Zechariah 13:4-9 Holy Bible: Easy-To-Read Version (ETR)

4. At that time the prophets will be ashamed of their visions and prophecies. They will not wear the rough cloth that shows a person is a prophet. They will not wear those clothes to trick people with the lies they call prophecies.

5. They will say, ‘I am not a prophet. I am a farmer. I have worked as a farmer since I was a little child.’

6. But other people will say, ‘Then what are these wounds in your hands?’ He will say, ‘I was beaten in the house of my friends.’”

7. The Lord All-Powerful says, “Sword, wake up and strike the shepherd, my friend! Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will run away. And I will punish those little ones.

8. Two-thirds of the people in the land will be struck down and die,” says the Lord, “but one-third will survive.

9. Then I will test those survivors by giving them many troubles. The troubles will be like the fire a person uses to prove silver is pure. I will test them the way a person tests gold. Then they will call to me for help, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘You are my people.’ And they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”

Zechariah 13