« | Zechariah 14 |
1 Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst.
2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then the LORD will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle.
4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, [Making] a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south.
5 Then you shall flee [through] My mountain valley, For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee As you fled from the earthquake In the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the LORD my God will come, [And] all the saints with You.
6 It shall come to pass in that day [That] there will be no light; The lights will diminish.
7 It shall be one day Which is known to the LORD -- Neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen [That] it will be light.
8 And in that day it shall be [That] living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, Half of them toward the eastern sea And half of them toward the western sea; In both summer and winter it shall occur.
9 And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be -- "The LORD [is] one," And His name one.
10 All the land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be raised up and inhabited in her place from Benjamin's Gate to the place of the First Gate and the Corner Gate, and [from] the Tower of Hananeel to the king's winepresses.
11 [The people] shall dwell in it; And no longer shall there be utter destruction, But Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.
12 And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.
13 It shall come to pass in that day [That] a great panic from the LORD will be among them. Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbor, And raise his hand against his neighbor's hand;
14 Judah also will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations Shall be gathered together: Gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance.
15 Such also shall be the plague On the horse [and] the mule, On the camel and the donkey, And on all the cattle that will be in those camps. So [shall] this plague [be.]
16 And it shall come to pass [that] everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
17 And it shall be [that] whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain.
18 If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they [shall have] no [rain;] they shall receive the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
20 In that day "HOLINESS TO THE LORD" shall be [engraved] on the bells of the horses. The pots in the LORD's house shall be like the bowls before the altar.
21 Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the LORD of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.
The New King James Version (NKJV)
The New King James Version (NKJV) is a modern translation of the Bible that seeks to preserve the stylistic and literary beauty of the original King James Version (KJV) while making it more accessible to contemporary readers. The project to create the NKJV began in 1975, spearheaded by Arthur Farstad and a team of over 130 scholars, theologians, and pastors. They aimed to maintain the traditional language and rhythm of the KJV while updating archaic terms and expressions to be more understandable for modern audiences. The translation was completed and published in 1982, offering a blend of reverence for the past and clarity for the present.
One of the defining features of the NKJV is its commitment to the Textus Receptus, the same Greek text underlying the New Testament of the KJV. This ensures a high degree of continuity between the two versions, making the NKJV familiar to those who have long cherished the KJV. However, the NKJV also considers findings from more recent scholarship and textual criticism, incorporating insights from the latest manuscripts and research. This approach helps to balance respect for the historical text with a recognition of the advancements in biblical studies.
The NKJV has been praised for its readability and poetic qualities, which make it suitable for both private study and public worship. Its translators worked diligently to preserve the lyrical and memorable phrasing of the KJV, which has deeply influenced English literature and religious practice. By modernizing the language without compromising the text’s inherent dignity and solemnity, the NKJV has become a popular choice among those who value both accuracy and elegance in their Bible reading.
Despite its strengths, the NKJV has faced criticism from some quarters. Critics argue that by adhering too closely to the Textus Receptus, it may not fully reflect the breadth of available manuscript evidence. Others feel that it may still be too archaic for some readers, especially those who are new to the Bible or who come from different linguistic backgrounds. Nonetheless, the NKJV remains a significant and respected translation, offering a bridge between the venerable tradition of the KJV and the needs of modern readers.