Zechariah 12

1 An oracle. The word of YHWH concerning Israel. YHWH, who stretches out the heavens, and lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him says:

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:

2 "Look, I will make Jerusalem a cup of reeling to all the surrounding peoples, and on Judah also will it be in the siege against Jerusalem.

“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.

3 It will happen in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all the peoples. All who burden themselves with it will be severely wounded, and all the nations of the earth will be gathered together against it.

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.

4 In that day," says YHWH, "I will strike every horse with terror, and his rider with madness; and I will open my eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.

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.

5 The chieftains of Judah will say in their heart, 'The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in YHWH of hosts their God.'

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

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

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.

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

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.

8 In that day YHWH will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem. He who is feeble among them at that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of YHWH before them.

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.

9 It will happen in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

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

10 I will pour on the house of David, and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of petition; and they will look to me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son, and will grieve bitterly for him, as one grieves for his firstborn.

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.

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

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

12 The land will 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;

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;

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

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

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

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