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The Day of Punishment

14 The Lord’s day of judging is coming when the wealth you have taken will be divided among you.

I will bring all the nations together to fight Jerusalem. They will capture the city and rob the houses and attack the women. Half the people will be taken away as captives, but the rest of the people won’t be taken from the city.

Then the Lord will go to war against those nations; he will fight as in a day of battle. On that day he will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. The Mount of Olives will split in two, forming a deep valley that runs east and west. Half the mountain will move toward the north, and half will move toward the south. You will run through this mountain valley to the other side, just as you ran from the earthquake when Uzziah was king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come and all the holy ones with him.

On that day there will be no light, cold, or frost. There will be no other day like it, and the Lord knows when it will come. There will be no day or night; even at evening it will still be light.

At that time fresh water will flow from Jerusalem. Half of it will flow east to the Dead Sea, and half will flow west to the Mediterranean Sea. It will flow summer and winter.

Then the Lord will be king over the whole world. At that time there will be only one Lord, and his name will be the only name.

10 All the land south of Jerusalem from Geba to Rimmon will be turned into a plain. Jerusalem will be raised up, but it will stay in the same place. The city will reach from the Benjamin Gate and to the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses. 11 People will live there, and it will never be destroyed again. Jerusalem will be safe.

12 But the Lord will bring a terrible disease on the nations that fought against Jerusalem. Their flesh will rot away while they are still standing up. Their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. 13 At that time the Lord will cause panic. Everybody will grab his neighbor, and they will attack each other. 14 The people of Judah will fight in Jerusalem. And the wealth of the nations around them will be collected—much gold, silver, and clothes. 15 A similar disease will strike the horses, mules, camels, donkeys, and all the animals in the camps.

16 All of those left alive of the people who came to fight Jerusalem will come back to Jerusalem year after year to worship the King, the Lord All-Powerful, and to celebrate the Feast of Shelters. 17 Anyone from the nations who does not go to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord All-Powerful, will not have rain fall on his land. 18 If the Egyptians do not go to Jerusalem, they will not have rain. Then the Lord will send them the same terrible disease he sent the other nations that did not celebrate the Feast of Shelters. 19 This will be the punishment for Egypt and any nation which does not go to celebrate the Feast of Shelters.

20 At that time the horses’ bells will have written on them: holy to the lord. The cooking pots in the Temple of the Lord will be like the holy altar bowls. 21 Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the Lord All-Powerful, and everyone who offers sacrifices will be able to take food from them and cook in them. At that time there will not be any buyers or sellers in the Temple of the Lord All-Powerful.

The Lord Comes and Reigns

14 A day of the Lord(A) is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions(B) will be plundered and divided up within your very walls.

I will gather all the nations(C) to Jerusalem to fight against it;(D) the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped.(E) Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city.(F) Then the Lord will go out and fight(G) against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle.(H) On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,(I) east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split(J) in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake[a](K) in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come,(L) and all the holy ones with him.(M)

On that day there will be neither sunlight(N) nor cold, frosty darkness. It will be a unique(O) day—a day known only to the Lord—with no distinction between day and night.(P) When evening comes, there will be light.(Q)

On that day living water(R) will flow(S) out from Jerusalem, half of it east(T) to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter.(U)

The Lord will be king(V) over the whole earth.(W) On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.(X)

10 The whole land, from Geba(Y) to Rimmon,(Z) south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up(AA) high from the Benjamin Gate(AB) to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate,(AC) and from the Tower of Hananel(AD) to the royal winepresses, and will remain in its place.(AE) 11 It will be inhabited;(AF) never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure.(AG)

12 This is the plague with which the Lord will strike(AH) all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.(AI) 13 On that day people will be stricken by the Lord with great panic.(AJ) They will seize each other by the hand and attack one another.(AK) 14 Judah(AL) too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected(AM)—great quantities of gold and silver and clothing. 15 A similar plague(AN) will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps.

16 Then the survivors(AO) from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship(AP) the King,(AQ) the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.(AR) 17 If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship(AS) the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain.(AT) 18 If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord[b] will bring on them the plague(AU) he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.(AV) 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.(AW)

20 On that day holy to the Lord(AX) will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots(AY) in the Lord’s house will be like the sacred bowls(AZ) in front of the altar. 21 Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy(BA) to the Lord Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day(BB) there will no longer be a Canaanite[c](BC) in the house(BD) of the Lord Almighty.(BE)

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 14:5 Or My mountain valley will be blocked and will extend to Azel. It will be blocked as it was blocked because of the earthquake
  2. Zechariah 14:18 Or part, then the Lord
  3. Zechariah 14:21 Or merchant