Zechariah 12

¹ An oracle. The word of Yahweh about Israel. It is Yahweh who speaks, I who spread out the heaven and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him:

² ‘Look, I am going to make Jerusalem an intoxicating cup to all the surrounding peoples…

³ ‘When that day comes, I mean to make Jerusalem a stone to be lifted by all the peoples; all who try to lift it will hurt themselves severely. (And all the nations of the earth will mass against her.)

⁴ When that day comes – it is Yahweh who speaks – l intend to strike all the horses with confusion and their riders with madness. (But on the House of Judah I will open my eyes.) And I will strike all the horses of the peoples with blindness.

⁵ Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, “Strength for the citizens of Jerusalem is in Yahweh Sabaoth their God”.

⁶ When that day comes I mean to make the clans of Judah like a brazier burning in a pile of wood, like a flaming torch in stubble; and they will consume the peoples round them to right and left. And Jerusalem shall stand firm in her place.

⁷ Yahweh will save the tents of Judah first to forestall the arrogance of the House of David and the arrogance of the citizens of Jerusalem from rising to the detriment of Judah.

⁸ When that day comes, Yahweh will spread his protection over the citizens of Jerusalem; the one among them who was about to fall will be like David on that day, and the House of David will be like God (like the angel of Yahweh) at their head.

⁹ ‘When that day comes, I shall set myself to destroy all the nations who advance against Jerusalem.

¹⁰ But over the House of David and the citizens of Jerusalem I will pour out a spirit of kindness and prayer. They will look on the one whom they have pierced; they will mourn for him as for an only son, and weep for him as people weep for a first-born child.

¹¹ When that day comes, there will be great mourning in Judah, like the mourning of Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.

¹² And the country will mourn clan by clan; the clan of the House of David apart, with their wives by themselves;

¹³ the clan of the House of Nathan apart, with their wives by themselves; the clan of the House of Levi apart, with their wives by themselves; the clan of Shimei apart, with their wives by themselves.

¹⁴ All the clans that remain, clan by clan, with their wives by themselves.