Zechariah 12

1The burden of the word of Jehovah concerning Israel. Thus saith Jehovah, who stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him:

1This is a message from the LORD concerning Israel. The LORD, who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the human spirit within a person, says:

2Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of reeling unto all the peoples round about, and upon Judah also shall it be in the siege against Jerusalem.

2I am going to make Jerusalem like a cup of wine that makes all the surrounding nations stagger. Judah will also be trapped in the siege against Jerusalem.

3And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all the peoples; all that burden themselves with it shall be sore wounded; and all the nations of the earth shall be gathered together against it.

3On that day, I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the nations. Everyone who tries to lift it will be badly hurt, even though all the nations of the earth gather against it.

4In that day, saith Jehovah, I will smite every horse with terror, and his rider with madness; and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the peoples with blindness.

4On that day, declares the LORD, I will strike every horse with panic and every rider with madness. I will keep a watchful eye on the house of Judah, but I will strike all the horses of the enemy nations with blindness.

5And the chieftains of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in Jehovah of hosts their God.

5Then the leaders of Judah will say to themselves, 'The people of Jerusalem are strong because the LORD of Armies is their God.'

6In that day will I make the chieftains of Judah like a pan of fire among wood, and like a flaming torch among sheaves; and they shall devour all the peoples round about, on the right hand and on the left; and they of Jerusalem shall yet again dwell in their own place, even in Jerusalem.

6On that day I will make the leaders of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile or a flaming torch among bundles of grain. They will burn up all the neighboring nations on the right and on the left, while Jerusalem remains inhabited in its original place.

7Jehovah also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem be not magnified above Judah.

7The LORD will save the families of Judah first, so that the glory of David’s family and the glory of the people of Jerusalem will not seem greater than that of Judah.

8In that day shall Jehovah 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 Jehovah before them.

8On that day the LORD will protect the people of Jerusalem; the weakest person among them will be as strong as David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD leading them.

9And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

9On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that come to attack Jerusalem.

10And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication; and they shall look unto 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 first-born.

10I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and the people of Jerusalem. They will look at me, the one they pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

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

11On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddo.

12And 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;

12The whole land will mourn, each family by itself: the family of David by itself and their wives by themselves, the family of Nathan by itself and their wives by themselves;

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

13the family of Levi by itself and their wives by themselves, the family of Shimei by itself and their wives by themselves;

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

14and all the other remaining families by themselves and their wives by themselves.