1 T he burden or oracle (the thing to be lifted up) of the word of the Lord concerning Israel: Thus says the Lord, Who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth and forms the spirit of man within him:

The burden of a word of Jehovah on Israel. An affirmation of Jehovah, Stretching out heaven, and founding earth, And forming the spirit of man in his midst.

2 B ehold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup or bowl of reeling to all the peoples round about, and in the siege against Jerusalem will there also be a siege against and upon Judah.

Lo, I am making Jerusalem a cup of reeling To all the peoples round about, And also against Judah it is, In the siege against Jerusalem.

3 A nd in that day I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all peoples; all who lift it or burden themselves with it shall be sorely wounded. And all the nations of the earth shall come and gather together against it.

And it hath come to pass, in that day, I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone to all the peoples, All loading it are completely pressed down, And gathered against it have been all nations of the earth.

4 I n that day, says the Lord, I will smite every horse with terror and panic and his rider with madness; and I will open My eyes and regard with favor the house of Judah and will smite every horse of the opposing nations with blindness.

In that day -- an affirmation of Jehovah, I do smite every horse with astonishment, And its rider with madness, And on the house of Judah I open My eyes, And every horse of the peoples I smite with blindness.

5 A nd the chiefs of Judah shall say in their hearts, The inhabitants of Jerusalem are our strength in the Lord of hosts, their God.

And leaders of Judah have said in their heart, `Strength to me the inhabitants of Jerusalem, In Jehovah of Hosts their God.'

6 I n that day will I make the chiefs of Judah like a big, blazing pot among wood and like a flaming torch among sheaves, and they shall devour all the peoples round about, on the right hand and on the left; and they of Jerusalem shall yet again dwell and sit securely in their own place, in Jerusalem.

In that day I make the leaders of Judah As a hearth of fire among trees, And as a torch of fire in a sheaf, And they have consumed -- on the right and on the left -- all the peoples round about, And Jerusalem hath inhabited again her place in Jerusalem.

7 A nd the Lord shall save and give victory to the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not be magnified and exalted above Judah.

And saved hath Jehovah the tents of Judah first, So that become not great against Judah Doth the beauty of the house of David, And the beauty of the inhabitant of Jerusalem.

8 I n that day will the Lord guard and defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and he who is feeble and stumbles among them in that day shall become like David; and the house of David like God, like the Angel of the Lord Who is before them.

In that day cover over doth Jehovah the inhabitant of Jerusalem, And the stumbling among them hath been in that day as David, And the house of David as God -- As a messenger of Jehovah -- before them.

9 A nd it shall be in that day that I will make it My aim to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

And it hath come to pass, in that day, I seek to destroy all the nations Who are coming in against Jerusalem,

10 A nd I will pour out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace or unmerited favor and supplication. And they shall look upon Me Whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him as one who is in bitterness for his firstborn.

And I have poured on the house of David, And on the inhabitant of Jerusalem, A spirit of grace and supplications, And they have looked unto Me whom they pierced, And they have mourned over it, Like a mourning over the only one, And they have been in bitterness for it, Like a bitterness over the first-born.

11 I n that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Megiddo '> Josiah].

In that day, great is the mourning of Jerusalem, As the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon,

12 A nd 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;

And mourned hath the land -- every family apart, The family of the house of David apart, And their women apart; The family of the house of Nathan apart, And their women apart;

13 T he family of the house of Levi apart and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart and their wives apart;

The family of the house of Levi apart, And their women apart; The family of Shimei apart, And their women apart,

14 A ll the families that are left, each by itself, and their wives by themselves.

All the families that are left, Every family apart, and their women apart!