Zechariah 12

1 The burden of a word of YHWH on Israel. A declaration of YHWH, Stretching out the heavens, and founding earth, And forming the spirit of man in his midst:

This is a declaration of Yahweh's word concerning Israel—a declaration of Yahweh, who stretched out the skies and laid the foundation of the earth, who fashions the spirit of mankind within man,

2 “Behold, I am making Jerusalem a cup of reeling To all the surrounding peoples, And it is also against Judah, In the siege against Jerusalem.

“See, I am about to make Jerusalem into a cup causing all the peoples surrounding her to stagger about. It will also be like that for Judah during the siege against Jerusalem.

3 And it has come to pass in that day, I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone to all the peoples, All loading it are completely pressed down, And gathered against it have been all nations of the earth.

On that day, I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. Anyone trying to lift that stone will hurt himself very much, and all the nations of the earth will gather against that city.

4 In that day,” a declaration of YHWH, “I strike every horse with astonishment, And its rider with madness, And on the house of Judah I open My eyes, And every horse of the peoples I strike with blindness.

On that day—this is Yahweh's declaration—I will strike every horse with confusion and its rider with madness. Over the house of Judah I will open my eyes, but every horse of the peoples I will strike with blindness.

5 And leaders of Judah have said in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem [are] strength to me, In YHWH of Hosts their God.

Then the leaders of Judah will say in their hearts, 'The inhabitants of Jerusalem are our strength because of Yahweh of hosts, their God.'

6 In that day I make the leaders of Judah As a hearth of fire among trees, And as a torch of fire in a sheaf, And they have consumed—on the right and on the left—all the surrounding peoples, And Jerusalem has again inhabited her place in Jerusalem.

On that day I will make the leaders of Judah like firepots among wood and like a flaming torch among standing grain, for they will consume all the surrounding peoples on their right and on their left. Jerusalem will again live in her own place.”

7 And YHWH has saved the tents of Judah first, So that the beauty of the house of David does not become great against Judah, And the beauty of the inhabitant of Jerusalem.

Yahweh will save the tents of Judah first, so that the honor of the house of David and the honor of those who live in Jerusalem may not be greater than the rest of Judah.

8 In that day YHWH covers over the inhabitant of Jerusalem, And the stumbling among them has been in that day as David, And the house of David as God—As the Messenger of YHWH—before them.

On that day Yahweh will be the defender of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and on that day those who are weak among them will be like David, while the house of David will be like God, like the angel of Yahweh in front of them.

9 And it has come to pass in that day, I seek to destroy all the nations Who are coming in against Jerusalem,

“On that day that I will begin to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

10 And I have poured on the house of David, And on the inhabitant of Jerusalem, The Spirit of grace and supplications, And they have looked to Me whom they pierced, And they have mourned over Him, Like a mourning over the only one, And they have been in bitterness for Him, Like a bitterness over the firstborn.

But I will pour out a spirit of compassion and pleading on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so they will look on me, the one they have pierced. They will mourn for me, as one mourns for an only son; they will bitterly lament for him like those who lament the death of a firstborn son.

11 In that day, great is the mourning of Jerusalem, As the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Megiddon,

On that day the laments in Jerusalem will be like the laments at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.

12 And the land has mourned—every family apart, The family of the house of David apart, And their women apart; The family of the house of Nathan apart, And their women apart;

The land will mourn, each clan separate from other clans. The clan of the house of David will be separate and their wives will be separate from the men. The clan of the house of Nathan will be separate and their wives will be separate from the men.

13 The family of the house of Levi apart, And their women apart; The family of Shimei apart, And their women apart,

The clan of the house of Levi will be separate and their wives will be separate from the men. The clan of the Shimeites will be separate and their wives will be separate from the men.

14 All the families that are left, Every family apart, and their women apart!”

Every clan of the remaining clans—each clan will be separate and the wives will be separate from the men.”