Zechariah 13

1 In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.

On that day a spring will be opened and continually flow for the house of David and for the people of Jerusalem to wash away their sin and impurity.

2 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.

On that day, declares the Lord Almighty, I will wipe out idol worship from the land—the idols will not be remembered any longer. I will remove the false prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land.

3 And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say to him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the LORD: and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth.

If anyone continues to prophesy, his father and mother to whom he was born will tell him, “You shall not live, because you have told lies in the Lord's name.” Then his parents shall kill him because he has prophesied.

4 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive:

On that day such prophets will be too humiliated to prophesy their supposed visions. In order to deceive they will not put on their prophet's clothes made of coarse hair.

5 But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am a farmer; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.

They will say, “I'm not a prophet, I'm a farmer. I've worked on the land since I was a child.”

6 And one shall say to him, What are these wounds in thy hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.

If somebody asks him, “What are those wounds on your back?” he will answer, “I was wounded in my friend's house.”

7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my companion, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn my hand upon the little ones.

Wake up, my sword! Attack my shepherd, the man who stands beside me! declares the Lord. Strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered, and I will raise my hand against the lambs.

8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts in it shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left in it.

Two thirds of the people of the land will be cut down, only one third will remain, says the Lord.

9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

I will place this one third in the fire, and I will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on me for help, and I will answer them. I will say, “These are my people,” and they will say, “The Lord is my God.”