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Zechariah chapter 12 in Hebrew and English

14 verses, about 3 minutes to read aloud. The Hebrew has its vowel points and the English stands under each verse.

The whole chapter is here, a verse to a line.

מַשָּׂא דְבַר־יְהוָה עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל נְאֻם־יְהוָה נֹטֶה שָׁמַיִם וְיֹסֵד אָרֶץ וְיֹצֵר רוּחַ־אָדָם בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃

The burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel. The saying of the LORD, who stretched forth the heavens, And laid the foundation of the earth, And formed the spirit of man within him:

הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שָׂם אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִַם סַף־רַעַל לְכָל־הָעַמִּים סָבִיב וְגַם עַל־יְהוּדָה יִהְיֶה בַמָּצוֹר עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃

Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of staggering Unto all the peoples round about, And upon Judah also shall it fall to be in the siege against Jerusalem.

וְהָיָה בַיּוֹם־הַהוּא אָשִׂים אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִַם אֶבֶן מַעֲמָסָה לְכָל־הָעַמִּים כָּל־עֹמְסֶיהָ שָׂרוֹט יִשָּׂרֵטוּ וְנֶאֶסְפוּ עָלֶיהָ כֹּל גּוֹיֵי הָאָֽרֶץ׃

And it shall come to pass in that day, That I will make Jerusalem a stone of burden for all the peoples; All that burden themselves with it shall be sore wounded; And all the nations of the earth shall be gathered together against it.

בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא נְאֻם־יְהוָה אַכֶּה כָל־סוּס בַּתִּמָּהוֹן וְרֹכְבוֹ בַּשִּׁגָּעוֹן וְעַל־בֵּית יְהוּדָה אֶפְקַח אֶת־עֵינַי וְכֹל סוּס הָעַמִּים אַכֶּה בַּֽעִוָּרֽוֹן׃

In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with bewilderment, And his rider with madness; And I will open Mine eyes upon the house of Judah, And will smite every horse of the peoples with blindness.

וְאָמְרוּ אַלֻּפֵי יְהוּדָה בְּלִבָּם אַמְצָה לִי יֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם בַּיהוָה צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃

And the chiefs of Judah shall say in their heart: ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength Through the LORD of hosts their God.’

בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אָשִׂים אֶת־אַלֻּפֵי יְהוּדָה כְּכִיּוֹר אֵשׁ בְּעֵצִים וּכְלַפִּיד אֵשׁ בְּעָמִיר וְאָכְלוּ עַל־יָמִין וְעַל־שְׂמֹאול אֶת־כָּל־הָעַמִּים סָבִיב וְיָשְׁבָה יְרוּשָׁלִַם עוֹד תַּחְתֶּיהָ בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃

In that day will I make the chiefs of Judah Like a pan of fire among the wood, And like a torch of fire among sheaves; And they shall devour all the peoples round about, On the right hand and on the left; And Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.

וְהוֹשִׁיעַ יְהוָה אֶת־אָהֳלֵי יְהוּדָה בָּרִאשֹׁנָה לְמַעַן לֹא־תִגְדַּל תִּפְאֶרֶת בֵּית־דָּוִיד וְתִפְאֶרֶת יֹשֵׁב יְרוּשָׁלִַם עַל־יְהוּדָֽה׃

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 be not magnified above Judah.

בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יָגֵן יְהוָה בְּעַד יוֹשֵׁב יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְהָיָה הַנִּכְשָׁל בָּהֶם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כְּדָוִיד וּבֵית דָּוִיד כֵּאלֹהִים כְּמַלְאַךְ יְהוָה לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃

In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; And he that stumbleth among them at that day shall be as David; And the house of David shall be as a godlike being, As the angel of the LORD before them.

וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אֲבַקֵּשׁ לְהַשְׁמִיד אֶת־כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם הַבָּאִים עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃

And it shall come to pass in that day, That I will seek to destroy all the nations That come against Jerusalem.

וְשָׁפַכְתִּי עַל־בֵּית דָּוִיד וְעַל יוֹשֵׁב יְרוּשָׁלִַם רוּחַ חֵן וְתַחֲנוּנִים וְהִבִּיטוּ אֵלַי אֵת אֲשֶׁר־דָּקָרוּ וְסָפְדוּ עָלָיו כְּמִסְפֵּד עַל־הַיָּחִיד וְהָמֵר עָלָיו כְּהָמֵר עַֽל־הַבְּכֽוֹר׃

And I will pour upon the house of David, And upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, The spirit of grace and of supplication; And they shall look unto Me because athey have thrust him through; 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 first-born.

בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִגְדַּל הַמִּסְפֵּד בִּירוּשָׁלִַם כְּמִסְפַּד הֲדַדְ־רִמּוֹן בְּבִקְעַת מְגִדּֽוֹן׃

In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, As the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.

וְסָפְדָה הָאָרֶץ מִשְׁפָּחוֹת מִשְׁפָּחוֹת לְבָד מִשְׁפַּחַת בֵּית־דָּוִיד לְבָד וּנְשֵׁיהֶם לְבָד מִשְׁפַּחַת בֵּית־נָתָן לְבָד וּנְשֵׁיהֶם לְבָֽד׃

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;

מִשְׁפַּחַת בֵּית־לֵוִי לְבָד וּנְשֵׁיהֶם לְבָד מִשְׁפַּחַת הַשִּׁמְעִי לְבָד וּנְשֵׁיהֶם לְבָֽד׃

The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; The family of the Shimeites apart, and their wives apart;

כֹּל הַמִּשְׁפָּחוֹת הַנִּשְׁאָרוֹת מִשְׁפָּחֹת מִשְׁפָּחֹת לְבָד וּנְשֵׁיהֶם לְבָֽד׃

All the families that remain, Every family apart, and their wives apart.

The Hebrew is the Leningrad Codex, free to view and copy, compared letter by letter with a second edition, Miqra according to the Masorah, under the CC BY-SA licence. The English is the Jewish Publication Society translation of 1917, in the public domain.

Where this chapter stands in the Tanakh.

  • Chapter 12 of the 14 chapters of Zechariah
  • Zechariah is one of the Twelve Minor Prophets
  • 14 verses, 227 words, about 3 minutes to read

Zechariah has 14 chapters, and each one has its own page.

All of Zechariah·All the books of the Tanakh·Psalms and prayers

Questions about this chapter

How many verses does Zechariah chapter 12 have?

Zechariah chapter 12 has 14 verses and 227 words.

How does Zechariah chapter 12 begin?

The first verse begins in Hebrew with the words משא דבר־ה׳ על־ישראל נאם־ה׳.

Where does Zechariah chapter 12 stand in the Tanakh?

It is chapter 12 of the 14 chapters of Zechariah, which is one of the Twelve Minor Prophets.

How long does it take to read Zechariah chapter 12?

About 3 minutes, at a steady pace.