1 THE burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, saith the Lord, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.
2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
4 In that day, saith the Lord, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.
5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God.
6 In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.
7 The Lord also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah.
8 In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them.
9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
12 And 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;
13 The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;
14 All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.

1The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, saith the Lord, which stretcheth foorth the Heauens, and laith the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.

2Behold, I will make Ierusalem a cup of trembling vnto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Iudah and against Ierusalem.

3 And in that day will I make Ierusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselues with it, shall be cut in pieces; though all the people of the earth bee gathered together against it.

4In that day, saith the Lord, I will smite euery horse with astonishment, and his rider with madnesse, and I will open mine eyes vpon the house of Iudah, and will smite euery horse of the people with blindnesse.

5And the gouernours of Iudah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Ierusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hostes their God.

6 In that day will I make the gouernours of Iudah like a harth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheafe; and they shall deuoure all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Ierusalem shall bee inhabited againe in her owne place, euen in Ierusalem.

7The Lord also shall saue the tents of Iudah first, that the glory of the house of Dauid, and the glory of the inhabitants of Ierusalem do not magnifie themselues against Iudah.

8In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Ierusalem, and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as Dauid; and the house of Dauid shall be as God, as the Angel of the Lord before them.

9 And it shall come to passe in that day, that I will seeke to destroy all the nations that come against Ierusalem.

10And I wil powre vpon the house of Dauid, and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications, and they shall looke vpon me whom they haue pearced, and they shal mourne for him, as one mourneth for his onely sonne, and shall be in bitternesse for him, as one that is in bitternesse for his first borne.

11In that day shall there bee a great mourning in Ierusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.

12And the land shal mourne, euery familie apart, the familie of the house of Dauid apart, and their wiues apart, the familie of the house of Nathan apart, and their wiues apart:

13The familie of the house of Leui apart, and their wiues apart: the familie of Shimei apart, and their wiues apart:

14All the families that remaine, euery family apart, & their wiues apart.

I == Num 16:22 ; Eccl 12:7 ; Isa 57:16 ; 42:5 ; 44:24 ; 45:12 , 18 ; 48:13 ; Heb 12:9

II == Isa 51:17 , 22-23

 

 

III == Ezek 12:4 , 6 , 8-9 , 11 ; 13:1 ; 14:4 ,6 8-9 , 13 ; Matt 21:44

 

IV == Ps 76:6 ; Ezek 38:4

 

 

V == Joel 3:13

 

 

VI == Obad 1:18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VIII == Joel 3:10

 

 

 

 

IX == Hag 2:22 ; Zech 12:3

 

X == Jer 6:26 ; 31:9 ; 50:4 ; Ezek 39:29 ; Joel 2:28 ; Amos 8:10 ; John 19:34 , 37 ; rev 1:7

 

 

XI == 2nd Kings 23:29 ; 2nd Chr 35:24 ; Acts 2:37

 

XII == 2nd Sam 5:14 ; Matt 24:30 ; Luke 3:31 ; Rev 1:7

 

 

1 An oracle: the word of the LORD concerning Israel. Thus says the LORD, who spreads out the heavens, lays the foundations of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him:

2 See, I will make Jerusalem a bowl to stupefy all peoples round about. (Judah will be besieged, even Jerusalem.)

3 On that day I will make Jerusalem a weighty stone for all peoples. All who attempt to lift it shall injure themselves badly, and all the nations of the earth shall be gathered against her.

4 On that day, says the LORD, I will strike every horse with fright, and its rider with madness. I will strike blind all the horses of the peoples, but upon the house of Judah I will open my eyes,

5 and the princes of Judah shall say to themselves, "The inhabitants of Jerusalem have their strength in the LORD of hosts, their God."

6 On that day I will make the princes of Judah like a brazier of fire in the woodland, and like a burning torch among sheaves, and they shall devour right and left all the surrounding peoples; but Jerusalem shall still abide on its own site.

7 The LORD shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not be exalted over Judah.

8 On that day, the LORD will shield the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the weakling among them shall be like David on that day, and the house of David godlike, like an angel of the LORD before them.

9 On that day I will seek the destruction of all nations that come against Jerusalem.

10 I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and petition; and they shall look on him whom they have thrust through, and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only son, and they shall grieve over him as one grieves over a first-born.

11 On that day the mourning in Jerusalem shall be as great as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo.

12 And the land shall mourn, each family apart: the family of the house of David, and their wives; the family of the house of Nathan, and their wives;

13 the family of the house of Levi, and their wives; the family of Shemei, and their wives;

14 and all the rest of the families, each family apart, and the wives apart.

Chapters 12-14 form one prophecy of the return of the Lord and His Kingdom.

v 1-3. God had the power of creation and of sustaining it, and has power to make Jerusalem a place of siege as well as deliver it. In chapter 9:1-8 God made it a cup of trembling to Alexander the Great. After he had talked with high priest Jaddas, he not only bypassed, but protected the Jews. It became a cup of consolation to them.
Opposition against Jerusalem will be almost universal, even some Jews will join in this attack as some joined with Antiochus Epiphanies against fellow Jews. In the war of Armageddon this huge confederacy will be as powerless as a drunken man and will be totally defeated. 

v 4,5. God will make horses go blind and panic, and the riders go mad. God will care for Judah and the leaders will realize that the victory is from the Lord.

v 6,7. Though small, Judah, through the Lord, will consume those around her. Judah in weak unfortified areas will be saved first because of her humble trust.

v 8,9. Those of Jerusalem who are considered weak will be made strong and the strong more strong, as God destroys all the nations gathered round.

v 10. Old Testament Jews were not indwelt by the Spirit as are believers today, but there will be an outpouring of the Spirit. Then they will recognize the Christ  they caused to be pierced on the cross, will mourn and be converted.

v 11-14. The mourning will be as great as for godly Josiah after death  from the Egyptians, 2 Chron. 35:20-27. Sorrow will be as sincere as in Joel 2:17 when the priests were called to weep between the porch and the altar. This is not just a ritual public mourning, but heart felt as individuals and families gather privately in great sorrow that their nation rejected Christ