Zechariah 12

1 This is the burden [a prophetic message, oracle] of the word [declaration, utterance] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] concerning [about, regarding] Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, his descendants]. Thus declares [says, speaks] the LORD [Yehovah], who stretches out [spreads out, expands] the heavens [the visible universe, sky] and lays [found, establishes] the foundation [base, core] of the earth [land, ground], who forms [shapes, creates] the spirit [breath, life force] of man [human, Adam] within him [in his inner being, midst]: word study 2 “Behold [look, take notice], I will make Jerusalem [the city of peace, capital of Palestine] a cup of drunkenness [reeling, trembling, intoxication] to all [every, the entire] the surrounding [encircling, encompassing] peoples [nations, tribes]. Judah [the tribe descended from Judah, the region] will be besieged [in a state of siege, under attack], as well as [also, in addition to] Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital]. word study 3 On that day [when all things will be fulfilled], when all the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] of the earth [land, world] gather against her, I will make Jerusalem [the city of peace, a burdensome stone] a heavy stone [a weight, a burden] for all the peoples [nations, tribes]; all who would heave it away [lift it, impose a burden on themselves] will be severely injured [cut in pieces, sorely wounded]. word study 4 On that day [of reckoning, before all time], declares the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God], I will strike [smite, hit] every horse [chariot horse] with panic [bewilderment, astonishment], and every rider [charioteer, warrior] with madness [intense fury, craziness]. I will keep a watchful eye [be observant, attentive] on the house of Judah [the tribe, the region], but I will strike with blindness [physical or spiritual inability to see] all the horses of the nations [Gentile peoples, non-Jewish]. word study 5 Then the leaders [chieftains, governors] of Judah will say in their hearts [feelings, will, and intellect]: ‘The people [inhabitants] of Jerusalem are my strength [power, force], for the LORD [Yehovah] of Hosts [armies, large groups] is their God [Elohim, the one supreme God].’ word study 6 On that day [of divine intervention] I will make the clans [chieftains, leaders] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah] like a firepot [hearth of fire, burning coals] in a woodpile [among trees], like a flaming torch [firebrand, burning stick] among the sheaves [a sheaf, a bundle of grain]; they will consume [devour, eat up] all the peoples [nations, surrounding peoples] around them on the right [south] and on the left [north], while the people of Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital] remain secure [safe, dwell in peace] there [in their own place, underneath their own vine]. word study 7 The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] will save [rescue, deliver] the tents [nomadic dwellings, tabernacles] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah] first [before others, in priority], so that the glory [beauty, honor] of the house [dynasty, family] of David [the king of Israel] and of the people [inhabitants, dwellers] of Jerusalem [the city of peace] may not be greater [magnified, exalted] than that of Judah [the tribe, the region]. word study 8 On that day [in the future, at a specific time] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] will defend [protect, guard] the people of Jerusalem [the inhabitants, citizens], so that the weakest [most feeble, stumbling] among them will be like David [a strong leader, a warrior], and the house of David [the royal family, descendants] will be like God [having God’s nature, divine], like the angel [messenger, representative] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] going before them [leading, guiding]. word study 9 So on that day [in that specific time, at the appointed hour] I will set out [begin, take action] to destroy [annihilate, bring to desolation] all [every single one, the entirety of] the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] that come [approach, attack] against [in opposition to, upon] Jerusalem [the city of peace, the holy city]. word study 10 Then I will pour out [shed, lavish] on the house [family, descendants] of David [the king of Israel] and on the people [inhabitants, dwellers] of Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital of Judah] a spirit [breath, divine influence] of grace [favor, kindness, compassion] and prayer [supplication, heartfelt request], and they will look [gaze, regard] on Me, the One [whom they have pierced, their Savior] they have pierced [stabbed, wounded]. They will mourn [lament, grieve] for Him as one mourns [is sorrowful, lamenting] for an only child [beloved, solitary], and grieve [be sorrowful, bitter] bitterly [intensely, profoundly] for Him as one grieves [is sorrowful, mourns] for a firstborn son [heir, most precious]. word study 11 On that day [of great sorrow, a time of intense grieving] the wailing [mourning, lamentation] in Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital of Palestine] will be as great [intense, profound] as the wailing [mourning, lamentation] of Hadad-rimmon [a place of mournful remembrance, named after two Syrian gods] in the plain [valley, low area] of Megiddo [an important city in ancient Israel]. word study 12 The land [territory, region] will mourn [bewayle, lament], each clan [family, tribe] on its own: the clan [family] of the house [dwelling place] of David [king of Israel] and their wives [women], the clan [family] of the house [dwelling place] of Nathan [prophet] and their wives [women], word study 13 the clan [family, tribe] of the house [dwelling place, family home] of Levi [a son of Jacob and Leah] and their wives [women, female companions], the clan [family, tribe] of Shimei [a descendant of Levi] and their wives [women, female companions], word study 14 and all [every single one] the remaining clans [families, tribes] and their wives [women, female family members]. word study