Jerusalem, Holy City of the Future

Again the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

(A)‘I am [a]zealous for Zion with great [b]zeal;
With great [c]fervor I am zealous for her.’

“Thus says the Lord:

(B)‘I will return to Zion,
And (C)dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem (D)shall be called the City of Truth,
(E)The Mountain of the Lord of hosts,
(F)The Holy Mountain.’

“Thus says the Lord of hosts:

(G)‘Old men and old women shall again sit
In the streets of Jerusalem,
Each one with his staff in his hand
Because of [d]great age.
The streets of the city
Shall be (H)full of boys and girls
Playing in its streets.’

“Thus says the Lord of hosts:

‘If it is [e]marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days,
(I)Will it also be marvelous in My eyes?’
Says the Lord of hosts.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts:

‘Behold, (J)I will save My people from the land of the [f]east
And from the land of the [g]west;
I will (K)bring them back,
And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.
(L)They shall be My people
And I will be their God,
(M)In truth and righteousness.’

“Thus says the Lord of hosts:

(N)‘Let your hands be strong,
You who have been hearing in these days
These words by the mouth of (O)the prophets,
Who spoke in (P)the day the foundation was laid
For the house of the Lord of hosts,
That the temple might be built.
10 For before these days
There were no (Q)wages for man nor any hire for beast;
There was no peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came in;
For I set all men, everyone, against his neighbor.

11 (R)But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ says the Lord of hosts.

12 ‘For(S) the [h]seed shall be prosperous,
The vine shall give its fruit,
(T)The ground shall give her increase,
And (U)the heavens shall give their dew—
I will cause the remnant of this people
To possess all these.
13 And it shall come to pass
That just as you were (V)a curse among the nations,
O house of Judah and house of Israel,
So I will save you, and (W)you shall be a blessing.
Do not fear,
Let your hands be strong.’

14 “For thus says the Lord of hosts:

(X)‘Just as I determined to [i]punish you
When your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’
Says the Lord of hosts,
(Y)‘And I would not relent,
15 So again in these days
I am determined to do good
To Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.
Do not fear.
16 These are the things you shall (Z)do:
(AA)Speak each man the truth to his neighbor;
Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace;
17 (AB)Let none of you think evil in [j]your heart against your neighbor;
And do not love a false oath.
For all these are things that I hate,’
Says the Lord.”

18 Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 19 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

(AC)‘The fast of the fourth month,
(AD)The fast of the fifth,
(AE)The fast of the seventh,
(AF)And the fast of the tenth,
Shall be (AG)joy and gladness and cheerful feasts
For the house of Judah.
(AH)Therefore love truth and peace.’

20 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

‘Peoples shall yet come,
Inhabitants of many cities;
21 The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying,
(AI)“Let us continue to go and pray before the Lord,
And seek the Lord of hosts.
I myself will go also.”
22 Yes, (AJ)many peoples and strong nations
Shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem,
And to pray before the Lord.’

23 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men (AK)from every language of the nations shall (AL)grasp the [k]sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard (AM)that God is with you.” ’ ”

Israel Defended Against Enemies

The [l]burden of the word of the Lord
Against the land of Hadrach,
And (AN)Damascus its resting place
(For (AO)the eyes of men
And all the tribes of Israel
Are on the Lord);
Also against (AP)Hamath, which borders on it,
And against (AQ)Tyre and (AR)Sidon, though they are very (AS)wise.

For Tyre built herself a tower,
Heaped up silver like the dust,
And gold like the mire of the streets.
Behold, (AT)the Lord will cast her out;
He will destroy (AU)her power in the sea,
And she will be devoured by fire.

Ashkelon shall see it and fear;
Gaza also shall be very sorrowful;
And (AV)Ekron, for He dried up her expectation.
The king shall perish from Gaza,
And Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.

“A[m] mixed race shall settle (AW)in Ashdod,
And I will cut off the pride of the (AX)Philistines.
I will take away the blood from his mouth,
And the abominations from between his teeth.
But he who remains, even he shall be for our God,
And shall be like a leader in Judah,
And Ekron like a Jebusite.
(AY)I will camp around My house
Because of the army,
Because of him who passes by and him who returns.
No more shall an oppressor pass through them,
For now I have seen with My eyes.

The Coming King(AZ)

“Rejoice (BA)greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, (BB)your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I (BC)will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
And the horse from Jerusalem;
The (BD)battle bow shall be cut off.
He shall speak peace to the nations;
His dominion shall be (BE)‘from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.’

God Will Save His People

11 “As for you also,
Because of the blood of your covenant,
I will set your (BF)prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12 Return to the stronghold,
(BG)You prisoners of hope.
Even today I declare
That I will restore (BH)double to you.
13 For I have bent Judah, My bow,
Fitted the bow with Ephraim,
And raised up your sons, O Zion,
Against your sons, O Greece,
And made you like the sword of a mighty man.”

14 Then the Lord will be seen over them,
And (BI)His arrow will go forth like lightning.
The Lord God will blow the trumpet,
And go (BJ)with whirlwinds from the south.
15 The Lord of hosts will (BK)defend them;
They shall devour and subdue with slingstones.
They shall drink and roar as if with wine;
They shall be filled with blood like [n]basins,
Like the corners of the altar.
16 The Lord their God will (BL)save them in that day,
As the flock of His people.
For (BM)they shall be like the [o]jewels of a crown,
(BN)Lifted like a banner over His land—
17 For (BO)how great is [p]its goodness
And how great its (BP)beauty!
(BQ)Grain shall make the young men thrive,
And new wine the young women.

Restoration of Judah and Israel

10 Ask (BR)the Lord for (BS)rain
In (BT)the time of the [q]latter rain.
The Lord will make [r]flashing clouds;
He will give them showers of rain,
Grass in the field for everyone.

For the (BU)idols[s] speak delusion;
The diviners envision (BV)lies,
And tell false dreams;
They (BW)comfort in vain.
Therefore the people wend their way like (BX)sheep;
They are [t]in trouble (BY)because there is no shepherd.

“My anger is kindled against the (BZ)shepherds,
(CA)And I will punish the [u]goatherds.
For the Lord of hosts (CB)will visit His flock,
The house of Judah,
And (CC)will make them as His royal horse in the battle.
From him comes (CD)the cornerstone,
From him (CE)the tent peg,
From him the battle bow,
From him every [v]ruler together.
They shall be like mighty men,
Who (CF)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.
(CG)I will bring them back,
Because I (CH)have mercy on them.
They shall be as though I had not cast them aside;
For I am the Lord their God,
And I (CI)will hear them.
Those of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man,
And their (CJ)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 (CK)whistle for them and gather them,
For I will redeem them;
(CL)And they shall increase as they once increased.

“I(CM) will [w]sow them among the peoples,
And they shall (CN)remember Me in far countries;
They shall live, together with their children,
And they shall return.
10 (CO)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,
(CP)Until no more room is found for them.
11 (CQ)He shall pass through the sea with affliction,
And strike the waves of the sea:
All the depths of [x]the River shall dry up.
Then (CR)the pride of Assyria shall be brought down,
And (CS)the scepter of Egypt shall depart.

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

Desolation of Israel

11 Open (CU)your doors, O Lebanon,
That fire may devour your cedars.
Wail, O cypress, for the (CV)cedar has fallen,
Because the mighty trees are ruined.
Wail, O oaks of Bashan,
(CW)For the thick forest has come down.
There is the sound of wailing (CX)shepherds!
For their glory is in ruins.
There is the sound of roaring lions!
For the [y]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 (CY)feel no guilt; those who sell them (CZ)say, ‘Blessed be the Lord, for I am rich’; and their shepherds do (DA)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 [z]attack the land, and I will not deliver them from their hand.”

So I fed the flock for slaughter, [aa]in particular (DB)the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called [ab]Beauty, and the other I called [ac]Bonds; and I fed the flock. I [ad]dismissed the three shepherds (DC)in one month. My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me. Then I said, “I will not feed you. (DD)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, [ae]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 (DE)the[af] 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 [ag]agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they (DF)weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.

13 And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the (DG)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, [ah]Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

15 And the Lord said to me, (DH)“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 (DI)pieces.

17 “Woe(DJ) 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 [ai]burden of the word of the Lord against Israel. Thus says the Lord, (DK)who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and (DL)forms the spirit of man within him: “Behold, I will make Jerusalem (DM)a cup of [aj]drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. (DN)And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem (DO)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, (DP)“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 (DQ)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 (DR)destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

Mourning for the Pierced One

10 (DS)“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will (DT)look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him (DU)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 (DV)mourning in Jerusalem, (DW)like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of [ak]Megiddo. 12 (DX)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 (DY)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.

Idolatry Cut Off

13 “In that (DZ)day (EA)a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for (EB)uncleanness.

“It shall be in that day,” says the Lord of hosts, “that I will (EC)cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause (ED)the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land. It shall come to pass that if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who begot him will say to him, ‘You shall (EE)not live, because you have spoken lies in the name of the Lord.’ And his father and mother who begot him (EF)shall thrust him through when he prophesies.

“And it shall be in that day that (EG)every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies; they will not wear (EH)a robe of coarse hair to deceive. (EI)But he will say, ‘I am no prophet, I am a farmer; for a man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.’ And one will say to him, ‘What are these wounds between your [al]arms?’ Then he will answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.’

The Shepherd Savior

“Awake, O sword, against (EJ)My Shepherd,
Against the Man (EK)who is My Companion,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
(EL)“Strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep will be scattered;
Then I will turn My hand against (EM)the little ones.
And it shall come to pass in all the land,”
Says the Lord,
That (EN)two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die,
(EO)But one-third shall be left in it:
I will bring the one-third (EP)through the fire,
Will (EQ)refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
(ER)They will call on My name,
And I will answer them.
(ES)I will say, ‘This is My people’;
And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’ ”

The Day of the Lord(ET)

14 Behold, (EU)the day of the Lord is coming,
And your [am]spoil will be divided in your midst.
For (EV)I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem;
The city shall be taken,
The houses [an]rifled,
And the women ravished.
Half of the city shall go into captivity,
But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

Then the Lord will go forth
And fight against those nations,
As He fights in the day of battle.
And in that day His feet will stand (EW)on the Mount of Olives,
Which faces Jerusalem on the east.
And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two,
From east to west,
(EX)Making a very large valley;
Half of the mountain shall move toward the north
And half of it toward the south.

Then you shall flee through My mountain valley,
For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal.
Yes, you shall flee
As you fled from the (EY)earthquake
In the days of Uzziah king of Judah.

(EZ)Thus the Lord my God will come,
And (FA)all the saints with [ao]You.

It shall come to pass in that day
That there will be no light;
The [ap]lights will diminish.
It shall be one day
(FB)Which is known to the Lord
Neither day nor night.
But at (FC)evening time it shall happen
That it will be light.

And in that day it shall be
That living (FD)waters shall flow from Jerusalem,
Half of them toward [aq]the eastern sea
And half of them toward [ar]the western sea;
In both summer and winter it shall occur.
And the Lord shall be (FE)King over all the earth.
In that day it shall be—
(FF)“The Lord is one,”
And His name one.

10 All the land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. [as]Jerusalem shall be raised up and (FG)inhabited in her place from Benjamin’s Gate to the place of the First Gate and the Corner Gate, (FH)and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses.

11 The people shall dwell in it;
And (FI)no longer shall there be utter destruction,
(FJ)But Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.

12 And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem:

Their flesh shall [at]dissolve while they stand on their feet,
Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets,
And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.

13 It shall come to pass in that day
That (FK)a great panic from the Lord will be among them.
Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbor,
And raise (FL)his hand against his neighbor’s hand;
14 Judah also will fight at Jerusalem.
(FM)And the wealth of all the surrounding nations
Shall be gathered together:
Gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance.

15 (FN)Such also shall be the plague
On the horse and the mule,
On the camel and the donkey,
And on all the cattle that will be in those camps.
So shall this plague be.

The Nations Worship the King

16 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall (FO)go up from year to year to (FP)worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep (FQ)the Feast of Tabernacles. 17 (FR)And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. 18 If the family of (FS)Egypt will not come up and enter in, (FT)they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 19 This shall be the [au]punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

20 In that day (FU)“HOLINESS TO THE LORD” shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The (FV)pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. 21 Yes, [av]every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a (FW)Canaanite (FX)in the house of the Lord of hosts.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 8:2 Or jealous
  2. Zechariah 8:2 Or jealousy
  3. Zechariah 8:2 Lit. heat or rage
  4. Zechariah 8:4 Lit. many days
  5. Zechariah 8:6 Or wonderful
  6. Zechariah 8:7 Lit. rising sun
  7. Zechariah 8:7 Lit. setting sun
  8. Zechariah 8:12 Lit. seed of peace
  9. Zechariah 8:14 Lit. bring calamity to you
  10. Zechariah 8:17 Lit. his
  11. Zechariah 8:23 Lit. wing, corner of a garment
  12. Zechariah 9:1 oracle, prophecy
  13. Zechariah 9:6 Lit. An illegitimate one
  14. Zechariah 9:15 Sacrificial basins
  15. Zechariah 9:16 Lit. stones
  16. Zechariah 9:17 Lit. His
  17. Zechariah 10:1 Spring rain
  18. Zechariah 10:1 Or lightning flashes
  19. Zechariah 10:2 Heb. teraphim
  20. Zechariah 10:2 afflicted
  21. Zechariah 10:3 Leaders
  22. Zechariah 10:4 Or despot
  23. Zechariah 10:9 Or scatter
  24. Zechariah 10:11 The Nile
  25. Zechariah 11:3 Or floodplain, thicket
  26. Zechariah 11:6 Lit. strike
  27. Zechariah 11:7 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX for the Canaanites
  28. Zechariah 11:7 Or Grace
  29. Zechariah 11:7 Or Unity
  30. Zechariah 11:8 Or destroyed, lit. cut off
  31. Zechariah 11:10 Or Grace
  32. Zechariah 11:11 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX the Canaanites
  33. Zechariah 11:12 good in your sight
  34. Zechariah 11:14 Or Unity
  35. Zechariah 12:1 oracle, prophecy
  36. Zechariah 12:2 Lit. reeling
  37. Zechariah 12:11 Heb. Megiddon
  38. Zechariah 13:6 Or hands
  39. Zechariah 14:1 plunder or booty
  40. Zechariah 14:2 Or plundered
  41. Zechariah 14:5 Or you; LXX, Tg., Vg. Him
  42. Zechariah 14:6 Lit. glorious ones
  43. Zechariah 14:8 The Dead Sea
  44. Zechariah 14:8 The Mediterranean Sea
  45. Zechariah 14:10 Lit. She
  46. Zechariah 14:12 Lit. decay
  47. Zechariah 14:19 Lit. sin
  48. Zechariah 14:21 Or on every pot . . . shall be engraved “HOLINESS TO THE LORD OF HOSTS”

The Lord Promises to Bless Jerusalem

The word of the Lord Almighty came to me.

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “I am very jealous(A) for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her.”

This is what the Lord says: “I will return(B) to Zion(C) and dwell in Jerusalem.(D) Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City,(E) and the mountain(F) of the Lord Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.(G)

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem,(H) each of them with cane in hand because of their age. The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there.(I)

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “It may seem marvelous to the remnant of this people at that time,(J) but will it seem marvelous to me?(K)” declares the Lord Almighty.

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west.(L) I will bring them back(M) to live(N) in Jerusalem; they will be my people,(O) and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God.(P)

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Now hear these words, ‘Let your hands be strong(Q) so that the temple may be built.’ This is also what the prophets(R) said who were present when the foundation(S) was laid for the house of the Lord Almighty. 10 Before that time there were no wages(T) for people or hire for animals. No one could go about their business safely(U) because of their enemies, since I had turned everyone against their neighbor. 11 But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as I did in the past,”(V) declares the Lord Almighty.

12 “The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit,(W) the ground will produce its crops,(X) and the heavens will drop their dew.(Y) I will give all these things as an inheritance(Z) to the remnant of this people.(AA) 13 Just as you, Judah and Israel, have been a curse[a](AB) among the nations, so I will save(AC) you, and you will be a blessing.[b](AD) Do not be afraid,(AE) but let your hands be strong.(AF)

14 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Just as I had determined to bring disaster(AG) on you and showed no pity when your ancestors angered me,” says the Lord Almighty, 15 “so now I have determined to do good(AH) again to Jerusalem and Judah.(AI) Do not be afraid. 16 These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth(AJ) to each other, and render true and sound judgment(AK) in your courts;(AL) 17 do not plot evil(AM) against each other, and do not love to swear falsely.(AN) I hate all this,” declares the Lord.

18 The word of the Lord Almighty came to me.

19 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “The fasts of the fourth,(AO) fifth,(AP) seventh(AQ) and tenth(AR) months will become joyful(AS) and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth(AT) and peace.”

20 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, 21 and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, ‘Let us go at once to entreat(AU) the Lord and seek(AV) the Lord Almighty. I myself am going.’ 22 And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to entreat him.”(AW)

23 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’”(AX)

Judgment on Israel’s Enemies

A prophecy:(AY)

The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrak
    and will come to rest on Damascus(AZ)
for the eyes of all people and all the tribes of Israel
    are on the Lord[c]
and on Hamath(BA) too, which borders on it,
    and on Tyre(BB) and Sidon,(BC) though they are very skillful.
Tyre has built herself a stronghold;
    she has heaped up silver like dust,
    and gold like the dirt of the streets.(BD)
But the Lord will take away her possessions
    and destroy(BE) her power on the sea,
    and she will be consumed by fire.(BF)
Ashkelon(BG) will see it and fear;
    Gaza will writhe in agony,
    and Ekron too, for her hope will wither.
Gaza will lose her king
    and Ashkelon will be deserted.
A mongrel people will occupy Ashdod,
    and I will put an end(BH) to the pride of the Philistines.
I will take the blood from their mouths,
    the forbidden food from between their teeth.
Those who are left will belong to our God(BI)
    and become a clan in Judah,
    and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.(BJ)
But I will encamp(BK) at my temple
    to guard it against marauding forces.(BL)
Never again will an oppressor overrun my people,
    for now I am keeping watch.(BM)

The Coming of Zion’s King

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!(BN)
    Shout,(BO) Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,(BP)
    righteous and victorious,(BQ)
lowly and riding on a donkey,(BR)
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.(BS)
10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
    and the warhorses from Jerusalem,
    and the battle bow will be broken.(BT)
He will proclaim peace(BU) to the nations.
    His rule will extend from sea to sea
    and from the River[d] to the ends of the earth.(BV)
11 As for you, because of the blood of my covenant(BW) with you,
    I will free your prisoners(BX) from the waterless pit.(BY)
12 Return to your fortress,(BZ) you prisoners of hope;
    even now I announce that I will restore twice(CA) as much to you.
13 I will bend Judah as I bend my bow(CB)
    and fill it with Ephraim.(CC)
I will rouse your sons, Zion,
    against your sons, Greece,(CD)
    and make you like a warrior’s sword.(CE)

The Lord Will Appear

14 Then the Lord will appear over them;(CF)
    his arrow will flash like lightning.(CG)
The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet;(CH)
    he will march in the storms(CI) of the south,
15     and the Lord Almighty will shield(CJ) them.
They will destroy
    and overcome with slingstones.(CK)
They will drink and roar as with wine;(CL)
    they will be full like a bowl(CM)
    used for sprinkling[e] the corners(CN) of the altar.
16 The Lord their God will save his people on that day(CO)
    as a shepherd saves his flock.
They will sparkle in his land
    like jewels in a crown.(CP)
17 How attractive and beautiful they will be!
    Grain will make the young men thrive,
    and new wine the young women.

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(CQ) to all people,
    and plants of the field(CR) to everyone.
The idols(CS) speak deceitfully,
    diviners(CT) see visions that lie;
they tell dreams(CU) that are false,
    they give comfort in vain.(CV)
Therefore the people wander like sheep
    oppressed for lack of a shepherd.(CW)

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

“I will strengthen(DE) Judah
    and save the tribes of Joseph.
I will restore them
    because I have compassion(DF) on them.(DG)
They will be as though
    I had not rejected them,
for I am the Lord their God
    and I will answer(DH) them.
The Ephraimites will become like warriors,
    and their hearts will be glad as with wine.(DI)
Their children will see it and be joyful;
    their hearts will rejoice(DJ) in the Lord.
I will signal(DK) for them
    and gather them in.
Surely I will redeem them;
    they will be as numerous(DL) as before.
Though I scatter them among the peoples,
    yet in distant lands they will remember me.(DM)
They and their children will survive,
    and they will return.
10 I will bring them back from Egypt
    and gather them from Assyria.(DN)
I will bring them to Gilead(DO) and Lebanon,
    and there will not be room(DP) 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.(DQ)
Assyria’s pride(DR) will be brought down
    and Egypt’s scepter(DS) will pass away.(DT)
12 I will strengthen(DU) them in the Lord
    and in his name they will live securely,(DV)
declares the Lord.

11 Open your doors, Lebanon,(DW)
    so that fire(DX) may devour your cedars!
Wail, you juniper, for the cedar has fallen;
    the stately trees are ruined!
Wail, oaks(DY) of Bashan;
    the dense forest(DZ) has been cut down!(EA)
Listen to the wail of the shepherds;
    their rich pastures are destroyed!
Listen to the roar of the lions;(EB)
    the lush thicket of the Jordan is ruined!(EC)

Two Shepherds

This is what the Lord my God says: “Shepherd the flock marked for slaughter.(ED) 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.(EE) 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(EF) and their king. They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue anyone from their hands.”(EG)

So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter,(EH) 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(EI) me, and I grew weary of them and said, “I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish.(EJ) Let those who are left eat(EK) one another’s flesh.”

10 Then I took my staff called Favor(EL) and broke it, revoking(EM) 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.(EN)

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(EO) and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord.(EP)

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,(EQ)
    who deserts the flock!
May the sword strike his arm(ER) and his right eye!
    May his arm be completely withered,
    his right eye totally blinded!”(ES)

Jerusalem’s Enemies to Be Destroyed

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

The Lord, who stretches out the heavens,(EU) who lays the foundation of the earth,(EV) and who forms the human spirit within a person,(EW) declares: “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup(EX) that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling.(EY) Judah(EZ) will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations(FA) of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock(FB) for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure(FC) 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.(FD) Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong,(FE) because the Lord Almighty is their God.’

“On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot(FF) in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume(FG) all the surrounding peoples right and left, but Jerusalem will remain intact(FH) 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.(FI) On that day the Lord will shield(FJ) those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest(FK) among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God,(FL) like the angel of the Lord going before(FM) them. On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations(FN) that attack Jerusalem.(FO)

Mourning for the One They Pierced

10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit[g](FP) of grace and supplication.(FQ) They will look on[h] me, the one they have pierced,(FR) and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child,(FS) and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.(FT) 11 On that day the weeping(FU) in Jerusalem will be as great as the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.(FV) 12 The land will mourn,(FW) 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.(FX)

Cleansing From Sin

13 “On that day a fountain(FY) will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse(FZ) them from sin and impurity.

“On that day, I will banish the names of the idols(GA) from the land, and they will be remembered no more,”(GB) declares the Lord Almighty. “I will remove both the prophets(GC) and the spirit of impurity from the land. And if anyone still prophesies, their father and mother, to whom they were born, will say to them, ‘You must die, because you have told lies(GD) in the Lord’s name.’ Then their own parents will stab the one who prophesies.(GE)

“On that day every prophet will be ashamed(GF) of their prophetic vision. They will not put on a prophet’s garment(GG) of hair(GH) in order to deceive.(GI) Each will say, ‘I am not a prophet. I am a farmer; the land has been my livelihood since my youth.[i](GJ) If someone asks, ‘What are these wounds on your body[j]?’ they will answer, ‘The wounds I was given at the house of my friends.’

The Shepherd Struck, the Sheep Scattered

“Awake, sword,(GK) against my shepherd,(GL)
    against the man who is close to me!”
    declares the Lord Almighty.
“Strike the shepherd,
    and the sheep will be scattered,(GM)
    and I will turn my hand against the little ones.
In the whole land,” declares the Lord,
    “two-thirds will be struck down and perish;
    yet one-third will be left in it.(GN)
This third I will put into the fire;(GO)
    I will refine them like silver(GP)
    and test them like gold.(GQ)
They will call(GR) on my name(GS)
    and I will answer(GT) them;
I will say, ‘They are my people,’(GU)
    and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.(GV)’”

The Lord Comes and Reigns

14 A day of the Lord(GW) is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions(GX) will be plundered and divided up within your very walls.

I will gather all the nations(GY) to Jerusalem to fight against it;(GZ) the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped.(HA) Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city.(HB) Then the Lord will go out and fight(HC) against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle.(HD) On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,(HE) east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split(HF) in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake[k](HG) in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come,(HH) and all the holy ones with him.(HI)

On that day there will be neither sunlight(HJ) nor cold, frosty darkness. It will be a unique(HK) day—a day known only to the Lord—with no distinction between day and night.(HL) When evening comes, there will be light.(HM)

On that day living water(HN) will flow(HO) out from Jerusalem, half of it east(HP) to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter.(HQ)

The Lord will be king(HR) over the whole earth.(HS) On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.(HT)

10 The whole land, from Geba(HU) to Rimmon,(HV) south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up(HW) high from the Benjamin Gate(HX) to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate,(HY) and from the Tower of Hananel(HZ) to the royal winepresses, and will remain in its place.(IA) 11 It will be inhabited;(IB) never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure.(IC)

12 This is the plague with which the Lord will strike(ID) 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.(IE) 13 On that day people will be stricken by the Lord with great panic.(IF) They will seize each other by the hand and attack one another.(IG) 14 Judah(IH) too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected(II)—great quantities of gold and silver and clothing. 15 A similar plague(IJ) will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps.

16 Then the survivors(IK) from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship(IL) the King,(IM) the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.(IN) 17 If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship(IO) the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain.(IP) 18 If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord[l] will bring on them the plague(IQ) he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.(IR) 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.(IS)

20 On that day holy to the Lord(IT) will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots(IU) in the Lord’s house will be like the sacred bowls(IV) in front of the altar. 21 Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy(IW) to the Lord Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day(IX) there will no longer be a Canaanite[m](IY) in the house(IZ) of the Lord Almighty.(JA)

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 8:13 That is, your name has been used in cursing (see Jer. 29:22); or, you have been regarded as under a curse.
  2. Zechariah 8:13 Or and your name will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or and you will be seen as blessed
  3. Zechariah 9:1 Or Damascus. / For the eye of the Lord is on all people, / as well as on the tribes of Israel,
  4. Zechariah 9:10 That is, the Euphrates
  5. Zechariah 9:15 Or bowl, / like
  6. Zechariah 10:5 Or ruler, all of them together. / They
  7. Zechariah 12:10 Or the Spirit
  8. Zechariah 12:10 Or to
  9. Zechariah 13:5 Or farmer; a man sold me in my youth
  10. Zechariah 13:6 Or wounds between your hands
  11. Zechariah 14:5 Or My mountain valley will be blocked and will extend to Azel. It will be blocked as it was blocked because of the earthquake
  12. Zechariah 14:18 Or part, then the Lord
  13. Zechariah 14:21 Or merchant