An End to Idolatry 1 UDB At that time it will be as though there is a spring of water that will continuously flow to cleanse the descendants of King David and all the other people in Jerusalem from the guilt of the sins that they have committed, especially from becoming unacceptable to Yahweh by worshiping idols. BSB BSB: “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the people of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.
2 UDB Yahweh, the Commander of angel armies, says, "At that time, I will prevent people from even mentioning the names of the idols in their country, and no one will worship them anymore. I will also drive away from the land all the people who falsely claim that they are prophets; I will also drive away the evil spirit that leads them to tell the people false messages from me. BSB BSB: And on that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered. I will also remove the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land.
3 UDB If someone continues to prophesy falsely, his own parents, even though he is their own son, will say to him, 'You have told lies saying that Yahweh gave those messages to you, so you must die.' Then they will stab him and kill him. BSB BSB: And if anyone still prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, ‘You shall not remain alive, because you have spoken falsely in the name of the LORD.’ When he prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will pierce him through.
4 UDB At that time, the false prophets will be ashamed to announce that he has received any vision at all. They will no longer put on cloaks made with animal hair that prophets normally wear, because they will want the people to think that they were never really prophets at all. BSB BSB: And on that day every prophet who prophesies will be ashamed of his vision, and he will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive.
5 UDB So each of them will say, 'I am not really a prophet; I am a farmer, and I have been a farmer on my land ever since I was a boy!' BSB BSB: He will say, ‘I am not a prophet; I work the land, for I was purchased as a servant in my youth.’
6 UDB But others will see scars on their bodies and think that they cut themselves in order to please idols while they were worshiping them. So they will ask, 'Why do you have those scars?' And they will tell a lie: 'I was injured in a quarrel at my friend's house.'" BSB BSB: If someone asks him, ‘What are these wounds on your chest?’ he will answer, ‘These are the wounds I received in the house of my friends.’
The Shepherd Struck, the Sheep Scattered (Matthew 26:31–35; Mark 14:27–31)
7 UDB Yahweh, the Commander of angel armies, says, "Someone must attack and kill the one who is like a shepherd working for me, the man who is my close companion. You with the sword! When you kill my shepherd, my people will run away like sheep. And I myself will attack my ordinary people, those who are like little sheep." BSB BSB: Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the man who is My Companion, declares the LORD of Hosts. Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn My hand against the little ones.
8 UDB Yahweh also says, "Two-thirds of the people in Judah will die; Only one-third of the people in Judah will remain alive. BSB BSB: And in all the land, declares the LORD, two-thirds will be cut off and perish, but a third will be left in it.
9 UDB I will test the ones that remain alive by causing them to experience great difficulties, to find out if they will continue to worship me. I will purify them as someone purifies gold or silver by putting it into a very hot fire. Then my people will call to me for help, and I will answer them. I will tell them that they are my people, and they will say that I, Yahweh, am the God they worship and obey. BSB BSB: This third I will bring through the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’”