זְכַרְיָה 12

1 מַשָּׂ֥א דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל נְאֻם־יְהוָ֗ה נֹטֶ֤ה שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְיֹסֵ֣ד אָ֔רֶץ וְיֹצֵ֥ר רֽוּחַ־אָדָ֖ם בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃ פ

[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 הִנֵּ֣ה אָ֠נֹכִי שָׂ֣ם אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֧ם סַף־רַ֛עַל לְכָל־הָעַמִּ֖ים סָבִ֑יב וְגַ֧ם עַל־יְהוּדָ֛ה יִֽהְיֶ֥ה בַמָּצ֖וֹר עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃

“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 וְהָיָ֣ה בַיּוֹם־הַ֠הוּא אָשִׂ֨ים אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֜ם אֶ֤בֶן מַֽעֲמָסָה֙ לְכָל־הָ֣עַמִּ֔ים כָּל־עֹמְסֶ֖יהָ שָׂר֣וֹט יִשָּׂרֵ֑טוּ וְנֶאֶסְפ֣וּ עָלֶ֔יהָ כֹּ֖ל גּוֹיֵ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ׃

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 בַּיּ֨וֹם הַה֜וּא נְאֻם־יְהוָ֗ה אַכֶּ֤ה כָל־סוּס֙ בַּתִּמָּה֔וֹן וְרֹכְב֖וֹ בַּשִּׁגָּע֑וֹן וְעַל־בֵּ֤ית יְהוּדָה֙ אֶפְקַ֣ח אֶת־עֵינַ֔י וְכֹל֙ ס֣וּס הָֽעַמִּ֔ים אַכֶּ֖ה בַּֽעִוָּרֽוֹן׃

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 וְאָֽמְר֛וּ אַלֻּפֵ֥י יְהוּדָ֖ה בְּלִבָּ֑ם אַמְצָ֥ה לִי֙ יֹשְׁבֵ֣י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם בַּיהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃

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 בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֡וּא אָשִׂים֩ אֶת־אַלֻּפֵ֨י יְהוּדָ֜ה כְּֽכִיּ֧וֹר אֵ֣שׁ בְּעֵצִ֗ים וּכְלַפִּ֥יד אֵשׁ֙ בְּעָמִ֔יר וְאָ֨כְל֜וּ עַל־יָמִ֧ין וְעַל־שְׂמֹ֛אול אֶת־כָּל־הָעַמִּ֖ים סָבִ֑יב וְיָשְׁבָ֨ה יְרוּשָׁלִַ֥ם ע֛וֹד תַּחְתֶּ֖יהָ בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ פ

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 וְהוֹשִׁ֧יעַ יְהוָ֛ה אֶת־אָהֳלֵ֥י יְהוּדָ֖ה בָּרִֽאשֹׁנָ֑ה לְמַ֨עַן לֹֽא־תִגְדַּ֜ל תִּפְאֶ֣רֶת בֵּית־דָּוִ֗יד וְתִפְאֶ֛רֶת יֹשֵׁ֥ב יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם עַל־יְהוּדָֽה׃

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 בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יָגֵ֤ן יְהוָה֙ בְּעַד֙ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם וְהָיָ֞ה הַנִּכְשָׁ֥ל בָּהֶ֛ם בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא כְּדָוִ֑יד וּבֵ֤ית דָּוִיד֙ כֵּֽאלֹהִ֔ים כְּמַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהוָ֖ה לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃

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 וְהָיָ֖ה בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא אֲבַקֵּ֗שׁ לְהַשְׁמִיד֙ אֶת־כָּל־הַגּוֹיִ֔ם הַבָּאִ֖ים עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃

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

10 וְשָׁפַכְתִּי֩ עַל־בֵּ֨ית דָּוִ֜יד וְעַ֣ל ׀ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב יְרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם ר֤וּחַ חֵן֙ וְתַ֣חֲנוּנִ֔ים וְהִבִּ֥יטוּ אֵלַ֖י אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁר־דָּקָ֑רוּ וְסָפְד֣וּ עָלָ֗יו כְּמִסְפֵּד֙ עַל־הַיָּחִ֔יד וְהָמֵ֥ר עָלָ֖יו כְּהָמֵ֥ר עַֽל־הַבְּכֽוֹר׃

“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 בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יִגְדַּ֤ל הַמִּסְפֵּד֙ בִּיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם כְּמִסְפַּ֥ד הֲדַדְ־רִמּ֖וֹן בְּבִקְעַ֥ת מְגִדּֽוֹן׃

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 וְסָפְדָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ מִשְׁפָּח֥וֹת מִשְׁפָּח֖וֹת לְבָ֑ד מִשְׁפַּ֨חַת בֵּית־דָּוִ֤יד לְבָד֙ וּנְשֵׁיהֶ֣ם לְבָ֔ד מִשְׁפַּ֤חַת בֵּית־נָתָן֙ לְבָ֔ד וּנְשֵׁיהֶ֖ם לְבָֽד׃

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 מִשְׁפַּ֤חַת בֵּית־לֵוִי֙ לְבָ֔ד וּנְשֵׁיהֶ֖ם לְבָ֑ד מִשְׁפַּ֤חַת הַשִּׁמְעִי֙ לְבָ֔ד וּנְשֵׁיהֶ֖ם לְבָֽד׃

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 כֹּ֗ל הַמִּשְׁפָּחוֹת֙ הַנִּשְׁאָר֔וֹת מִשְׁפָּחֹ֥ת מִשְׁפָּחֹ֖ת לְבָ֑ד וּנְשֵׁיהֶ֖ם לְבָֽד׃ ס

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