1 This is the Lord’s message concerning Israel. The Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit within humans, declares this:

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 am making Jerusalem a cup of reeling for all the surrounding nations. Even Judah will be besieged as Jerusalem is attacked.

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 on that day, I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who try to lift it will be severely injured, and all the nations of the earth will gather against her.

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 On that day,” declares the Lord, “I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness. But I will watch over the house of Judah, while I strike every horse of the nations with blindness.

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 Then the leaders of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are our strength in the Lord Almighty, their God.’

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 On that day I will make the leaders of Judah like a fire pot in a woodpile and like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume all the surrounding peoples on the right and on the left, while Jerusalem will remain secure in her place.

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 will save the dwellings of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not exceed that of Judah.

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 On that day, the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The weakest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord going before them.

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 On that day, I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

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 out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on Me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

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

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

12 The land will mourn, each 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.

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 by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves.

The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;

14 All the remaining families, each family by itself, and their wives by themselves.

All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.