< Zechariah 13 >

1 "In that day there will be a spring opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.
“On that day a spring will be opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for their sin and impurity.
2 It will come to pass in that day, says YHWH of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they will be remembered no more. I will also cause the prophets and the spirit of impurity to pass out of the land.
On that day—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts—I will cut off the names of the idols from the land and they will no longer be remembered. I will remove the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land.
3 It will happen that, when anyone still prophesies, then his father and his mother who bore him will tell him, 'You must die, because you speak lies in the name of YHWH;' and his father and his mother who bore him will stab him when he prophesies.
If any man continues to prophesy, his father and mother who bore him will tell him, 'You will not live, for you speak lies in the name of Yahweh!' Then the father and mother who bore him will pierce him when he prophesies.
4 It will happen in that day, that the prophets will each be ashamed of his vision, when he prophesies; neither will they wear a hairy mantle to deceive:
On that day each prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he is about to prophesy. These prophets will no longer wear a hairy cloak, in order to deceive the people.
5 but he will say, 'I am no prophet, I am a tiller of the ground; for I have been made a bondservant from my youth.'
For each will say, 'I am not a prophet! I am a man who works the soil, for the land became my work while I was still a young man!'
6 One will say to him, 'What are these wounds between your hands?' Then he will answer, 'Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.'
But someone will say to him, 'What are these wounds between your arms?' and he will answer, 'I was wounded with those in my friends' house.'”
7 "Awake, sword, against my shepherd, and against the man who is close to me," says YHWH of hosts. "I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; and I will turn my hand against the little ones.
“Sword! Rouse yourself against my shepherd, the man who stands close to me— this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts. Strike the shepherd, and the flock will scatter! For I will turn my hand against the lowly ones.
8 It shall happen that in all the land," says YHWH, "two parts in it will be cut off and die; but the third will be left in it.
Then it will come about that throughout all the land—this is Yahweh's declaration— that two-thirds of it will be cut off! Those people will perish; only one-third will remain there.
9 I will bring the third part into the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will test them like gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will hear them. I will say, 'It is my people;' and they will say, 'YHWH is my God.'"
I will bring that third through the fire and refine them as silver is refined; I will test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will answer them and say, 'This is my people!' and they will say, 'Yahweh is my God!'”

< Zechariah 13 >