Zechariah 13

(1) God will Remove Jerusalem’s False Prophets

“When that time comes, a spring of opposition and impurity will come bursting out of David’s family and Jerusalem’s inhabitants. 

“Then I’ll cut off the idols from the region, and their names will be forgotten. I’ll remove the false prophets and dirty spirits from the region. If anyone still prophesies after that, that person’s parents will tell him, ‘You should be executed, because of the fraudulent things you say on the Existing One’s behalf.’

“Then his own parents will impale him for his prophesies. In those days, prophets will feel ashamed of their own visions. Instead of putting on fur coats and trying to deceive people, they’ll say, ‘I’m not actually a prophet—I’m just a farm boy who got sold into slavery as a child.’

“When he has scars on his hands and someone asks about them, he’ll say, ‘I got those scars when I was with my childhood friend.’ 

(7) God will Refine His People

The Existing One of all creation says, 

“Sword, it’s time for you to oppose My Shepherd and come against My Associate. Strike the Shepherd so the sheep will be scattered. I’m turning My power against the insignificant ones.

“Two parts of the land will get cut off and die, but the third part will stay. I’ll bring that third part through the fire and refine it in the same way that silver is extracted from its ore. I’ll test them in the same way that gold is put to the test. They’ll cry out to Me, and I’ll respond by saying, ‘They are My people.’

Then they’ll say, ‘The Existing One is our God.’”