God,(BV) like the angel of the Lord going before(BW) them. On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations(BX) that attack Jerusalem.(BY)

Mourning for the One They Pierced

10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit[b](BZ) of grace and supplication.(CA) They will look on[c] me, the one they have pierced,(CB) and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child,(CC) and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.(CD) 11 On that day the weeping(CE) in Jerusalem will be as great as the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.(CF) 12 The land will mourn,(CG) each clan by itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, 13 the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, 14 and all the rest of the clans and their wives.(CH)

Notas al pie

  1. Zechariah 10:5 Or ruler, all of them together. / They
  2. Zechariah 12:10 Or the Spirit
  3. Zechariah 12:10 Or to

Praise to God for His Salvation and Judgment

149 Praise[a] the Lord!

(A)Sing to the Lord a new song,
And His praise in the assembly of saints.

Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
Let the children of Zion be joyful in their (B)King.
(C)Let them praise His name with the dance;
Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.
For (D)the Lord takes pleasure in His people;
(E)He will beautify the [b]humble with salvation.

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Notas al pie

  1. Psalm 149:1 Heb. Hallelujah
  2. Psalm 149:4 meek

Psalm 149

Praise the Lord.[a](A)

Sing to the Lord a new song,(B)
    his praise in the assembly(C) of his faithful people.

Let Israel rejoice(D) in their Maker;(E)
    let the people of Zion be glad in their King.(F)
Let them praise his name with dancing(G)
    and make music to him with timbrel and harp.(H)
For the Lord takes delight(I) in his people;
    he crowns the humble with victory.(J)

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Notas al pie

  1. Psalm 149:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 9

32 If you have been foolish in exalting yourself,
Or if you have devised evil, (A)put your hand on your mouth.
33 For as the churning of milk produces butter,
And wringing the nose produces blood,
So the forcing of wrath produces strife.

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32 “If you play the fool and exalt yourself,
    or if you plan evil,
    clap your hand over your mouth!(A)
33 For as churning cream produces butter,
    and as twisting the nose produces blood,
    so stirring up anger produces strife.”

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Heaven Exults over Babylon

19 After these things (A)I [a]heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! (B)Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to [b]the Lord our God! For (C)true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He (D)has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” Again they said, “Alleluia! (E)Her smoke rises up forever and ever!” And (F)the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, (G)“Amen! Alleluia!” Then a voice came from the throne, saying, (H)“Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, (I)both[c] small and great!”

(J)And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For (K)the[d] Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for (L)the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And (M)to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, (N)for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

Then he said to me, “Write: (O)‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, (P)“These are the true sayings of God.” 10 And (Q)I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, (R)“See that you do not do that! I am your (S)fellow servant, and of your brethren (T)who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the (U)testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Christ on a White Horse

11 (V)Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, (W)a white horse. And He who sat on him was called (X)Faithful and True, and (Y)in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 (Z)His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. (AA)He [e]had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 (AB)He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called (AC)The Word of God. 14 (AD)And the armies in heaven, (AE)clothed in [f]fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now (AF)out of His mouth goes a [g]sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And (AG)He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. (AH)He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And (AI)He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

(AJ)KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.

The Beast and His Armies Defeated

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, (AK)“Come and gather together for the [h]supper of the great God, 18 (AL)that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, [i]free and slave, both small and great.”

19 (AM)And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 (AN)Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and (AO)those who worshiped his image. (AP)These two were cast alive into the lake of fire (AQ)burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest (AR)were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. (AS)And all the birds (AT)were filled with their flesh.

Notas al pie

  1. Revelation 19:1 NU, M add something like
  2. Revelation 19:1 NU, M omit the Lord
  3. Revelation 19:5 NU, M omit both
  4. Revelation 19:6 NU, M our
  5. Revelation 19:12 M adds names written, and
  6. Revelation 19:14 NU, M pure white linen
  7. Revelation 19:15 M sharp two-edged
  8. Revelation 19:17 NU, M great supper of God
  9. Revelation 19:18 NU, M both free

Threefold Hallelujah Over Babylon’s Fall

19 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude(A) in heaven shouting:

“Hallelujah!(B)
Salvation(C) and glory and power(D) belong to our God,
    for true and just are his judgments.(E)
He has condemned the great prostitute(F)
    who corrupted the earth by her adulteries.
He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”(G)

And again they shouted:

“Hallelujah!(H)
The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.”(I)

The twenty-four elders(J) and the four living creatures(K) fell down(L) and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried:

“Amen, Hallelujah!”(M)

Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

“Praise our God,
    all you his servants,(N)
you who fear him,
    both great and small!”(O)

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude,(P) like the roar of rushing waters(Q) and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

“Hallelujah!(R)
    For our Lord God Almighty(S) reigns.(T)
Let us rejoice and be glad
    and give him glory!(U)
For the wedding of the Lamb(V) has come,
    and his bride(W) has made herself ready.
Fine linen,(X) bright and clean,
    was given her to wear.”

(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts(Y) of God’s holy people.)

Then the angel said to me,(Z) “Write this:(AA) Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”(AB) And he added, “These are the true words of God.”(AC)

10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him.(AD) But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!(AE) For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”(AF)

The Heavenly Warrior Defeats the Beast

11 I saw heaven standing open(AG) and there before me was a white horse, whose rider(AH) is called Faithful and True.(AI) With justice he judges and wages war.(AJ) 12 His eyes are like blazing fire,(AK) and on his head are many crowns.(AL) He has a name written on him(AM) that no one knows but he himself.(AN) 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood,(AO) and his name is the Word of God.(AP) 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen,(AQ) white(AR) and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword(AS) with which to strike down(AT) the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”[a](AU) He treads the winepress(AV) of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:(AW)

king of kings and lord of lords.(AX)

17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds(AY) flying in midair,(AZ) “Come,(BA) gather together for the great supper of God,(BB) 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people,(BC) free and slave,(BD) great and small.”(BE)

19 Then I saw the beast(BF) and the kings of the earth(BG) and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse(BH) and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet(BI) who had performed the signs(BJ) on its behalf.(BK) With these signs he had deluded(BL) those who had received the mark of the beast(BM) and worshiped its image.(BN) The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake(BO) of burning sulfur.(BP) 21 The rest were killed with the sword(BQ) coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse,(BR) and all the birds(BS) gorged themselves on their flesh.

Notas al pie

  1. Revelation 19:15 Psalm 2:9