12 This is the Lord 's message about Israel. The Lord made the skies and the whole wide earth. He makes men and women.
2 ‘I will frighten the enemies that live round Jerusalem. I will frighten them so much that they will run. They will run as fast as they can from Jerusalem and from Judah.
3 There will be a time when all the countries of the earth will be ready to attack Jerusalem. Then I will make Jerusalem like a heavy rock that nobody can move. All those who try to lift it will hurt themselves very badly.
4 On that day,’ says the Lord , ‘I will make every horse very afraid. I will make all the men that ride them crazy. I want to help Judah's people. And so, I will not let the horses of the enemy see any longer.
5 Then the leaders of Judah will say to themselves, “The Lord Almighty, their God, makes the people in Jerusalem strong. And they will help us.”
6 On that day, I will make the leaders of Judah like fire in a forest. I will make them like fire among wheat that the farmer has cut. They will kill all the people from round Jerusalem, but the people in Jerusalem will be safe.
7 The Lord will save the homes of the people from Judah first. So David's family and the people who live in Jerusalem will not be greater than the people from Judah. [ a ]
8 On that day, the Lord will save the people who live in Jerusalem. Even sick people will be as strong as King David was. The family of David will lead the people from Jerusalem like the angel of the Lord . God himself will go before them.
9 On that day, I will destroy all the countries that fight against Israel.
10 I will cause the family of David and the people in Jerusalem to think seriously about me. Then they will know that I am kind to them. And they will want to pray to me. They will look at me whom they pierced (made holes in). They will weep about him as those that weep after the death of their only son. They will cry aloud as if their only son was dead.
11 On that day, people will weep loudly in Jerusalem. It will be like when they were weeping about Hadad-Rimmon in the fields of Megiddo. [ b ]
12 All the people will weep. Each family will weep by itself. The family of King David will weep by itself. And their wives will weep by themselves. The family of Nathan will weep by itself. And their wives will weep by themselves.
13 The family of Levi will weep by itself. And their wives will weep by themselves. The family of Shimei will weep by itself. And their wives will weep by themselves.
14 And all the families that have not died will weep by themselves. And their wives will weep by themselves.’
12 This is a message from the Lord about Israel. The Lord is the one who made the earth and the sky, and he put the human spirit in people. And this is what the Lord said: 2 “Look, I will make Jerusalem like a cup of poison to the nations around her. The nations will come and attack that city, and all of Judah will be caught in the trap. 3 But I will make Jerusalem like a heavy rock—those who try to take it will hurt themselves. They will be cut and scratched. All the nations on earth will come together to fight against Jerusalem. 4 But at that time I will scare the horse, and the soldier riding it will panic. I will make all the enemy horses blind, but my eyes will be open—and I will be watching over Judah’s family. 5 The leaders of Judah will encourage the people and say, ‘The Lord All-Powerful is your God. He makes us strong.’ 6 At that time I will make the leaders of Judah like a fire burning in a forest. They will destroy their enemies like fire burning straw. They will destroy the enemy all around them, and the people in Jerusalem will again be able to sit back and relax.”
7 The Lord will save the people of Judah first, so the people in Jerusalem will not be able to brag too much. David’s family and the other people who live in Jerusalem will not be able to brag that they are better than the other people in Judah. 8 But the Lord will protect the people in Jerusalem. Even the man who trips and falls will become a great soldier like David. And the men from David’s family will be like gods—like the Lord ’s own angel leading the people.
9 The Lord says, “At that time I will destroy the nations that came to fight against Jerusalem. 10 I will fill David’s family and the people living in Jerusalem with a spirit of kindness and mercy. They will look to me, the one they stabbed, and they will be very sad. They will be as sad as someone crying over the death of their only son, as sad as someone crying over the death of their firstborn son. 11 There will be a time of great sadness and crying in Jerusalem. It will be like the time people cry over the death of Hadad Rimmon [ a ] in Megiddo Valley. 12 Each and every family will cry by itself. The men in David’s family will cry by themselves, and their wives will cry by themselves. The men in Nathan’s family will cry by themselves, and their wives will cry by themselves. 13 The men in Levi’s family will cry by themselves, and their wives will cry by themselves. The men in Simeon’s family will cry by themselves, and their wives will cry by themselves. 14 And the same thing will happen in all the other tribes. The men and women will cry by themselves.”
12 The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, saith the Lord , which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.
2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
4 In that day, saith the Lord , I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.
5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God.
6 In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.
7 The Lord also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah.
8 In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them.
9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
12 And the land shall mourn, every 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;
13 The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;
14 All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.
12 The pronouncement of the word of the Lord concerning Israel:
The Lord who ( A ) stretches out the heavens, ( B ) lays the foundation of the earth, and ( C ) forms the spirit of a person within him, declares: 2 “Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a ( D ) cup [ a ] that causes staggering to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against ( E ) Judah. 3 It will come about on that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy ( F ) stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will ( G ) injure themselves severely. And all the ( H ) 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 [ b ] watch over the house of Judah, while I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. 5 Then the [ c ] clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are a [ d ] strong support for us through the Lord of armies, their God.’
6 “On that day I will make the [ e ] clans of Judah like a ( I ) 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 [ f ] the ( J ) inhabitants of Jerusalem again live on their own sites in Jerusalem. 7 The Lord also will ( K ) save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of ( L ) David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not be greater than Judah. 8 On that day the Lord will ( M ) protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who [ g ] ( N ) is feeble among them on that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like ( O ) God, like the ( P ) angel of the Lord before them. 9 And on that day I will ( Q ) seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
10 “And I will ( R ) pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem [ h ] the Spirit of grace and of pleading, so that they will look at Me whom they ( S ) pierced; and they will mourn for Him, like one ( T ) mourning for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. 11 On that day the ( U ) mourning in Jerusalem will be great, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the [ i ] plain of [ j ] 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.
12 A prophecy: ( A ) The word of the Lord concerning Israel.
The Lord , who stretches out the heavens, ( B ) who lays the foundation of the earth, ( C ) and who forms the human spirit within a person, ( D ) declares: 2 “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup ( E ) that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. ( F ) Judah ( G ) will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. 3 On that day, when all the nations ( H ) of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock ( I ) for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure ( J ) 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. ( K ) 5 Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong, ( L ) because the Lord Almighty is their God.’
6 “On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot ( M ) in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume ( N ) all the surrounding peoples right and left, but Jerusalem will remain intact ( O ) 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. ( P ) 8 On that day the Lord will shield ( Q ) those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest ( R ) among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, ( S ) like the angel of the Lord going before ( T ) them. 9 On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations ( U ) that attack Jerusalem. ( V )
10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit [ a ] ( W ) of grace and supplication. ( X ) They will look on [ b ] me, the one they have pierced, ( Y ) and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, ( Z ) and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. ( AA ) 11 On that day the weeping ( AB ) in Jerusalem will be as great as the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. ( AC ) 12 The land will mourn, ( AD ) 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. ( AE )
