Zechariah 12

1 The burden of the worde of the Lord vpon Israel, sayth the Lord, which spred the heauens, and layed the foundation of the earth, and formed the spirite of man within him.

A prophecy: This message came from the Lord concerning Israel, a declaration of the Lord who spread out the heavens, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who placed the breath of life within human beings.

2 Beholde, I will make Ierusalem a cuppe of poyson vnto all the people round about: and also with Iudah will he be, in ye siege against Ierusalem.

Look! I am going to make Jerusalem like a cup containing alcoholic drink that will make all the surrounding nations stagger like drunks when they come to attack Judah and Jerusalem.

3 And in that day will I make Ierusalem an heauie stone for all people: all that lift it vp, shall be torne, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.

On that day I will make Jerusalem like a heavy rock to all peoples. Anyone who tries to lift the rock will injure themselves badly. All the nations will join together to attack Jerusalem.

4 In that day, sayeth the Lord, I will smite euery horse with astonishment, and his rider with madnesse, and I will open mine eyes vpon the house of Iudah, and will smite euery horse of the people with blindnesse.

On that day I will make every horse panic-stricken and every rider go mad, declares the Lord, but I will watch over the people of Judah while I blind all the horses of their enemies.

5 And the princes of Iudah shall say in their hearts, The inhabitants of Ierusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hostes their God.

Then the families of Judah will say to themselves, the people of Jerusalem are strong in their God, the Lord Almighty.

6 In that day will I make the princes of Iudah like coles of fire among the wood, and like a fire brand in the sheafe, and they shall deuoure all the people round about on the right hand, and on the left: and Ierusalem shall be inhabited againe in her owne place, euen in Ierusalem.

On that day I will make the families of Judah like burning coals in a wood, like a flaming torch in a field of straw. They will burn up to the right and to the left all the surrounding peoples, while the people of Jerusalem will live safely in their city.

7 The Lord also shall preserue the tents of Iudah, as afore time: therefore the glorie of the house of Dauid shall not boast, nor the glorie of the inhabitants of Ierusalem against Iudah.

The Lord will give the victory to the soldiers of Judah first so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall not be greater than that of Judah.

8 In that day shall the Lord defende the inhabitants of Ierusalem, and he that is feeble among them, in that day shall be as Dauid: and the house of Dauid shall be as Gods house, and as the Angel of the Lord before them.

On that day the Lord will place a shield around the people of Jerusalem so that even the clumsiest of them will be as skilled a warrior as David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord who leads them.

9 And in that day will I seeke to destroy all the nations that come against Ierusalem.

On that day I will start destroying all those nations that attack Jerusalem.

10 And I will powre vpon the house of Dauid, and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the Spirite of grace and of compassion, and they shall looke vpon me, whom they haue pearced, and they shall lament for him, as one mourneth for his onely sonne, and be sorie for him as one is sorie for his first borne.

I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They will look at me whom they pierced, and they will wail in grief over him, mourning as for an only child, weeping bitterly as for a firstborn.

11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Ierusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.

On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning in Hadad-Rimmon in the valley of Megiddo.

12 And the land shall bewayle euery familie apart, the familie of the house of Dauid apart, and their wiues apart: the familie of the house of Nathan apart, and their wiues apart:

The land will mourn, every family alone: the family house of David alone and their women by themselves, the families of Nathan,

13 The familie of the house of Leui apart, and their wiues apart: the familie of Shemei apart, and their wiues apart:

Levi, and Shimei—

14 All the families that remaine, euery familie apart, and their wiues apart.

and all the surviving families and their women, each group mourning alone by themselves.