Zechariah 13 YLT
Summary: Continuing directly from chapter 12's mourning, a fountain is opened for the house of David and Jerusalem's inhabitants "to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness" (v. 1). God vows to cut idols' names out of the land and remove the very prophets and "unclean spirit" associated with false prophecy, to the point that a true parent would stab their own child for prophesying falsely, and any remaining false prophet will deny the title and claim to be only a farmer. The chapter's turning point commands, "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd... strike the shepherd, that the sheep may be scattered" (v. 7), after which two-thirds of the land perish but the remaining third is refined like silver and gold through fire, becoming a people who call on God's name and are called his own.
1In that day there is a fountain opened To the house of David And to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, For sin and for impurity.
2And it hath come to pass, in that day, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, I cut off the names of the idols from the land, And they are not remembered any more, And also the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness I cause to pass away from the land.
3And it hath been, when one prophesieth again, That said unto him have his father and his mother, his parents, `Thou dost not live, For falsehood thou hast spoken in the name of Jehovah,' And pierced him through have his father and his mother, his parents, in his prophesying.
4And it hath come to pass, in that day, Ashamed are the prophets, each of his vision, in his prophesying, And they put not on a hairy robe to deceive.
5And one hath said, `I am not a prophet, A man, a tiller of ground I am, For ground is my possession from my youth.'
6And one hath said unto him, `What are these wounds in thy hands?' And he hath said, `Because I was smitten at home by my lovers.'
7Sword, awake against My shepherd, And against a hero--My fellow, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts. Smite the shepherd, and scattered is the flock, And I have put back My hand on the little ones.
8And it hath come to pass, In all the land, an affirmation of Jehovah, Two parts in it are cut off--they expire, And the third is left in it.
9And I have brought the third into fire, And refined them like a refining of silver, And have tried them like a trying of gold, It doth call in My name, and I answer it, I have said, `My people it is,' And it saith, `Jehovah is my God!'
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