Zechariah 12

1 The oracle of the word of Yahweh, on Israel, —Declareth Yahweh—Stretching out the heavens, and founding the earth, and fashioning the spirit of man within him:

[This is] a message from Yahweh concerning Israel. Yahweh is the one who stretched out the sky, who created the earth, and who (gave life to humans/caused humans to be alive). This is what he says:

2 Lo! I am making Jerusalem a bowl of reeling to all the peoples, round about, —Moreover also, on Judah, shall it be in the siege against Jerusalem;

“I will soon cause Jerusalem to be [like] [MET] a cup full [of very strong alcoholic drink], and the people of other nations who drink it will stagger around. And they will come and attack Jerusalem and [the other towns in] Judah.

3 And it shall come to pass, in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a lifting-stone, to all the peoples, all who seek to lift her, shall, cut themselves in pieces, —though all the nations of the earth, gather themselves together against her.

At that time, [the armies of] all the nations will gather to attack Jerusalem, but I will cause [the leaders of] Judah to be [like] [SIM] a very heavy rock, and all who [try to] lift it will be badly injured.

4 In that day, Declareth Yahweh, I will smite every horse with terror, and his rider with madness, —and, over the house of Judah, will I keep opening mine eyes, and, every horse of the peoples, will I smite with blindness.

At that time I will cause every [one of their enemies’] horses to panic, and their riders to become crazy. I [IDM] will protect the people of Judah, but I will cause all their enemies’ horses to become blind.

5 Then will the chiefs of Judah say in their hearts, —A strength unto me, [would be] the inhabitants of Jerusalem, in Yahweh of hosts, their God.

Then the leaders of Judah will say to themselves, ‘The people in Jerusalem are strong because the Commander of the armies of angels is their God.’

6 In that day, will I make the chiefs of Judah like a pan of fire among sticks, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf, so shall they devour, on the right hand and on the left, all the peoples round about; so shall Jerusalem yet, be inhabited, in her own place, as Jerusalem.

At that time I will enable the leaders of Judah to be like [SIM] a pan containing hot coals [that is put] in a woodpile [to set it on fire], or like [SIM] a burning torch [that is put] in a [field of] ripe grain [to set it on fire]. The leaders of Judah [and their army] will destroy the people of the surrounding nations in all directions. But [the people of] Jerusalem will remain safe.

7 But Yahweh will save the tents of Judah first, —lest the honour of the house of David, and the honour of the inhabitant of Jerusalem, should be magnified over Judah.

And [I], Yahweh, will protect the tents of [the soldiers in other places in] Judah before [I rescue the people of Jerusalem], in order that the leaders of Jerusalem [DOU] will not be honored more than [the people in other places in] Judah [are honored].

8 In that day, will Yahweh, throw a covering, around the inhabitant of Jerusalem, so shall the tottering among them, in that day, become like David, —and the house of David—like God, like the messenger of Yahweh, before them.

At that time, I will protect [MET] the people of Jerusalem. When that happens, even the weakest people in Jerusalem will be [strong] like [King] David [was]. And the descendants [MTY] of David will [rule the people] like I [would], as though an angel sent from [me], Yahweh, was their leader.

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

At that time, I will prepare to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem.”

10 But I will pour out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitant of Jerusalem, the spirit of favour, and of supplications, and they will look unto me, whom they have pierced, —and will wail over him, as one waileth over an only son, and will make bitter outcry over him, as one maketh bitter outcry over a firstborn.

“I, [Yahweh, ] will cause the descendants [MTY] of [King] David to act very kindly and mercifully. They will look at me, [the one] who has been stabbed, and they will cry bitterly, like people cry for a firstborn son [who has died] [DOU].

11 In that day, will the wailing, be great, in Jerusalem, as the wailing of Hadadrimmon, in the valley of Megiddon;

At that time, many people in Jerusalem will be crying bitterly, like people cried [when King Josiah was killed in the battle] at Hadad-Rimmon on the Megiddo Plain.

12 So shall the land, wail, family by 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;

Many people in Judah will cry, each family by themselves: the male descendants of David by themselves, and their wives by themselves, the male descendants of [David’s son] Nathan by themselves, and their wives by themselves,

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

the male descendants [MTY] of Levi by themselves, and their wives by themselves, the male descendants of [Levi’s grandson] Shimei by themselves, and their wives by themselves,

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

and all the other members [of the kings’ clans and the priests’ clans] by themselves, and their wives by themselves.”