Zechariah 14:12 And this will be the plague with which the LORD strikes all the peoples who have warred against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.

Bible > Zechariah > Chapter 14 > Verse 12

◄ Zechariah 14:12 ►

New International Version
This is the plague with which the LORD will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.

New Living Translation
And the LORD will send a plague on all the nations that fought against Jerusalem. Their people will become like walking corpses, their flesh rotting away. Their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.

English Standard Version
And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.

Berean Standard Bible
And this will be the plague with which the LORD strikes all the peoples who have warred against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.

King James Bible
And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

New King James Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
Now this will be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth.

NASB 1995
Now this will be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth.

NASB 1977
Now this will be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now this will be the plague with which Yahweh will plague all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth.

Amplified Bible
Now this will be the plague with which the LORD shall strike all the peoples that have warred against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth.

Christian Standard Bible
This will be the plague with which the LORD strikes all the people who have warred against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
This will be the plague the LORD strikes all the peoples with, who have warred against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.

American Standard Version
And this shall be the plague wherewith Jehovah will smite all the peoples that have warred against Jerusalem: their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their sockets, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

Contemporary English Version
Here is what the LORD will do to those who attack Jerusalem: While they are standing there, he will make their flesh rot and their eyes fall from their sockets and their tongues drop out.

English Revised Version
And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the peoples that have warred against Jerusalem: their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their sockets, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
This will be the plague the LORD will use to strike all the people from the nations that have gone to war against Jerusalem. Their flesh will rot while they are standing on their feet. Their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.

Good News Translation
The LORD will bring a terrible disease on all the nations that make war on Jerusalem. Their flesh will rot away while they are still alive; their eyes and their tongues will rot away.

International Standard Version
"This will be the plague with which the LORD inflicts all of the people who have attacked Jerusalem: he will cause their flesh to rot away, even while they're standing on their feet. He will cause their eyes to rot away in their sockets, and their tongues to rot away in their mouths.

Majority Standard Bible
And this will be the plague with which the LORD strikes all the peoples who have warred against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.

NET Bible
But this will be the nature of the plague with which the LORD will strike all the nations that have fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will decay while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot away in their sockets, and their tongues will dissolve in their mouths.

New Heart English Bible
This will be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples who have warred against Jerusalem: their flesh will consume away while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will consume away in their sockets, and their tongue will consume away in their mouth.

Webster's Bible Translation
And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

World English Bible
This will be the plague with which Yahweh will strike all the peoples who have fought against Jerusalem: their flesh will consume away while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will consume away in their sockets, and their tongue will consume away in their mouth.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And this is the plague with which YHWH plagues all the peoples who have warred against Jerusalem: He has consumed away its flesh, "" And it is standing on its feet, "" And its eyes are consumed in their holes, "" And its tongue is consumed in their mouth.

Young's Literal Translation
And this is the plague with which Jehovah Doth plague all the peoples who have warred against Jerusalem, He hath consumed away its flesh, And it is standing on its feet, And its eyes are consumed in their holes, And its tongue is consumed in their mouth.

Smith's Literal Translation
And this shall be the smiting which Jehovah will smite all the peoples who made war upon Jerusalem; and he caused his flesh to pine away, and he stood upon his feet, and his eyes shall pine away in their holes, and his tongue shall pine away in their mouth.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And this shall be the plague where with the Lord shall strike all nations that have fought against Jerusalem: the flesh of every one shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And this will be the plague by which the Lord will strike all the Gentiles that have fought against Jerusalem. The flesh of each one will waste away while they are standing on their feet, and their eyes will be consumed in their sockets, and their tongue will be consumed in their mouth.

New American Bible
And this will be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples that have fought against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.

New Revised Standard Version
This shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh shall rot while they are still on their feet; their eyes shall rot in their sockets, and their tongues shall rot in their mouths.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will smite all the people who have fought against Jerusalem: their flesh shall waste away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall melt away in their sockets, and their tongues shall consume away in their mouths.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And this will be the plague with which LORD JEHOVAH strikes all the nations which fight against Jerusalem: their flesh shall melt when standing on their feet and their eyes shall melt in their sockets and their tongue shall melt in their mouths

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite All the peoples that have warred against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, And their eyes shall consume away in their sockets, And their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And this shall be the overthrow with which the Lord will smite all the nations, as many as have fought against Jerusalem; their flesh shall consume away while they are standing upon their feet, and their eyes shall melt out of their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Destroyers of Jerusalem Destroyed
…11People will live there, and never again will there be an utter destruction. So Jerusalem will dwell securely. 12And this will be the plague with which the LORD strikes all the peoples who have warred against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. 13On that day a great panic from the LORD will come upon them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of one will rise against the other.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Revelation 19:21
And the rest were killed with the sword that proceeded from the mouth of the One seated on the horse. And all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

Revelation 19:15
And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

Revelation 6:8
Then I looked and saw a pale green horse. Its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed close behind. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill by sword, by famine, by plague, and by the beasts of the earth.

Revelation 16:2
So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and loathsome, malignant sores broke out on those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.

Revelation 16:10-11
And the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness, and men began to gnaw their tongues in anguish / and curse the God of heaven for their pains and sores. Yet they did not repent of their deeds.

Revelation 11:5
If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone who wants to harm them must be killed.

Revelation 9:18
A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke, and sulfur that proceeded from their mouths.

Revelation 9:20
Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.

Isaiah 66:24
“As they go forth, they will see the corpses of the men who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never be quenched, and they will be a horror to all mankind.”

Isaiah 37:36
Then the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies!

Ezekiel 38:22
I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed. I will pour out torrents of rain, hailstones, fire, and sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.

Ezekiel 39:6
I will send fire on Magog and on those who dwell securely in the coastlands, and they will know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 39:17-20
And as for you, son of man, this is what the Lord GOD says: Call out to every kind of bird and to every beast of the field: ‘Assemble and come together from all around to the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you, a great feast on the mountains of Israel. There you will eat flesh and drink blood. / You will eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the princes of the earth as though they were rams, lambs, goats, and bulls—all the fattened animals of Bashan. / At the sacrifice I am preparing, you will eat fat until you are gorged and drink blood until you are drunk. ...

Deuteronomy 28:21-22
The LORD will make the plague cling to you until He has exterminated you from the land that you are entering to possess. / The LORD will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, and with blight and mildew; these will pursue you until you perish.

Deuteronomy 28:59-61
He will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary disasters, severe and lasting plagues, and terrible and chronic sicknesses. / He will afflict you again with all the diseases you dreaded in Egypt, and they will cling to you. / The LORD will also bring upon you every sickness and plague not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed.

Treasury of Scripture

And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand on their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

the plague wherewith.

Zechariah 14:3
Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

Zechariah 12:9
And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

Psalm 110:5,6
The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath…

Their flesh.

Leviticus 26:18,21,24,28
And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins…

Deuteronomy 28:59
Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.

2 Chronicles 21:15,18,19
And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day…

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Zechariah 14

1. The destroyers of Jerusalem destroyed.
3. The coming of Christ, and the graces of his kingdom.
12. The plague of Jerusalem's enemies.
16. The remnant shall turn to the Lord;
20. and their spoils shall be holy.

Berean Study Bible

This will be the plague
The term "plague" in Hebrew is "מַגֵּפָה" (magefah), often used in the Old Testament to describe a divine judgment or punishment. Historically, plagues were seen as direct interventions by God to correct or punish. In the context of Zechariah, this plague is a divine response to the nations that have opposed Jerusalem, emphasizing God's sovereignty and justice.

with which the LORD strikes
The phrase underscores the active role of the LORD (YHWH) in executing judgment. The Hebrew root "נָכָה" (nakah) means to strike or smite, indicating a deliberate act of divine retribution. This reflects the biblical theme of God as a warrior who defends His people and enacts justice against their enemies.

all the peoples who have warred against Jerusalem
"All the peoples" suggests a universal scope, indicating that this judgment is not limited to a single nation but extends to all who oppose God's chosen city. Jerusalem, throughout scripture, is symbolic of God's presence and His covenant with Israel. Historically, Jerusalem has been a focal point of conflict, and this passage prophesies divine intervention on behalf of the city.

Their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet
The imagery of flesh rotting while standing is both vivid and terrifying, suggesting an immediate and supernatural affliction. The Hebrew word for "rot" is "מָקַק" (maqaq), which conveys decay and corruption. This serves as a metaphor for the inevitable downfall of those who oppose God, highlighting the futility of standing against divine will.

their eyes will rot in their sockets
Eyes are often symbolic of perception and understanding. The rotting of eyes signifies a loss of vision, both physically and spiritually. It implies that those who war against Jerusalem are blinded by their own rebellion and will ultimately lose their ability to perceive truth and reality.

and their tongues will rot in their mouths
The tongue represents speech and communication. The rotting of tongues indicates a silencing of those who speak against God and His people. It suggests that falsehoods and blasphemies will be rendered powerless in the face of divine truth and judgment.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 12-15. - § 8. Having noted the blessings on the true Israelites, the prophet gives further details concerning the destruction of the enemies: they shall perish by plague, by mutual slaughter, by the sword of Judah. Verse 12. - This shall be the plague. These are the instruments which the Lord uses when he fights against the nations (not the people, as in the Authorized Version), ver. 3. The plague, or smiting (maggephah), is some contagions affliction sent by God, as in Exodus 9:14; Numbers 14:37; 1 Samuel 6:4. Their. It is, in the Hebrew, "his flesh, his feet," etc., to show that the general plague extends to every individual. In the last clause the plural is used, "their mouth." With body, eye, and tongue they opposed the holy city, and took pleasure in its discomfiture: in all their members they shall suffer retributive punishment. While they stand upon their feet. The flesh of each shall putrefy and moulder away, while he is still alive and arrayed against the city of God. Holes; soakers. The eyes had spied out the weak places in the defence, and looked with malicious pleasure on the defeat and fall. Tongue. They had blasphemed God, and cried against his holy place, "Down with it, even to the ground!"

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

And this
וְזֹ֣את ׀ (wə·zōṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,

will be
תִּֽהְיֶ֣ה (tih·yeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

the plague
הַמַּגֵּפָ֗ה (ham·mag·gê·p̄āh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4046: A blow, slaughter, plague, pestilence

with which the LORD
יְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

strikes
יִגֹּ֤ף (yig·gōp̄)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5062: To push, gore, defeat, stub, inflict

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the peoples
הָ֣עַמִּ֔ים (hā·‘am·mîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

who
אֲשֶׁ֨ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

have warred
צָבְא֖וּ (ṣā·ḇə·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6633: To wage war, serve

against
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

Jerusalem:
יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם (yə·rū·šā·lim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel

Their flesh
בְּשָׂר֗וֹ (bə·śā·rōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1320: Flesh, body, person, the pudenda of a, man

will rot
הָמֵ֣ק ׀ (hā·mêq)
Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 4743: To melt, to flow, dwindle, vanish

while they
וְהוּא֙ (wə·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

stand
עֹמֵ֣ד (‘ō·mêḏ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5975: To stand, in various relations

on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

their feet,
רַגְלָ֔יו (raḡ·lāw)
Noun - fdc | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7272: A foot, a step, the pudenda

their eyes
וְעֵינָיו֙ (wə·‘ê·nāw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - cdc | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

will rot
תִּמַּ֣קְנָה (tim·maq·nāh)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine plural
Strong's 4743: To melt, to flow, dwindle, vanish

in their sockets,
בְחֹֽרֵיהֶ֔ן (ḇə·ḥō·rê·hen)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine plural
Strong's 2356: A cavity, socket, den

and their tongues
וּלְשׁוֹנ֖וֹ (ū·lə·šō·w·nōw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3956: The tongue

will rot
תִּמַּ֥ק (tim·maq)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 4743: To melt, to flow, dwindle, vanish

in their mouths.
בְּפִיהֶֽם׃ (bə·p̄î·hem)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to

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OT Prophets: Zechariah 14:12 This will be the plague with which (Zech. Zec Zc)