Zechariah 13

1 In that day, there shall be an opened fountain, for the house of David, and for the Inhabitants of Jerusalem, —for sin and for uncleanness.

At that time [it will be as though] [MET] there will be a fountain from which water flows continually to cleanse the descendants [MTY] of [King] David and [all] the [other] people in Jerusalem from the guilt of the sins that they have committed, [especially] from becoming unacceptable to me [by worshiping idols].

2 And it shall come to pass, in that day, declareth Yahweh of hosts, That I will cut off the names of idols out of the land, and they shall not be remembered any more, —Moreover also, even the prophets and the spirit of impurity, will I cause to pass away out of the land.

The Commander of the armies of angels says, “At that time, I will prevent [people from even mentioning] the names of the idols in their country, and no one will remember them any more. I will also expel from the land all the people who falsely claim that they are prophets [DOU].

3 So shall it come about that, when any man shall prophesy again, then will his own father and his own mother, of whom he was born, say unto him, —Thou shalt not live! For falsehood hast thou spoken in the name of Yahweh, —So will his own father and his own mother of whom he was born, pierce him through, when he prophesieth,

If someone continues to prophesy [falsely], his parents must say to him, ‘You have told lies saying that Yahweh [MTY] gave those messages to you, so you must be executed.’ [So] if someone prophesies [like that], his own father and mother must stab him [and kill him].

4 Yea it shall come to pass, in that day, that the prophets, will turn pale, every man by reason of his vision when he prophesieth, —neither will they put on a mantle of hair to deceive.

At that time, the false prophets will be ashamed [that they claimed to have received messages from me in] their visions and prophesies [that they told to people]. They will no [longer] deceive people by wearing the clothes [that prophets usually wear], clothes made of [animals’] hair.

5 But he will say, No prophet, am I, —One tilling the ground, am I, for, one of the common people, hath owned me from my youth.

[So] each of them will say, ‘I am not [really] a prophet; I am a farmer, and I have been a farmer on my land ever since I was a boy!’

6 Then will one say unto him, What are these wounds between thy hands? And he will say, Wherewith I was wounded in the house of them who loved me.

But someone, [seeing the wounds on one of those prophet’s bodies, will suspect that he injured himself during rituals to worship idols, and he] will ask ‘Why are those wounds on your body?’ And he [will lie, saying] ‘I was injured [when I was] at my friend’s house.’”

7 O Sword! awake against my shepherd, even against the man that is my companion, urgeth Yahweh of hosts, —Smite the shepherd, and let the flock, be scattered, Howbeit I will turn back my hand over the little ones.

The Commander of the armies of angels says, “[My] sword [APO] must strike [the one who is like] [MET] my shepherd, the man who is (my companion/very (close/dear) to me). When the shepherd is killed, [those who are like] [MET] his sheep will scatter. [And those who are like] [MET] my little sheep will [also] be attacked [IDM].”

8 And it shall come to pass, in all the land, declareth Yahweh, Two-thirds therein, shall be cut off, and expire, —but, a third, shall be left therein;

Yahweh [also] says, “Two-thirds [of the people in Judah] will die [DOU]. [Only] one-third [of the people in Judah] will remain alive.

9 And I will bring the third into the fire, and will smelt them as one smelteth silver, and will try them, as one trieth gold, —It, will call upon my name, and, I, will answer it, and will say, My people, it is! and, it, will say, Yahweh, is my God!

And I will test the ones that remain alive [by causing them to experience great difficulties, to find out if they will continue to worship me]. I will purify them like [MET] a man purifies gold or silver by putting it into a [very hot] fire. [Then] my people will call to me [MTY] [for help], and I will answer them. I will say [to them], ‘You are my people,’ and they will say, ‘Yahweh is our God.’”