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12 The burden of the word of the Lord on Israel. And the Lord said, stretching forth heaven, and founding the earth, and making the spirit of a man in him, (The charge, or the heavy burden, of the word of the Lord for Israel. And the Lord said, stretching forth the heavens, and founding the earth, and making, or forming, the spirit of a man within him,)

Lo! I shall set Jerusalem (as) a lintel of gluttony to all peoples in compass, but also Judah shall be in besieging against Jerusalem.

And it shall be, in that day I shall set Jerusalem a stone of burden to all peoples; all that shall lift it shall be drawn with cutting down, and all realms of earth shall be gathered against it. (And it shall be, on that day I shall make Jerusalem like a burdensome stone to all the nations; yea, all who shall try to lift it shall be drawn, or shall be cut, down, and all the kingdoms of the earth shall be gathered against it.)

In that day, saith the Lord, I shall smite each horse in[to] dread, either losing of mind, and the rider of him in[to] madness; and on the house of Judah I shall open mine eyes, and shall smite with blindness each horse of (the) peoples. (On that day, saith the Lord, I shall strike each horse with fear, that is, unto the losing of its mind, and his rider with madness; and I shall open my eyes upon the house of Judah, and I shall strike each horse of the nations with blindness.)

And the dukes of Judah shall say in their hearts, Be the dwellers of Jerusalem strengthened to me in the Lord of hosts, the God of them. (And the leaders of Judah shall say in their hearts, Let the inhabitants of Jerusalem find their strength in the Lord of hosts, their God.)

In that day I shall set the dukes of Judah as a chimney of fire in wood, and as a brand of fire in hay; and they shall devour at the right side and left side all peoples in compass. And Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in his place, in Jerusalem. (On that day I shall make the leaders of Judah like a chimney of fire in the woods, and like a firebrand in the hay; and they shall devour on the right side and on the left side all the nations around them. And Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in its place, yea, in Jerusalem.)

And the Lord shall save the tabernacles of Judah, as in the beginning, that the house of David glory not greatly, and the glory of men dwelling in Jerusalem be not against Judah. (And the Lord shall save the tents, or the armies, of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David, and the glory of those who live in Jerusalem, be not greater than that of Judah.)

In that day the Lord shall defend the dwellers of Jerusalem; and he that shall offend of them, shall be in that day as David, and the house of David shall be as of God, as the angel of the Lord in the sight of him. (On that day the Lord shall defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he of them who shall stumble on that day, shall be as strong as David, and the house of David shall be like God, yea, like the angel of the Lord going before them.)

And it shall be, in that day I shall seek to all-break all folks that come against Jerusalem. (And it shall be, on that day, I shall seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.)

10 And I shall pour out on the house of David, and on the dwellers of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace, and of prayers; and they shall behold to me, whom they pricked. And they shall bewail him with wailing, as on the one begotten son; and they shall make sorrow on him, as sorrow is wont to be made in the death of the first begotten son. (And I shall pour out upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace, and the spirit of prayer; and they shall look upon me, whom they have pierced. And they shall bewail me with wailing, as if over their only child; and they shall make sorrow upon him, as sorrow is wont to be made upon the death of the first-born son.)

11 In that day great wailing shall be in Jerusalem, as the wailing of Hadadrimmon in the field of Megiddon. (On that day great wailing shall be in Jerusalem, like the wailing of Hadadrimmon on the Plain of Megiddo.)

12 And the land shall wail; families and families by themselves; the families of the house of David by themselves, and the women of them by themselves; families of the house of Nathan by themselves, and the women of them by themselves;

13 families of the house of Levi by themselves, and the women of them by themselves; families of Shimei by themselves, and the women of them by themselves.

14 All other families, families and families by themselves, and the women of them by themselves.

Jerusalem’s Enemies to Be Destroyed

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

The Lord, who stretches out the heavens,(B) who lays the foundation of the earth,(C) and who forms the human spirit within a person,(D) declares: “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup(E) that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling.(F) Judah(G) will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations(H) of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock(I) for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure(J) 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.(K) Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong,(L) because the Lord Almighty is their God.’

“On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot(M) in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume(N) all the surrounding peoples right and left, but Jerusalem will remain intact(O) 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.(P) On that day the Lord will shield(Q) those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest(R) among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God,(S) like the angel of the Lord going before(T) them. On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations(U) that attack Jerusalem.(V)

Mourning for the One They Pierced

10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit[a](W) of grace and supplication.(X) They will look on[b] me, the one they have pierced,(Y) and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child,(Z) and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.(AA) 11 On that day the weeping(AB) in Jerusalem will be as great as the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.(AC) 12 The land will mourn,(AD) 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.(AE)

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 12:10 Or the Spirit
  2. Zechariah 12:10 Or to

12 The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, saith the Lord, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.

Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.

And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.

In that day, saith the Lord, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.

And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God.

In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.

The Lord also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah.

In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.

12 And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;

13 The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;

14 All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.