Zechariah 14

1 Behold [look, see], a day [a period of time, a season] of the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] is coming [approaching, drawing near] when your plunder [spoils of war, booty] will be divided [shared, distributed] in your presence [in the midst of you, before your eyes]. word study 2 For I will gather [to assemble, bring together] all the nations [Gentile peoples, non-Hebrews] for battle [war, conflict] against Jerusalem [the city of peace, capital of Israel], and the city [town, metropolis] will be captured [taken, seized], the houses [dwelling places, homes] looted [plundered, rifled], and the women [females, wives] ravished [forcibly taken, defiled]. Half [a portion, a part] of the city will go into exile [captivity, banishment], but the rest [remainder, leftover] of the people [nation, community] will not be removed [cut off, separated] from the city [town, metropolis]. word study 3 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] will go out [come forth, exit] to fight [engage in battle, wage war] against those nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples], as He fights [engages in combat, battles] in the day [a 24-hour period, a time of conflict] of battle [war, combat, a hostile encounter]. word study 4 On that day [in the future, at the appointed time] His feet [the foot, the leg] will stand [firmly, in a strong sense, like a foundation] on the Mount of Olives [a mountain east of Jerusalem, significant in Jewish history], east [toward the sunrise, the direction of new beginnings] of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives [a place of spiritual significance, associated with oil and light] will be split [divided, broken apart, like a great chasm] in two from east to west, forming [creating, bringing into existence] a great [large, expansive, of immense proportions] valley [a low area of land, a deep, narrow gorge], with half [a portion, a part, a division] the mountain moving [being removed, departing] to the north [the direction of darkness and cold, the region of Zaphon] and half to the south [the direction of light and warmth, the Negeb region]. word study 5 You will flee [run away, escape] by My mountain [hill] valley [deep, narrow gorge], for it will extend [reach, stretch] to Azal [Azel, a place near Jerusalem]. You will flee [as you escaped, like refugees] as you fled [from danger, like David from Saul] from the earthquake [quaking, shaking motion] in the days [time, era] of Uzziah [my strength is Jehovah, a king of Judah] king [ruler, monarch] of Judah [a tribe of Israel]. Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] my God [Elohim, the supreme God] will come [approach, arrive], and all [every, the entirety of] the holy ones [saints, set apart ones] with Him [together, in His presence]. word study 6 On that day [when God’s plan unfolds] there will be no [absence of, or lack of] light [natural or spiritual illumination], no [neither] cold [frosty conditions] or frost [ice, a state of being frozen]. word study 7 It will be a day [unique] known only to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], without [absence of] day [a literal 24-hour period] or night [a period of darkness]; but when evening [at sunset, the time of day’s end] comes, there will be [exist, come into being] light [natural and spiritual illumination, happiness]. word study 8 And on that day [in the future, at a specific time] living [alive, life-giving] water [a source of refreshment] will flow out from Jerusalem [the city of peace], half [a division, a part] of it toward the Eastern [old or eastern] Sea [the Mediterranean or a large body of water] and the other half [the remaining part] toward the Western [last or western] Sea [the sea in general], in summer [the harvest season] and winter [a time of cold] alike [continually, without change]. word study 9 On that day [in the future, at a specific time] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] will become King [ruler, sovereign] over all [every part of] the earth [land, territory]—the LORD [unique] alone, and His name [identity, character] alone [one, united]. word study 10 All the land [the entire region, every part] from Geba [a city in the tribe of Benjamin] to Rimmon [a city in Zebulun] south of Jerusalem [toward the Negeb, the southern district] will be turned [changed, transformed] into a plain [like the Arabah, a desert plain], but Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital] will be raised up [exalted, lifted high] and will remain [dwell, stay] in her place [her original position, her rightful location], from the Benjamin Gate [the gate of the tribe of Benjamin] to the site [the location, the spot] of the First Gate [the primary entrance, the main gate] to the Corner Gate [the gate at the corner, the angular entrance], and from the Tower of Hananel [the tower of God’s favor, the tower of divine grace] to the royal [belonging to the king, the monarch’s] winepresses [the places of wine production, the areas of grape harvesting]. word study 11 People [men, inhabitants] will live [dwell, reside] there, and never again [still, any more] will there be an utter [complete, total] destruction [curse, doomed thing]. So Jerusalem [the city of peace] will dwell [live, abide] securely [in safety, with confidence, safely inhabited]. word study 12 And this [specific, divine judgment] will be the plague [severe illness, divine chastisement] with which the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] strikes [smites, judges] all the peoples [nations, Gentiles] who have warred [fought, waged war] against Jerusalem [the city of peace, God’s holy city]: Their flesh [body, mortal body] will rot [decay, consume away] while they stand [remain, are fixed] on their feet [in their position, steadfast], their eyes [sight, spiritual perception] will rot [be consumed, decay] in their sockets [orbits, eye holes], and their tongues [language, speech] will rot [be silenced, decay] in their mouths [lips, speech]. word study 13 On that day [of the Lord’s judgment] a great panic [tumult, confusion] from the LORD [Yehovah] will come upon them, so that each will seize [lay hold, grasp] the hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] of another [neighbor, companion], and the hand of one will rise [ascend, be lifted] against the other. word study 14 Judah [the tribe descended from Judah, a son of Jacob] will also [even, too] fight [engage in battle, contend with] at Jerusalem [the city of peace, capital of Palestine], and the wealth [riches, treasures] of all [every, the entire] the surrounding [adjacent, neighboring] nations [Gentiles, heathen] will be collected [gathered, amassed]—gold [a valuable metal], silver [a precious metal, often used for payment], and apparel [clothing, garments] in great [abundant, exceeding] abundance [plentifulness, multitude]. word study 15 And a similar [divine judgment, like the plagues in Egypt] plague [pestilence, disease] will strike the horses [chariot horses, swift steeds] and mules [offspring of a horse and donkey], camels [valuable riding animals] and donkeys [male asses, strong beasts], and all [every kind of] the animals [large quadruped mammals, livestock] in those [encamped, gathered] camps [army encampments, groups of people]. word study 16 Then all [every one, the entire remnant] the survivors from the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] that came against [attacked, waged war on] Jerusalem will go up [ascend, rise] year after year [annually, every year] to worship [bow down, pay homage to] the King [Sovereign, Ruler], the LORD [Yehovah] of Hosts [armies, heavenly forces], and to celebrate [observe, keep] the Feast [festival, appointed time] of Tabernacles [booths, temporary shelters]. word study 17 And should any of the families [clans, tribes, or nations] of the earth [land, territory, or region] not go up [ascend, rise, or come] to Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital of Palestine] to worship [bow down, pay homage, or reverence] the King [royal ruler, sovereign], the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] of Hosts [armies, large groups, or campaigns], then the rain [shower, downpour, or refreshing water] will not fall [come down, pour, or be given] on them [upon, above, or to them]. word study 18 And if the people [family, clan] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] will not go up [ascend, rise] and enter in, then the rain [no rain, drought] will not fall on them; this will be the plague [divine judgment, pestilence] with which the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] strikes [smite, punish] the nations [Gentiles, heathen] who do not go up [ascend, rise] to celebrate [observe, keep] the Feast [festival, appointed time] of Tabernacles [booths, temporary shelters]. word study 19 This [the specified consequence] will be the punishment [sin, guilt, or punishment for sin] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] and of all [every single one] the nations [Gentile, non-Hebrew peoples] that do not [refuse to] go up [to ascend, rise] to celebrate [observe, keep] the Feast [festival, appointed time] of Tabernacles [booths, temporary shelters]. word study 20 On that day [in the future, at a specific time], HOLY TO THE LORD [dedicated to Yehovah, set apart] will be inscribed [written, engraved] on the bells [small tinkling bells, like those on the high priest’s robe] of the horses [chariot horses, swift animals], and the cooking pots [household vessels, utensils] in the house [temple, dwelling place] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] will be like [similar to, comparable with] the sprinkling bowls [basins, vessels for holding liquids] before [in the presence of, facing] the altar [place of sacrifice, sacred table]. word study 21 Indeed, every pot [vessel, container] in Jerusalem [the city of peace, the holy city] and Judah [the region of praise, the southern kingdom] will be holy [set apart, consecrated] to the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] of Hosts [armies, heavenly forces], and all who sacrifice [offer, present an offering] will come and take some pots [utensils, vessels] and cook [boil, prepare] in them. And on that day [the day of the Lord, the appointed time] there will no longer be a Canaanite [merchant, trader, unbeliever] in the house [temple, dwelling place] of the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] of Hosts [armies, heavenly forces]. word study