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1 On that day a spring will be opened and continually flow*The verb indicates it is not a single action but an action which has continuing results. for the house of David and for the people of Jerusalem to wash away their sin and impurity. 2 On that day, declares the Lord Almighty, I will wipe out idol worship from the land—the idols will not be remembered any longer. I will remove the false prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land. 3 If anyone continues to prophesy, his father and mother to whom he was born will tell him, “You shall not live, because you have told lies in the Lord's name.” Then his parents shall kill him because he has prophesied.
4 On that day such prophets will be too humiliated to prophesy their supposed visions. In order to deceive they will not put on their prophet's clothes made of coarse hair.†In other words they act deceptively in order to continue their practices. 5 They will say, “I'm not a prophet, I'm a farmer. I've worked on the land since I was a child.” 6 If somebody asks him, “What are those wounds on your back?”‡Hebrew: “hands.” The reason for asking about wounds is that pagan worshipers often practiced self-mutilation. he will answer, “I was wounded in my friend's house.”
7 Wake up, my sword! Attack my shepherd, the man who stands beside me! declares the Lord. Strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered, and I will raise my hand against the lambs. 8 Two thirds of the people of the land will be cut down, only one third will remain, says the Lord. 9 I will place this one third in the fire, and I will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on me for help, and I will answer them. I will say, “These are my people,” and they will say, “The Lord is my God.”

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*13:1 The verb indicates it is not a single action but an action which has continuing results.

†13:4 In other words they act deceptively in order to continue their practices.

‡13:6 Hebrew: “hands.” The reason for asking about wounds is that pagan worshipers often practiced self-mutilation.

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher