Zechariah 13:8

Judgment

⁶ And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.

⁷ Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.

And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.

⁹ And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

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.
KJV: And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.
WEB: It shall happen that in all the land,” says the LORD, “two parts in it will be cut off and die; but the third will be left in it.
ASV: And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith Jehovah, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.
DARBY: And it shall come to pass in all the land, saith Jehovah, two parts therein shall be cut off [and] die; but the third shall be left therein.
BLB: And it will come to pass, in all the land, a declaration of YHWH, a measure that two in it will be cut off [and] die, and the third will remain in it.

ÅB: Og i hele landet, sier Herren, skal to tredjedeler utryddes og omkomme, bare en tredjedel skal levnes der.
OTB: Og over hele landet,”
sier Herren,
“skal to tredjedeler bli avskåret og omkomme,
men en tredjedel skal bli igjen i det.
B1930: Og i hele landet, sier Herren, skal to tredjedeler utryddes og omkomme, bare en tredjedel skal levnes der.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Ezekiel 5:12
A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.
Read in context
Revelation 16:19
And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Read in context
Ezekiel 5:2–4
Thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled: and thou shalt take a third part, and smite about it with a knife: and a third part thou shalt scatter in the wind; and I will draw out a sword after them.
Read in context
Malachi 4:1–3
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
Read in context
Revelation 8:7–12
The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
Read in context
1 Thessalonians 2:15–16
Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:
Read in context
Luke 23:28–30
But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.
Read in context
Matthew 24:21–22
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Read in context