Beginning
The Lord Will Bless Jerusalem
8 ·A message from [L The word of] the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] came to me, saying, 2 This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: “I ·have a very strong love [am jealous/zealous/passionate] for ·Jerusalem [L Zion; 2:7]. My strong love [jealousy; zeal; passion] for her ·is like a fire burning in me [or will mean wrath for her enemies].”
3 This is what the Lord says: “I will return to Jerusalem and ·live in [dwell in the midst of] it. Then it will be called the City of ·Truth [or Faithfulness], and the mountain of the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will be called the Holy Mountain [C Zion, the location of the Temple].”
4 This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: “Old men and old women will again sit along Jerusalem’s streets, each carrying a cane because of age [C long life due to peace and security]. 5 And the streets will be filled with boys and girls playing.”
6 This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: “·Those who are left alive then [The remnant] may think it is too ·difficult [marvelous] to happen, but ·it is not [L is it…?] too ·difficult [marvelous] for me,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]. 7 This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: “[L Look; T Behold] I will save my people from countries in the east and west. 8 I will bring them back, and they will live in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their ·loyal [faithful; true] and ·good [righteous] God.”
9 This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: “·Work hard [L Let your hands be strong], you who are hearing these words today. The prophets spoke these words when the foundation was laid for the house of the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], for the building of the Temple. 10 Before that time there was no money to hire people or animals. People could not ·safely [peacefully] come and go because of the enemies; I had turned everyone against his neighbor. 11 But I will not do to ·these people who are left [this remnant of the people] what I did in the past,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
12 “They will plant their seeds in peace, their grapevines will have fruit, the ground will give good crops, and the sky will send ·rain [dew]. I will give ·all this [this as an inheritance/possession] to the ·people who are left alive [remnant of this people]. 13 Judah and Israel, your names have been ·used as curses in [or viewed as accursed by] other nations. But I will save you, and you will become a blessing. So don’t be afraid; ·work hard [L let your hands be strong].”
14 This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: “When your ·ancestors [fathers] made me angry, I planned to ·punish [bring disaster on] you. I did not ·change my mind [relent],” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]. 15 “But ·now [L in these days] I am planning to do good to Jerusalem and Judah. So don’t be afraid. 16 These are the things you should do: Tell each other the truth. In ·the courts [L your gates; C court was held at the city gate] judge with truth and ·complete fairness [sound justice; judgments of peace]. 17 Do not ·make plans to hurt [L plan/plot evil in your hearts against] your neighbors, and don’t love false ·promises [oaths]. I hate all these things,” says the Lord.
18 ·A message from [L The word of the] Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] came to me again. 19 This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: “The ·special days when you fast in [fasts of] the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months will become good, joyful, happy feasts ·in [L for the house of] Judah. ·But you must [So; Therefore] love truth and peace.”
20 This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: “·Many people from [L Inhabitants of] many cities will still come to Jerusalem. 21 ·People [The inhabitants] from one city will go and say to those from another city, ‘·We are going [Let us go] to ·pray to [entreat] the Lord and to ·ask for help from [or worship; L seek] the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]. ·Come and go with us [L I, even I (am going)].’ 22 Many people and powerful nations will come to worship the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] in Jerusalem and to ·pray for help from [or worship; L seek] the Lord.”
23 This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: “At that time, ten men from ·different countries [L all languages of the nations] will come and take hold of a ·Judean [Jew] by his coat. They will say to him, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’”
Punishment on Israel’s Enemies
9 ·This message is [An oracle/burden of] the word of the Lord.
The message is against the land of Hadrach [C region north of Israel]
and ·the city of Damascus [L Damascus its resting place].
·All [L For the eyes of all] people, including all the tribes of Israel
·belong to [or are on] the Lord.
2 The message is also against the city of Hamath, on the border,
and against Tyre and Sidon [C cities on the coast northwest of Israel], ·with their skill [or though they are very wise/clever].
3 Tyre has built a ·strong wall [fortress; stronghold] for herself.
She has piled up silver like dust
and gold like the mud in the streets.
4 But [L look; T behold] the Lord will take away all she has
and ·destroy her power on [or throw her fortifications into] the sea.
That city will be ·destroyed [consumed; devoured] by fire.
5 ·The city of Ashkelon [L Ashkelon] will see it and be afraid.
·The people of Gaza [L Gaza] will ·shake with fear [writhe in anguish],
and ·the people of Ekron [L Ekron] ·will lose hope [or their hope will wither].
No king will be left in Gaza,
and no one will live in Ashkelon anymore.
6 ·Foreigners [A mixed/mongrel people] will live in Ashdod,
and I will ·destroy [L cut off] the pride of the Philistines.
7 I will ·stop them from drinking blood [L take the blood from their mouths; Lev. 3:17; Deut. 12:16, 23]
and ·from eating forbidden food [L its abominations from between its teeth].
Those left alive will belong to God.
They will be ·leaders [or like a clan] in Judah,
and Ekron will become like the Jebusites [C ancient inhabitants of Jerusalem who were assimilated into Judah].
8 I will ·protect [encamp around] my ·Temple [L house]
from armies who would come or go.
No ·one [oppressor] will ·hurt [overrun; pass over] my people again,
because now I ·am watching them [L see with my eyes].
The King Is Coming
9 Rejoice greatly, ·people of Jerusalem [L Daughter Zion]!
Shout for joy, ·people of Jerusalem [L Daughter Jerusalem]!
[L Look; T Behold] Your king is coming to you.
He ·does what is right [is righteous/just], and he saves.
He is ·gentle [lowly; humble] and riding on a donkey,
on ·the colt [L a colt, the foal] of a donkey [Matt. 21:5; John 12:15].
10 I will ·take away [L cut off] the chariots from Ephraim
and the ·horses [warhorses] from Jerusalem.
The bows used in war will be broken.
The king will ·talk about [announce; bring] peace to the nations.
His ·kingdom [dominion; rule] will go from sea to sea,
and from the ·Euphrates River [L River] to the ends of the earth.
11 As for you, because of the blood of ·the agreement [my covenant/treaty] with you
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12 You prisoners who have hope,
return to ·your place of safety [the fortress/stronghold].
Today I ·am telling you [announce; declare]
that I will ·give you back twice as much as before [return double what you lost].
13 I will ·use [L bend] Judah like a bow
and Ephraim like the arrows.
·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple], I will ·use your men [L rouse your sons/children]
·to fight the men of [against your sons/children,] Greece.
I will use you like a warrior’s sword.
14 Then the Lord will appear above them,
and his arrows will shoot like lightning.
The Lord God will blow the trumpet,
and he will march in the ·storms [whirlwinds] of the south.
15 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will protect them;
they will ·destroy [L eat and subdue] the enemy with slingshots.
They will drink and shout like drunks.
They will be filled like a bowl
used for sprinkling blood ·at [or and drenched with blood like] the corners of the altar.
16 On that day the Lord their God will save them
as ·if his people were sheep [L the flock of his people].
They will shine in his land
like jewels in a crown.
17 They will be so ·pretty [fine; good] and beautiful.
The young men will grow strong on the grain
and the young women on new wine.
The Lord’s Promises
10 Ask the Lord for rain during the ·springtime [L latter] rains.
The Lord is the one who makes the storm clouds.
He sends the showers
and gives everyone ·green [plants in the] fields.
2 ·Idols [Household gods; L Teraphim; Gen. 31:19] ·tell lies [or give worthless counsel];
fortune-tellers see ·false [lying] visions
and tell about false dreams.
The comfort they give is ·worth nothing [in vain].
So the people ·are [wander] like lost sheep.
They are ·abused [oppressed; or in distress], because there is no shepherd.
3 The Lord says, “·I am angry [My anger burns] at my shepherds,
and I will punish the ·leaders [L lead goats].
I, the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], care
for my flock, the ·people [L house] of Judah.
I will make them like my ·proud [majestic] war horses.
4 From ·Judah [L him] will come the cornerstone,
and the tent peg,
the battle bow,
and every ruler.
5 Together they will be like ·soldiers [mighty men]
·marching to battle [or trampling their enemies] through muddy streets.
The Lord is with them,
so they will fight and ·defeat [L put to shame] the horsemen.
6 “I will strengthen the ·people [L house] of Judah
and save the ·people [L house] of Joseph.
I will bring them back,
because I ·care about [have compassion on] them.
It will be as though
I had never ·left [rejected] them,
because I am the Lord their God,
and I will ·answer [hear] them.
7 The people of Ephraim will be strong like ·soldiers [mighty men];
·they will be glad [L their hearts will rejoice] as when they have drunk wine.
Their children will see it and rejoice;
they will ·be happy [rejoice] in the Lord.
8 I will ·call [signal/whistle for] my people
and gather them together.
I will ·save [redeem] them,
and they grow as numerous as they were before.
9 I have scattered them among the nations,
but in those faraway places, they will remember me.
They and their children will ·live [survive; sprout forth] and return.
10 I will bring them back from the land of Egypt
and gather them from Assyria.
I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon
until there isn’t enough room for them all.
11 ·They [or The Lord; L He] will come through the sea of trouble [C as at the Red/or Reed Sea; Ex. 14:22].
The waves of the sea will be calm,
and the ·Nile River [L depths of the Nile/River] will dry up.
I will ·defeat [bring down; humble] Assyria’s pride
and destroy Egypt’s ·power over other countries [L scepter; C ruling authority].
12 I will make my people strong [L in the Lord],
and they will ·live as I say [L walk in my name],” says the Lord.
11 Lebanon, open your ·gates [doors]
so fire may ·burn [consume; devour] your cedar trees.
2 ·Cry [Wail], pine trees, because the cedar has fallen,
because the ·tall [majestic; glorious] trees are ruined.
·Cry [Wail], oaks in Bashan,
because the ·mighty [thick; dense] forest has been cut down [C trees probably symbolize wicked rulers].
3 Listen to the shepherds ·crying [wailing]
because their ·rich pastures [or glory; magnificence] are destroyed.
Listen to the lions roaring
because the ·lovely land [lush thicket] of the Jordan River is ruined.
The Two Shepherds
4 This is what the Lord my God says: “·Feed [Shepherd] the flock that are ·about to be killed [set aside for slaughter]. 5 Their buyers ·kill [slaughter] them and ·are not punished [are not held liable; or feel no remorse]. Those who sell them say, ‘·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord, I am rich.’ Even the shepherds don’t ·feel sorry for [have compassion on; or spare] their sheep. 6 I don’t ·feel sorry [have compassion] anymore for the ·people [inhabitants] of this country,” says the Lord. “I will let everyone ·be under the power [L fall into the hand] of his neighbor and king. They will ·bring trouble to [devastate] the country, and I will not save anyone from ·them [L their hand].”
7 So I ·fed [shepherded] the flock ·about to be killed [marked for slaughter], particularly the ·weakest [oppressed] ones. Then I took two ·sticks [staffs]; I called one ·Pleasant [or Favor] and the other Union, and I ·fed [shepherded] the flock. 8 In one month I got rid of three shepherds. The flock ·did not pay attention to [or detested; loathed] me, and I ·got impatient [grew weary] with them. 9 I said, “I will no longer ·take care of you like a shepherd [shepherd you]. Let those that are dying die, and let those that are ·to be destroyed be destroyed [perishing perish]. Let those that are left eat ·each other [L the flesh of his neighbor].”
10 Then I broke the ·stick [staff] named ·Pleasant [or Favor] to ·break [revoke] the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] God made with all the ·nations [peoples]. 11 That day it was ·broken [revoked]. The ·weak [oppressed] ones in the flock who were watching me knew this ·message was from [L was the word of] the Lord.
12 Then I said, “If ·you want [it seems right to you; L it is good in your eyes] to pay me, pay me. If not, ·then don’t [keep it].” So they ·paid [weighed out to] me thirty pieces of silver [Ex. 21:32; Matt. 26:15].
13 The Lord said to me, “Throw the money to the potter.” ·That is how little they thought I was worth […this magnificent price at which they valued me”; C sarcastic, since the sum was about the cost of a slave]. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord [Matt. 27:9, 10].
14 Then I broke the second ·stick [staff], named Union, to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
15 Then the Lord said to me, “·Get the things used by a foolish shepherd again, 16 because [L look; T behold] I am going to ·get [raise up] a new shepherd for the country. He will not care for the ·dying sheep [lost; perishing], or look for the young ones, or heal the injured ones, or feed the healthy. But he will ·eat [devour the flesh of] the ·best [fat] sheep and tear off their hoofs.
17 “·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] the ·useless [worthless] shepherd
who abandoned the flock.
A sword will strike his arm and his right eye.
His arm will ·lose all its strength [wither away],
and his right eye will go blind.”
Jerusalem Will Be Saved
12 ·This message is [The oracle/burden of] the word of the Lord ·to [or concerning] Israel. This is what the Lord says, who stretched out the ·skies [heavens], and laid the foundations of the earth [Gen. 1], and ·put [forms] the human spirit within: 2 “I will make Jerusalem like a cup of ·poison [staggering; reeling; drunkenness] to the nations around her. They will come and ·attack [besiege] Jerusalem and Judah. 3 ·One [L And it shall be on that] day all the nations on earth will come together to attack Jerusalem, but I will make it like a ·heavy [immovable] rock; anyone who tries to ·move [carry] it will ·get hurt [be injured]. 4 At that time I will ·confuse [strike with panic] every horse and cause its rider to go crazy,” says the Lord. “I will ·watch over [L open my eyes to] the ·people [L house] of Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the ·enemies [nations; peoples]. 5 Then the ·leaders [or clans] of Judah will say to themselves, ‘The ·people [inhabitants] of Jerusalem are strong, because the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] is their God.’
6 “At that time I will make the ·leaders [or clans] of Judah like a ·fire burning [firepot on] a stack of wood or like a ·fire burning straw [burning torch among sheaves]. They will ·destroy [consume; devour] all the people around them left and right. But the people of Jerusalem will remain ·safe [L settled in their place].
7 “The Lord will save the ·homes [L tents] of Judah first so that the ·honor given to [glory of] ·David’s family [L the house of David] and to the people of Jerusalem won’t be greater than the ·honor given to [glory of] Judah [C the defenseless countryside would be saved before the fortified city, showing the victory was due to the Lord]. 8 ·At that time [L On that day] the Lord will ·protect [defend] the people in Jerusalem. Then even the weakest of them will be strong like David. And the ·family [house] of David will be like God, like ·an [or the] angel of the Lord in front of them [Gen. 48:16; Ex. 14:19; 23:20]. 9 ·At that time [L On that day] I will ·go [set out; begin] to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem.
Crying for the One They Pierced
10 “I will pour out on ·David’s family [L the house of David] and the ·people in [inhabitants of] Jerusalem a spirit of ·kindness [grace] and ·mercy [prayer; supplication]. They will look at me, the one they have ·stabbed [pierced], and they will ·cry [L mourn/lament for him] like someone ·crying [mourning; lamenting] over the death of an only ·child [son]. They will ·be as sad [grieve bitterly] as someone who has lost a firstborn son. 11 ·At that time [L On that day] there will be much crying in Jerusalem, like the crying for Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo [C either where Judah mourned the death of king Josiah (2 Chr. 35:25), or ritualistic mourning associated with the Canaanite storm god (Ezek. 8:14; 2 Kin. 5:18)]. 12 The land will ·cry [mourn], each ·family [clan] by itself: the ·family [clan] of [L the house of] David by itself and their wives by themselves, the ·family [clan] of Nathan [2 Sam. 5:14] by itself and their wives by themselves, 13 the ·family [clan] of Levi [Num. 3:17–18, 21] by itself and their wives by themselves, the ·family [clan] of Shimei [C a clan of Levites; Ex. 6:16–17] by itself and their wives by themselves, 14 and all the rest of the ·families [clans] by themselves and their wives by themselves.
13 “·At that time [L In that day] a fountain will be open for ·David’s descendants [L the house of David] and for the ·people [inhabitants] of Jerusalem to cleanse them of their sin and ·uncleanness [impurity; defilement].”
2 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says, “·At that time [L On that day] I will ·get rid of [remove; cut off] the names of the idols from the land; no one will remember them anymore. I will also remove the prophets and ·unclean spirits [or spirit of uncleanness/impurity] from the land [C unlike true prophecy from the Spirit of God]. 3 If a person continues to prophesy, his own father and mother, the ones who gave birth to him, will tell him, ‘You have told lies ·using [in] the Lord’s name, so you must die.’ When he prophesies, his own father and mother who gave birth to him will ·stab [pierce] him.
4 “·At that time [L On that day] the prophets will be ashamed of their visions and prophecies. They won’t wear the prophet’s clothes made of hair [C like Elijah (1 Kin. 19:13) and Elisha (1 Kin. 19:19); cf. John the Baptist (Matt. 3:4)] to ·trick [deceive] people. 5 Each of them will say, ‘I am not a prophet. I am a farmer ·and have been a farmer since I was young [L for a man sold me in my youth; C as an indentured servant to work the land].’ 6 But someone will ask, ‘What are the ·deep cuts [wounds] ·on your body [or on your chest; L between your hands; C pagan prophets often cut themselves to appeal to their gods]?’ And each will answer, ‘I was ·hurt [wounded] at my friend’s house.’
The Shepherd Is Killed
7 “·Sword, hit the [L Awake, Sword, against my] shepherd.
·Attack [L …against] the man who is my ·friend [associate],”
says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
“·Kill [Strike] the shepherd,
and the sheep will scatter [Matt. 26:31; Mark 14:27],
and I will ·punish [L turn my hand against] the little ones.”
8 The Lord says, “Two-thirds of the people
through all the land will die. They will be ·gone [struck down; L cut off],
and one-third will be left.
9 The third that is left I will ·test with [L bring into the] fire,
·purifying [refining] them like silver,
testing them like gold.
Then they will call on ·me [my name],
and I will answer them.
I will say, ‘These are my people,’
and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’”
The Day of Punishment
14 The ·Lord’s day of judging [L day of the Lord; Zeph. 1:7] is coming when ·the wealth you have taken [your plunder] will be divided ·among you [in your midst; or right in front of you; while you watch].
2 I will bring all the nations together to ·fight [wage war against] Jerusalem. They will capture the city and ·rob [plunder; loot] the houses and ·attack [rape] the women. Half the people will be taken away ·as captives [into exile], but the rest of the people won’t be taken from the city.
3 Then the Lord will go to war against those nations; he will fight as in a day of battle. 4 On that day ·he [L his feet] will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. The Mount of Olives will split in two, forming a deep valley that runs east and west. Half the mountain will move toward the north, and half will move toward the south. 5 You will ·run [flee] through this mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel [C unknown location east of Jerusalem]. You will run just as you did from the earthquake when Uzziah was king of Judah [Amos 1:1]. Then the Lord my God will come and all the holy ones [C either angels or believers; Matt. 25:31; 1 Thess. 3:13; Jude 14; Rev. 19:14] with him.
6 On that day there will be no light, ·cold, or frost [or the sources of lights will diminish]. 7 There will be no other day like it, ·and the Lord knows when it will come [L a day known to the Lord]. There will be no day or night; even at evening it will still be light.
8 At that time ·fresh [bubbling; or living; life-giving] water will flow from Jerusalem. Half of it will flow east to the ·Dead [L eastern] Sea, and half will flow west to the ·Mediterranean [L western] Sea. It will flow summer and winter.
9 Then the Lord will be king over the whole world. ·At that time [L On that day] ·there will be only one Lord [L the Lord will be one; Deut. 6:4–5], and his name ·will be the only name [L one].
10 All the land south of Jerusalem from Geba [C six miles northeast of Jerusalem, the northern boundary of Judah] to ·Rimmon [C thirty-five miles southwest of Jerusalem] will be ·turned into a plain [or like the Arabah; C the Jordan Valley, from Mount Hermon to the Gulf of Aqaba]. Jerusalem will be raised up, but it will stay in the same place. The city will reach from the Benjamin Gate and to the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses. 11 People will live there, and it will never be destroyed again. Jerusalem will ·be safe [dwell in security].
12 But the Lord will bring a terrible ·disease [plague] on the nations that fought against Jerusalem. Their flesh will rot away while they are still standing up. Their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. 13 ·At that time [L On that day] the Lord will cause panic. Everybody will grab ·his [L the hand of his] neighbor, and they will ·attack each other [L raise his hand against the hand of his neighbor]. 14 ·The people of Judah [L Judah] will fight in Jerusalem. And the wealth of the nations around them will be collected—much gold, silver, and clothes. 15 A similar ·disease [plague] will strike the horses, mules, camels, donkeys, and all the animals in the camps.
16 All of those left alive of the ·people [nations] who came to fight Jerusalem will come back to Jerusalem year after year to worship the King, the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], and to celebrate the Feast of ·Shelters [Booths; Tabernacles; Deut. 31:9–13]. 17 Anyone from the nations who does not go to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], will not have rain fall on his land. 18 If the Egyptians do not go to Jerusalem, they will not have rain. Then the Lord will send them the same ·terrible disease [plague] he sent the other nations that did not celebrate the Feast of ·Shelters [Booths; Tabernacles]. 19 This will be the punishment for Egypt and any nation that does not go up to celebrate the Feast of Shelters.
20 ·At that time [L On that day] the horses’ bells will have written on them: holy to the lord. The cooking pots in the Temple of the Lord will be like the holy altar bowls. 21 Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], and everyone who offers sacrifices will be able to take food from them and cook in them. ·At that time [L On that day] there will not be any ·buyers or sellers [or Canaanite] in the Temple of the Lord [Matt. 21:12–13; John 2:13–16] ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
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