Zechariah 12

1 A message: the word of the Lord concerning Israel. The Lord stretches out the heavens, lays the earth’s foundation, and forms the human spirit within a person. 2 “Look — I will make Jerusalem like trembling doorposts to all the nations around her, and there will be a siege against Jerusalem in Judah. [a] 3 On that day I will make Jerusalem a stone trampled by all nations. Everyone who tramples on it will mock it completely, and all the nations of the earth will gather against it. 4 On that day,” says the Lord Almighty, “I will strike every horse with bewilderment and its rider with madness. But I will open my eyes over Judah’s house, while I strike every horse of the nations with blindness.

5 Judah’s commanders of thousands will say in their hearts, ‘We will find Jerusalem’s inhabitants for ourselves in the Lord Almighty their God.’ 6 On that day I will make Judah’s commanders of thousands like a firebrand among wood and a flaming torch among stubble. They will consume all the nations around them, on the right and the left, while Jerusalem will again dwell in her own place. 7 The Lord will rescue Judah’s tents as at the beginning, so that David’s house and Jerusalem’s inhabitants do not magnify their boast and pride over Judah. 8 On that day the Lord will defend Jerusalem’s inhabitants. The weakest among them that day will be like David’s house, and David’s house will be like God’s house, like the messenger of the Lord before them. [b]

9 On that day I will seek to destroy every nation that comes against Jerusalem. 10 I will pour a spirit of favor and pity on David’s house and Jerusalem’s inhabitants. They will look at me because they mocked me. They will mourn for him as for a beloved one and grieve intensely as for a firstborn son. [c] † † 11 On that day Jerusalem’s mourning will be very great, like mourning for the pomegranate grove cut down on the plain. [d] 12 The land will mourn family by family, each family by itself and their wives by themselves: David’s family by itself and their wives by themselves; Nathan’s family by itself and their wives by themselves;

13 Levi’s family by itself and their wives by themselves; Simeon’s family by itself and their wives by themselves; [e] 14 and all the families that remain, each family by itself and their wives by themselves.”