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Zechariah 8-14
New American Standard Bible

The Coming Peace and Prosperity of Zion

8 Then the word of the Lord of armies came, saying, 2 “The Lord of armies says this: ‘I am (A)exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.’ 3 The Lord says this: ‘I will return to Zion and (B)dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of (C)Truth, and the mountain of the Lord of armies will be called the Holy Mountain.’ 4 The Lord of armies says this: ‘(D)Old men and old women will again sit in the public squares of Jerusalem, each person with his staff in his hand because of [a]age. 5 And the public squares of the city will be filled with (E)boys and girls playing in its squares.’ 6 The Lord of armies says this: ‘If it is (F)too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be (G)too difficult in My sight?’ declares the Lord of armies. 7 The Lord of armies says this: ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the [b](H)east and from the land of the [c]west; 8 and I will (I)bring them back and they will (J)live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be (K)My people, and I will be their God in [d]truth and righteousness.’

9 “The Lord of armies says this: ‘Let your hands be (L)strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the (M)prophets, those who spoke in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of armies was laid, so that the temple might be built. 10 For before those days there was (N)no wage for man nor any wage for animal; and for him who went out or came in there was no [e](O)peace because of [f]his enemies, and I (P)sent all the people against one another. 11 But now I will (Q)not [g]treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ declares the Lord of armies. 12 ‘For there will be (R)the seed of peace: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce, and the heavens will provide their (S)dew; and I will give to the remnant of this people (T)all these things as an inheritance. 13 And it will come about that just as you were a (U)curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a (V)blessing. Do not fear; let your (W)hands be strong.’

14 “For this is what the Lord of armies says: ‘Just as I (X)determined to do harm to you when your fathers provoked Me to anger,’ says the Lord of armies, ‘and I have not (Y)relented, 15 so I have again determined in these days to (Z)do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. (AA)Do not fear! 16 These are the things which you shall do: speak the (AB)truth to one another; (AC)judge with truth and judgment for peace at your [h]gates. 17 Also let none of you (AD)devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love [i](AE)perjury; for all these things are what I (AF)hate,’ declares the Lord.”

18 Then the word of the Lord of armies came to me, saying, 19 “The Lord of armies says this: ‘The fast of the (AG)fourth, the fast of the (AH)fifth, the fast of the (AI)seventh, and the fast of the (AJ)tenth months will become (AK)joy, jubilation, and [j]cheerful festivals for the house of Judah; so (AL)love truth and peace.’

20 “The Lord of armies says this: ‘It will yet turn out that (AM)peoples will come, that is, the inhabitants of many cities. 21 The inhabitants of one city will go to another, saying, “Let’s go at once to (AN)plead for the favor of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of armies; [k]I also will go.” 22 So (AO)many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the Lord of armies in Jerusalem, and to (AP)plead for the favor of the Lord.’ 23 The Lord of armies says this: ‘In those days ten people from all the [l]nations will [m](AQ)grasp the [n]garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”

Prophecies against Neighboring Nations

9 The pronouncement of the word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach, with (AR)Damascus as its resting place (for the eyes of mankind, especially of all the tribes of Israel, are toward the Lord),

2 And (AS)Hamath also, which borders on it;
(AT)Tyre and (AU)Sidon, [o]though [p]they are (AV)very wise.
3 For Tyre built herself a (AW)fortress,
And (AX)piled up silver like dust,
And (AY)gold like the mud of the streets.
4 Behold, the Lord will (AZ)dispossess her
And throw her wealth into the sea;
And she will be (BA)consumed with fire.
5 Ashkelon will see it and be afraid.
Gaza too will writhe in great pain;
Also Ekron, because her hope has been ruined.
Moreover, the king will perish from Gaza,
And Ashkelon will not be inhabited.
6 And a people of mixed origins will live in (BB)Ashdod,
And I will eliminate the pride of the Philistines.
7 And I will remove their blood from their mouth
And their detestable things from between their teeth.
Then they also will be a remnant for our God,
And be like a [q]clan in Judah,
And Ekron will be like a Jebusite.
8 But I will camp around My house [r]because of an army,
Because of (BC)him who passes by and returns;
And (BD)no oppressor will pass over them anymore,
For now I have seen with My eyes.
9 (BE)Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your (BF)king is coming to you;
He is [s](BG)righteous and (BH)endowed with salvation,
(BI)Humble, and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a (BJ)colt, the [t]foal of a donkey.
10 And I will (BK)eliminate the chariot from Ephraim
And the (BL)horse from Jerusalem;
And the (BM)bow of war will be eliminated.
And He will speak (BN)peace to the nations;
And His (BO)dominion will be from sea to sea,
And from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.

Restoration of Judah and Ephraim

11 As for you also, because of the (BP)blood of My covenant with you,
I have set your (BQ)prisoners free from the [u]waterless pit.
12 Return to the [v](BR)stronghold, you prisoners [w]who have the (BS)hope;
This very day I am declaring that I will restore (BT)double to you.
13 For I will (BU)bend Judah [x]as My bow,
I will fill the bow with Ephraim.
And I will stir up your sons, Zion, against your sons, (BV)Greece;
And I will make you like a (BW)warrior’s sword.
14 Then the Lord will appear (BX)over them,
And His (BY)arrow will go forth like lightning;
And the Lord [y]God will blow the (BZ)trumpet,
And march in the (CA)storm winds of the south.
15 (CB)The Lord of armies will protect them.
And they will (CC)devour and trample on the (CD)slingstones;
And they will drink and be (CE)boisterous as with wine;
And they will be filled like a sacrificial basin,
Drenched like the (CF)corners of the altar.
16 And the Lord their God will (CG)save them on that day
As the flock of His people;
For they are like the precious stones of a (CH)crown,
Sparkling on His land.
17 For how great will [z]their (CI)loveliness and (CJ)beauty be!
Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine, the virgins.

God Will Bless Judah and Ephraim

10 Ask for (CK)rain from the Lord at the time of the spring rain—

The Lord who (CL)makes the [aa]storm winds;
And He will give them (CM)showers of rain, vegetation in the field to each person.
2 For the [ab](CN)household idols speak deception,
And the (CO)diviners see [ac]an illusion
And tell (CP)deceitful dreams;
They comfort in vain.
Therefore the people [ad]wander like (CQ)sheep,
They are wretched because there is no shepherd.
3 “My (CR)anger is kindled against the shepherds,
And I will punish the [ae]male goats;
For the Lord of armies has (CS)visited His flock, the house of Judah,
And will make them like His majestic horse in battle.
4 From [af]them will come the (CT)cornerstone,
From [ag]them the tent peg,
From [ah]them the bow of (CU)battle,
From [ai]them every tyrant, all of them together.
5 And they will be like warriors,
(CV)Trampling down the enemy in the mud of the streets in battle;
And they will fight, because the Lord will be with them;
And the (CW)riders on horses will be put to shame.
6 And I will (CX)strengthen the house of Judah,
And I will (CY)save the house of Joseph,
And I will [aj](CZ)bring them back,
Because I have had (DA)compassion on them;
And they will be as though I had (DB)not rejected them,
For I am the Lord their God and I will (DC)answer them.
7 Ephraim will be like a warrior,
And their heart will be joyful as if from wine;
Indeed, their (DD)children will see it and be joyful,
[ak]Their heart will rejoice in the Lord.
8 I will (DE)whistle for them and gather them together,
For I have redeemed them;
And they will be as (DF)numerous as they [al](DG)were before.
9 When I [am]scatter them among the peoples,
They will (DH)remember Me in distant countries,
And they with their children will live and come back.
10 I will (DI)bring them back from the land of Egypt
And gather them from Assyria;
And I will bring them into the land of (DJ)Gilead and Lebanon
[an]Until (DK)no room can be found for them.
11 And they will pass through the (DL)sea of distress
And He will strike the waves in the sea,
So that all the depths of the (DM)Nile will dry up;
And the pride of (DN)Assyria will be brought down,
And the scepter of (DO)Egypt will depart.
12 And I will (DP)strengthen them in the Lord,
And in His name (DQ)they will walk,” declares the Lord.

The Doomed Flock

11 Open your doors, Lebanon,

So that a (DR)fire may feed on your (DS)cedars.
2 Wail, juniper, because the cedar has fallen,
For the magnificent trees have been destroyed;
Wail, oaks of Bashan,
Because the [ao]impenetrable forest has come down.
3 There is a sound of the shepherds’ (DT)wail,
For their splendor is ruined;
There is a (DU)sound of the young lions’ roar,
For the [ap]pride of the Jordan is ruined.

4 This is what the Lord my God says: “Pasture the flock doomed to (DV)slaughter. 5 Those who buy them slaughter them and [aq]go (DW)unpunished, and each of those who sell them says, ‘Blessed be the Lord, for (DX)I have become rich!’ And their (DY)own shepherds have no compassion for them. 6 For I will (DZ)no longer have compassion for the inhabitants of the land,” declares the Lord; “but behold, I will (EA)let the people fall, each into another’s [ar]power and into the [as]power of his king; and they will crush the land, and I will (EB)not rescue them from their [at]power.”

7 So I (EC)pastured the flock doomed to slaughter, [au]therefore also the (ED)afflicted of the flock. And I took for myself two (EE)staffs: the one I called [av](EF)Favor, and the other I called (EG)Union; so I pastured the flock. 8 Then I did away with the three shepherds in (EH)one month, for my soul was impatient with them, and their soul also [aw]was tired of me. 9 Then I said, “I will not pasture you. What is to (EI)die, [ax]let it die, and what is to perish, [ay]let it perish; and [az]let those who are left eat one another’s flesh.” 10 And I took my staff [ba](EJ)Favor and cut it in pieces, to [bb](EK)break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples. 11 So it was [bc]broken on that day, and [bd]so the (EL)afflicted of the flock who were watching me realized that it was the word of the Lord. 12 And I said to them, “If it is good in your sight, give me my (EM)wages; but if not, [be]never mind!” So they weighed out (EN)thirty shekels of silver as my wages. 13 Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the (EO)potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them.” So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord. 14 Then I cut in pieces my second staff (EP)Union, to (EQ)break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

15 And the Lord said to me, “Take again for yourself the equipment of a (ER)foolish shepherd. 16 For behold, I am going to raise up a shepherd in the land who will (ES)not care for the perishing, seek the scattered, heal the broken, or provide for the one who is exhausted, but will (ET)devour the flesh of the fat sheep and tear off their hoofs.

17 (EU)Woe to the worthless shepherd
Who abandons the flock!
A (EV)sword will be on his arm
And on his right eye!
His (EW)arm will be totally withered,
And his right eye will be [bf]blind.”

Jerusalem to Be Attacked

12 The pronouncement of the word of the Lord concerning Israel:

The Lord who (EX)stretches out the heavens, (EY)lays the foundation of the earth, and (EZ)forms the spirit of a person within him, declares: 2 “Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a (FA)cup [bg]that causes staggering to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against (FB)Judah. 3 It will come about on that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy (FC)stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will (FD)injure themselves severely. And all the (FE)nations of the earth will be gathered against it. 4 On that day,” declares the Lord, “I will strike every horse with confusion and its rider with insanity. But I will [bh]watch over the house of Judah, while I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. 5 Then the [bi]clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are a [bj]strong support for us through the Lord of armies, their God.’

6 “On that day I will make the [bk]clans of Judah like a (FF)firepot among pieces of wood and a flaming torch among sheaves, so they will consume on the right and on the left all the surrounding peoples, while [bl]the (FG)inhabitants of Jerusalem again live on their own sites in Jerusalem. 7 The Lord also will (FH)save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of (FI)David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not be greater than Judah. 8 On that day the Lord will (FJ)protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who [bm](FK)is feeble among them on that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like (FL)God, like the (FM)angel of the Lord before them. 9 And on that day I will (FN)seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

10 “And I will (FO)pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem [bn]the Spirit of grace and of pleading, so that they will look at Me whom they (FP)pierced; and they will mourn for Him, like one (FQ)mourning for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. 11 On that day the (FR)mourning in Jerusalem will be great, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the [bo]plain of [bp]Megiddo. 12 The land will mourn, every family by itself; the family of the house of David by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself and their wives by themselves; 13 the family of the house of Levi by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself and their wives by themselves; 14 all the families that are left, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves.

False Prophets Ashamed

13 “On that day a (FS)fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for (FT)sin and for (FU)defilement.

2 “And it will come about on that day,” declares the Lord of armies, “that I will (FV)eliminate the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered; and I will also remove the (FW)prophets and the (FX)unclean spirit from the land. 3 And if anyone still (FY)prophesies, then his father and mother who gave birth to him will say to him, ‘You shall (FZ)not live, because you have spoken (GA)falsely in the name of the Lord’; and his (GB)father and mother who gave birth to him shall pierce him through when he prophesies. 4 Also it will come about on that day that the prophets will each be (GC)ashamed of his vision when he prophesies, and they will not put on a (GD)hairy robe in order to deceive; 5 but he will say, ‘I am (GE)not a prophet; I am a cultivator of the ground, because a man [bq]sold me as a slave in my youth.’ 6 And someone will say to him, ‘What are these wounds (GF)between your [br]arms?’ Then he will say, ‘Those with which I was wounded at the house of [bs]my friends.’

7 “Awake, (GG)sword, against My (GH)Shepherd,
And against the Man, My (GI)Associate,”
Declares the Lord of armies.
“(GJ)Strike the Shepherd and the sheep will be scattered;
And I will (GK)turn My hand [bt]against the little ones.
8 And it will come about in all the land,”
Declares the Lord,
“That (GL)two parts in it will be cut off and perish;
But the third will be left in it.
9 And I will bring the third part through the (GM)fire,
Refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will (GN)call on My name,
And I will (GO)answer them;
I will say, ‘They are (GP)My people,’
And they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”

God Will Battle Jerusalem’s Enemies

14 Behold, a (GQ)day is coming for the Lord when (GR)the spoils taken from you will be divided among you. 2 For I will (GS)gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be taken, the (GT)houses plundered, the women raped, and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be eliminated from the city. 3 Then the Lord will go forth and (GU)fight against those nations, as [bu]when He fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day His feet will (GV)stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be (GW)split [bv]in its middle from east to west forming a very large valley. Half of the mountain will move toward the north, and the other half toward the south. 5 And you will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled from the (GX)earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. (GY)Then the Lord, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with [bw]Him!

6 On that day there will be (GZ)no light; the [bx]luminaries will die out. 7 For it will be (HA)a unique day which is (HB)known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at the (HC)time of evening there will be light.

8 And on that day (HD)living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter.

God Will Be King over All

9 And the Lord will be (HE)King over all the earth; on that day the Lord will be the only (HF)one, and His name the only one.

10 All the land will change into a plain from (HG)Geba to (HH)Rimmon south of Jerusalem; but [by]Jerusalem will (HI)rise and (HJ)remain on its site from (HK)Benjamin’s Gate as far as the place of the First Gate to the (HL)Corner Gate, and from the (HM)Tower of Hananel to the king’s wine presses. 11 People will live in it, and there will (HN)no longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will (HO)live in security.

12 Now this will be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will (HP)rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth. 13 And it will come about on that day that a great panic from the Lord will [bz]fall on them; and they will (HQ)seize one another’s hand, and the hand of one will [ca]be raised against the hand of another. 14 (HR)Judah also will fight at Jerusalem; and the (HS)wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance. 15 And just like this (HT)plague, there will be a plague on the horse, the mule, the camel, the donkey, and all the cattle that will be in those camps.

16 Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem will (HU)go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of armies, and to celebrate the (HV)Feast of Booths. 17 And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the (HW)King, the Lord of armies, there will be (HX)no rain on them. 18 And if the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the (HY)plague with which the Lord strikes the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 19 This will be the [cb]punishment of Egypt, and the [cc]punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths.

20 On that day there will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “(HZ)Holy to the Lord.” And the (IA)cooking pots in the Lord’s house will be like the bowls before the altar. 21 Every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be (IB)holy to the Lord of armies; and all who sacrifice will come and take of them and boil in them. And there will no longer be a [cd](IC)Canaanite in the house of the Lord of armies on that day.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 8:4 Lit the multitude of days
  2. Zechariah 8:7 Lit sunrise
  3. Zechariah 8:7 Lit setting sun
  4. Zechariah 8:8 Or faithfulness
  5. Zechariah 8:10 Or security
  6. Zechariah 8:10 Lit the adversary
  7. Zechariah 8:11 Lit be to the
  8. Zechariah 8:16 I.e., the place where court was held
  9. Zechariah 8:17 Lit a false oath
  10. Zechariah 8:19 Or goodly
  11. Zechariah 8:21 Or let me go too
  12. Zechariah 8:23 Lit languages of the nations
  13. Zechariah 8:23 Lit grasp, and they will grasp
  14. Zechariah 8:23 Lit hem of a garment
  15. Zechariah 9:2 Or because
  16. Zechariah 9:2 I.e., they think they are
  17. Zechariah 9:7 Or chief
  18. Zechariah 9:8 Or as a garrison, so that none will go back and forth
  19. Zechariah 9:9 Or vindicated and victorious
  20. Zechariah 9:9 Lit son of a female donkey
  21. Zechariah 9:11 Lit cistern in which there is no water
  22. Zechariah 9:12 Or Stronghold
  23. Zechariah 9:12 Lit of the hope
  24. Zechariah 9:13 Lit for Me as a bow
  25. Zechariah 9:14 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  26. Zechariah 9:17 Lit his
  27. Zechariah 10:1 Or thunderbolts
  28. Zechariah 10:2 Heb teraphim
  29. Zechariah 10:2 Lit a lie
  30. Zechariah 10:2 Lit journey
  31. Zechariah 10:3 I.e., leaders
  32. Zechariah 10:4 Lit him
  33. Zechariah 10:4 Lit him
  34. Zechariah 10:4 Lit him
  35. Zechariah 10:4 Lit him
  36. Zechariah 10:6 Another reading is have them dwell
  37. Zechariah 10:7 Or Let their heart rejoice
  38. Zechariah 10:8 Lit were numerous
  39. Zechariah 10:9 Lit sow
  40. Zechariah 10:10 Lit And
  41. Zechariah 11:2 Another reading is forest of the vintage
  42. Zechariah 11:3 Or thicket
  43. Zechariah 11:5 Lit are not held guilty
  44. Zechariah 11:6 Lit hand
  45. Zechariah 11:6 Lit hand
  46. Zechariah 11:6 Lit hand
  47. Zechariah 11:7 Another reading is for the sheep dealers
  48. Zechariah 11:7 Or Pleasantness
  49. Zechariah 11:8 Or detested
  50. Zechariah 11:9 Or will die
  51. Zechariah 11:9 Or will perish
  52. Zechariah 11:9 Or those...will eat
  53. Zechariah 11:10 Or Pleasantness
  54. Zechariah 11:10 Or annul
  55. Zechariah 11:11 Or annulled
  56. Zechariah 11:11 Another reading is the sheep dealers who
  57. Zechariah 11:12 Lit cease
  58. Zechariah 11:17 Lit completely dimmed
  59. Zechariah 12:2 Lit of reeling
  60. Zechariah 12:4 Lit open My eyes
  61. Zechariah 12:5 Or chiefs
  62. Zechariah 12:5 Lit strength for me
  63. Zechariah 12:6 Or chiefs
  64. Zechariah 12:6 Lit Jerusalem...is again inhabited on its
  65. Zechariah 12:8 Lit stumbles
  66. Zechariah 12:10 Or a spirit
  67. Zechariah 12:11 I.e., broad valley
  68. Zechariah 12:11 Heb Megiddon
  69. Zechariah 13:5 Lit caused another to buy me
  70. Zechariah 13:6 Lit hands
  71. Zechariah 13:6 Lit those who love me
  72. Zechariah 13:7 Or upon
  73. Zechariah 14:3 Lit a day of His fighting
  74. Zechariah 14:4 Lit from
  75. Zechariah 14:5 As in many mss and ancient versions; MT You
  76. Zechariah 14:6 Lit glorious ones will congeal
  77. Zechariah 14:10 Lit it
  78. Zechariah 14:13 Lit be among
  79. Zechariah 14:13 Lit rise
  80. Zechariah 14:19 Lit sin
  81. Zechariah 14:19 Lit sin
  82. Zechariah 14:21 Or merchant
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Zechariah 8-14
New International Version

The Lord Promises to Bless Jerusalem

8 The word of the Lord Almighty came to me.

2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “I am very jealous(A) for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her.”

3 This is what the Lord says: “I will return(B) to Zion(C) and dwell in Jerusalem.(D) Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City,(E) and the mountain(F) of the Lord Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.(G)”

4 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem,(H) each of them with cane in hand because of their age. 5 The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there.(I)”

6 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “It may seem marvelous to the remnant of this people at that time,(J) but will it seem marvelous to me?(K)” declares the Lord Almighty.

7 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west.(L) 8 I will bring them back(M) to live(N) in Jerusalem; they will be my people,(O) and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God.(P)”

9 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Now hear these words, ‘Let your hands be strong(Q) so that the temple may be built.’ This is also what the prophets(R) said who were present when the foundation(S) was laid for the house of the Lord Almighty. 10 Before that time there were no wages(T) for people or hire for animals. No one could go about their business safely(U) because of their enemies, since I had turned everyone against their neighbor. 11 But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as I did in the past,”(V) declares the Lord Almighty.

12 “The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit,(W) the ground will produce its crops,(X) and the heavens will drop their dew.(Y) I will give all these things as an inheritance(Z) to the remnant of this people.(AA) 13 Just as you, Judah and Israel, have been a curse[a](AB) among the nations, so I will save(AC) you, and you will be a blessing.[b](AD) Do not be afraid,(AE) but let your hands be strong.(AF)”

14 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Just as I had determined to bring disaster(AG) on you and showed no pity when your ancestors angered me,” says the Lord Almighty, 15 “so now I have determined to do good(AH) again to Jerusalem and Judah.(AI) Do not be afraid. 16 These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth(AJ) to each other, and render true and sound judgment(AK) in your courts;(AL) 17 do not plot evil(AM) against each other, and do not love to swear falsely.(AN) I hate all this,” declares the Lord.

18 The word of the Lord Almighty came to me.

19 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “The fasts of the fourth,(AO) fifth,(AP) seventh(AQ) and tenth(AR) months will become joyful(AS) and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth(AT) and peace.”

20 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, 21 and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, ‘Let us go at once to entreat(AU) the Lord and seek(AV) the Lord Almighty. I myself am going.’ 22 And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to entreat him.”(AW)

23 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’”(AX)

Judgment on Israel’s Enemies

9 A prophecy:(AY)

The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrak
    and will come to rest on Damascus(AZ)—
for the eyes of all people and all the tribes of Israel
    are on the Lord—[c]
2 and on Hamath(BA) too, which borders on it,
    and on Tyre(BB) and Sidon,(BC) though they are very skillful.
3 Tyre has built herself a stronghold;
    she has heaped up silver like dust,
    and gold like the dirt of the streets.(BD)
4 But the Lord will take away her possessions
    and destroy(BE) her power on the sea,
    and she will be consumed by fire.(BF)
5 Ashkelon(BG) will see it and fear;
    Gaza will writhe in agony,
    and Ekron too, for her hope will wither.
Gaza will lose her king
    and Ashkelon will be deserted.
6 A mongrel people will occupy Ashdod,
    and I will put an end(BH) to the pride of the Philistines.
7 I will take the blood from their mouths,
    the forbidden food from between their teeth.
Those who are left will belong to our God(BI)
    and become a clan in Judah,
    and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.(BJ)
8 But I will encamp(BK) at my temple
    to guard it against marauding forces.(BL)
Never again will an oppressor overrun my people,
    for now I am keeping watch.(BM)

The Coming of Zion’s King

9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!(BN)
    Shout,(BO) Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,(BP)
    righteous and victorious,(BQ)
lowly and riding on a donkey,(BR)
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.(BS)
10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
    and the warhorses from Jerusalem,
    and the battle bow will be broken.(BT)
He will proclaim peace(BU) to the nations.
    His rule will extend from sea to sea
    and from the River[d] to the ends of the earth.(BV)
11 As for you, because of the blood of my covenant(BW) with you,
    I will free your prisoners(BX) from the waterless pit.(BY)
12 Return to your fortress,(BZ) you prisoners of hope;
    even now I announce that I will restore twice(CA) as much to you.
13 I will bend Judah as I bend my bow(CB)
    and fill it with Ephraim.(CC)
I will rouse your sons, Zion,
    against your sons, Greece,(CD)
    and make you like a warrior’s sword.(CE)

The Lord Will Appear

14 Then the Lord will appear over them;(CF)
    his arrow will flash like lightning.(CG)
The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet;(CH)
    he will march in the storms(CI) of the south,
15     and the Lord Almighty will shield(CJ) them.
They will destroy
    and overcome with slingstones.(CK)
They will drink and roar as with wine;(CL)
    they will be full like a bowl(CM)
    used for sprinkling[e] the corners(CN) of the altar.
16 The Lord their God will save his people on that day(CO)
    as a shepherd saves his flock.
They will sparkle in his land
    like jewels in a crown.(CP)
17 How attractive and beautiful they will be!
    Grain will make the young men thrive,
    and new wine the young women.

The Lord Will Care for Judah

10 Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime;
    it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms.
He gives showers of rain(CQ) to all people,
    and plants of the field(CR) to everyone.
2 The idols(CS) speak deceitfully,
    diviners(CT) see visions that lie;
they tell dreams(CU) that are false,
    they give comfort in vain.(CV)
Therefore the people wander like sheep
    oppressed for lack of a shepherd.(CW)

3 “My anger burns against the shepherds,
    and I will punish the leaders;(CX)
for the Lord Almighty will care
    for his flock, the people of Judah,
    and make them like a proud horse in battle.(CY)
4 From Judah will come the cornerstone,(CZ)
    from him the tent peg,(DA)
from him the battle bow,(DB)
    from him every ruler.
5 Together they[f] will be like warriors in battle
    trampling their enemy into the mud of the streets.(DC)
They will fight because the Lord is with them,
    and they will put the enemy horsemen to shame.(DD)

6 “I will strengthen(DE) Judah
    and save the tribes of Joseph.
I will restore them
    because I have compassion(DF) on them.(DG)
They will be as though
    I had not rejected them,
for I am the Lord their God
    and I will answer(DH) them.
7 The Ephraimites will become like warriors,
    and their hearts will be glad as with wine.(DI)
Their children will see it and be joyful;
    their hearts will rejoice(DJ) in the Lord.
8 I will signal(DK) for them
    and gather them in.
Surely I will redeem them;
    they will be as numerous(DL) as before.
9 Though I scatter them among the peoples,
    yet in distant lands they will remember me.(DM)
They and their children will survive,
    and they will return.
10 I will bring them back from Egypt
    and gather them from Assyria.(DN)
I will bring them to Gilead(DO) and Lebanon,
    and there will not be room(DP) enough for them.
11 They will pass through the sea of trouble;
    the surging sea will be subdued
    and all the depths of the Nile will dry up.(DQ)
Assyria’s pride(DR) will be brought down
    and Egypt’s scepter(DS) will pass away.(DT)
12 I will strengthen(DU) them in the Lord
    and in his name they will live securely,(DV)”
declares the Lord.

11 Open your doors, Lebanon,(DW)
    so that fire(DX) may devour your cedars!
2 Wail, you juniper, for the cedar has fallen;
    the stately trees are ruined!
Wail, oaks(DY) of Bashan;
    the dense forest(DZ) has been cut down!(EA)
3 Listen to the wail of the shepherds;
    their rich pastures are destroyed!
Listen to the roar of the lions;(EB)
    the lush thicket of the Jordan is ruined!(EC)

Two Shepherds

4 This is what the Lord my God says: “Shepherd the flock marked for slaughter.(ED) 5 Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Praise the Lord, I am rich!’ Their own shepherds do not spare them.(EE) 6 For I will no longer have pity on the people of the land,” declares the Lord. “I will give everyone into the hands of their neighbors(EF) and their king. They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue anyone from their hands.”(EG)

7 So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter,(EH) particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock. 8 In one month I got rid of the three shepherds.

The flock detested(EI) me, and I grew weary of them 9 and said, “I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish.(EJ) Let those who are left eat(EK) one another’s flesh.”

10 Then I took my staff called Favor(EL) and broke it, revoking(EM) the covenant I had made with all the nations. 11 It was revoked on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the Lord.

12 I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.(EN)

13 And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver(EO) and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord.(EP)

14 Then I broke my second staff called Union, breaking the family bond between Judah and Israel.

15 Then the Lord said to me, “Take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd. 16 For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves.

17 “Woe to the worthless shepherd,(EQ)
    who deserts the flock!
May the sword strike his arm(ER) and his right eye!
    May his arm be completely withered,
    his right eye totally blinded!”(ES)

Jerusalem’s Enemies to Be Destroyed

12 A prophecy:(ET) The word of the Lord concerning Israel.

The Lord, who stretches out the heavens,(EU) who lays the foundation of the earth,(EV) and who forms the human spirit within a person,(EW) declares: 2 “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup(EX) that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling.(EY) Judah(EZ) will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. 3 On that day, when all the nations(FA) of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock(FB) for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure(FC) themselves. 4 On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness,” declares the Lord. “I will keep a watchful eye over Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations.(FD) 5 Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong,(FE) because the Lord Almighty is their God.’

6 “On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot(FF) in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume(FG) all the surrounding peoples right and left, but Jerusalem will remain intact(FH) in her place.

7 “The Lord will save the dwellings of Judah first, so that the honor of the house of David and of Jerusalem’s inhabitants may not be greater than that of Judah.(FI) 8 On that day the Lord will shield(FJ) those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest(FK) among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God,(FL) like the angel of the Lord going before(FM) them. 9 On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations(FN) that attack Jerusalem.(FO)

Mourning for the One They Pierced

10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit[g](FP) of grace and supplication.(FQ) They will look on[h] me, the one they have pierced,(FR) and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child,(FS) and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.(FT) 11 On that day the weeping(FU) in Jerusalem will be as great as the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.(FV) 12 The land will mourn,(FW) each clan by itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, 13 the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, 14 and all the rest of the clans and their wives.(FX)

Cleansing From Sin

13 “On that day a fountain(FY) will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse(FZ) them from sin and impurity.

2 “On that day, I will banish the names of the idols(GA) from the land, and they will be remembered no more,”(GB) declares the Lord Almighty. “I will remove both the prophets(GC) and the spirit of impurity from the land. 3 And if anyone still prophesies, their father and mother, to whom they were born, will say to them, ‘You must die, because you have told lies(GD) in the Lord’s name.’ Then their own parents will stab the one who prophesies.(GE)

4 “On that day every prophet will be ashamed(GF) of their prophetic vision. They will not put on a prophet’s garment(GG) of hair(GH) in order to deceive.(GI) 5 Each will say, ‘I am not a prophet. I am a farmer; the land has been my livelihood since my youth.[i]’(GJ) 6 If someone asks, ‘What are these wounds on your body[j]?’ they will answer, ‘The wounds I was given at the house of my friends.’

The Shepherd Struck, the Sheep Scattered

7 “Awake, sword,(GK) against my shepherd,(GL)
    against the man who is close to me!”
    declares the Lord Almighty.
“Strike the shepherd,
    and the sheep will be scattered,(GM)
    and I will turn my hand against the little ones.
8 In the whole land,” declares the Lord,
    “two-thirds will be struck down and perish;
    yet one-third will be left in it.(GN)
9 This third I will put into the fire;(GO)
    I will refine them like silver(GP)
    and test them like gold.(GQ)
They will call(GR) on my name(GS)
    and I will answer(GT) them;
I will say, ‘They are my people,’(GU)
    and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.(GV)’”

The Lord Comes and Reigns

14 A day of the Lord(GW) is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions(GX) will be plundered and divided up within your very walls.

2 I will gather all the nations(GY) to Jerusalem to fight against it;(GZ) the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped.(HA) Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city.(HB) 3 Then the Lord will go out and fight(HC) against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle.(HD) 4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,(HE) east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split(HF) in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. 5 You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake[k](HG) in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come,(HH) and all the holy ones with him.(HI)

6 On that day there will be neither sunlight(HJ) nor cold, frosty darkness. 7 It will be a unique(HK) day—a day known only to the Lord—with no distinction between day and night.(HL) When evening comes, there will be light.(HM)

8 On that day living water(HN) will flow(HO) out from Jerusalem, half of it east(HP) to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter.(HQ)

9 The Lord will be king(HR) over the whole earth.(HS) On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.(HT)

10 The whole land, from Geba(HU) to Rimmon,(HV) south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up(HW) high from the Benjamin Gate(HX) to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate,(HY) and from the Tower of Hananel(HZ) to the royal winepresses, and will remain in its place.(IA) 11 It will be inhabited;(IB) never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure.(IC)

12 This is the plague with which the Lord will strike(ID) all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.(IE) 13 On that day people will be stricken by the Lord with great panic.(IF) They will seize each other by the hand and attack one another.(IG) 14 Judah(IH) too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected(II)—great quantities of gold and silver and clothing. 15 A similar plague(IJ) will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps.

16 Then the survivors(IK) from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship(IL) the King,(IM) the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.(IN) 17 If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship(IO) the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain.(IP) 18 If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord[l] will bring on them the plague(IQ) he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.(IR) 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.(IS)

20 On that day holy to the Lord(IT) will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots(IU) in the Lord’s house will be like the sacred bowls(IV) in front of the altar. 21 Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy(IW) to the Lord Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day(IX) there will no longer be a Canaanite[m](IY) in the house(IZ) of the Lord Almighty.(JA)

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 8:13 That is, your name has been used in cursing (see Jer. 29:22); or, you have been regarded as under a curse.
  2. Zechariah 8:13 Or and your name will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or and you will be seen as blessed
  3. Zechariah 9:1 Or Damascus. / For the eye of the Lord is on all people, / as well as on the tribes of Israel,
  4. Zechariah 9:10 That is, the Euphrates
  5. Zechariah 9:15 Or bowl, / like
  6. Zechariah 10:5 Or ruler, all of them together. / 5 They
  7. Zechariah 12:10 Or the Spirit
  8. Zechariah 12:10 Or to
  9. Zechariah 13:5 Or farmer; a man sold me in my youth
  10. Zechariah 13:6 Or wounds between your hands
  11. Zechariah 14:5 Or 5 My mountain valley will be blocked and will extend to Azel. It will be blocked as it was blocked because of the earthquake
  12. Zechariah 14:18 Or part, then the Lord
  13. Zechariah 14:21 Or merchant
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Zechariah 7
Malachi 1
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