Open English Translation ZEC Chapter 13

13 “On that day a spring will be opened for David’s descendants and the other inhabitants of Yerushalem, to clean them from their sin and impurity.

2 This is the declaration of army commander Yahweh: That same day, I will eliminate the names of the idols from the country and then no one will be able to remember them. I’ll remove the false prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land. 3 If anyone continues to prophesy, his father and mother will tell him, ‘You can’t be allowed to live because you speak lies using Yahweh’s name’ Then the very father and mother who gave birth to him will run him through when he prophesies. 4 At that time, each prophet will become ashamed of his vision when he is about to prophesy, so in order to deceive the people, these prophets won’t put on a hairy cloak any more, 5 and they’ll each say, ‘I’m not a prophet. I’m a man who works the soil—I’ve been doing that since I was young.’ 6 But someone will ask him, ‘What are these wounds between your arms?’ and he’ll answer, ‘I got accidentally wounded in my friends’ house.’ ”

7 Army command Yahweh declares:

Wake up, sword, and work against the one who’s my shepherd and the man who stands close to me.

Strike the shepherd and the flock will scatter

because I’ll turn my hand against the lowly ones.[ref]

8 Yahweh declares: Then it’ll come about that throughout all the land,

that two-thirds of it will be cut off.

Those people will die—only one-third will remain there.

9 I’ll bring that third through the fire and refine them like silver is refined.

≈ I’ll test them like gold is tested.

They will call out to me for help,

and I’ll answer them saying, ‘This is my people.’

and they’ll say, ‘Yahweh is my god.’ ”