1 When Darius had been king of Persia for two years, Zechariah the prophet heard a message from the Lord . [ a ] It was the eighth month of the year. Zechariah was the son of Berekiah, and Berekiah was the son of Iddo.
2 This was the Lord 's message:
‘I, the Lord , was very angry with your ancestors. 3 Now I, the Lord Almighty, say this to you: “If you return to me, I will return to you.” 4 Do not be like your ancestors. Many years ago the prophets gave them a message from me. The message was, “Stop doing those evil and wicked things.” But they did not listen to me. They did not think that my message was important. 5 That was a long time ago. Your ancestors have been dead for a long time. So have the prophets. 6 I told my prophets to speak my message and my commands. I punished your ancestors, as I warned them I would do. Then they turned back to me. They said, “The Lord Almighty has punished us for our sins, as he said he would do.” ’
7 On the 24th day of Shebat, the 11th month of the year, the Lord spoke to Zechariah the prophet. This was when Darius had been king for two years.
8 During the night I, Zechariah, had a dream from the Lord . I saw a man on a red horse. The horse was standing among some trees called myrtle trees, in the valley. And behind him were red, brown and white horses.
9 I asked him, ‘My lord, what are these horses?’ The angel who talked with me said, ‘I will show you what they are.’
10 The man who was standing among the trees answered, ‘The Lord has sent these horses to go to all the places on the earth.’
11 And the horses spoke to the angel of the Lord who stood among the trees. They said, ‘We have gone all over the earth. All the earth is without trouble.’
12 Then the angel of the Lord said, ‘ Lord Almighty, how long will you be angry with Jerusalem? How long will you be angry with the cities of Judah? You have already been angry for 70 years.’ 13 And the Lord answered the angel with kind words.
14 The angel said to me, ‘Tell this to the people. This is what the Lord Almighty says: “I love Jerusalem. Jerusalem is mine. 15 I am very angry with the countries that are safe and without danger. Those countries were too cruel to my people, when I was only a little angry with Jerusalem.” 16 So this is what the Lord says: “I will return to Jerusalem to be kind to the people there. I will build my house again”, says the Lord Almighty, “and I will build the city again.” ’
17 The angel told me that I must say this: ‘The Lord Almighty says, “My towns will be rich again. I will again speak kind words to Jerusalem. I will choose Jerusalem again as my own city.” ’
18 And I looked up and I saw four horns. 19 And I asked the angel that talked with me, ‘What are these horns?’ Then the angel said to me, ‘These are the strong enemies of my people. They took my people out of Judah, out of Israel and out of Jerusalem.’
20 Then the Lord showed me four workers with hammers. 21 I said, ‘What are these men coming to do?’ The Lord answered, ‘The horns are the enemies that destroyed Judah. They destroyed Judah and they made the people ashamed. The workers came to frighten and to destroy the enemies because they killed many of my people. The enemies took many of my people out of Judah.’
1 Zechariah son of Berekiah received a message from the Lord . This was in the eighth month of the second year that Darius [ a ] was king in Persia. (Zechariah was the son of Berekiah, who was the son of Iddo the prophet.) This is that message:
2 The Lord became very angry with your ancestors. 3 So you must tell the people what the Lord All-Powerful says, “Come back to me, says the Lord All-Powerful, and I will come back to you.” This is what the Lord All-Powerful said.
4 “Don’t be like your ancestors. In the past the prophets spoke to them and said, ‘The Lord All-Powerful wants you to change your evil way of living. Stop doing evil things!’ But your ancestors did not listen to me.” This is what the Lord said.
5 “Your ancestors are gone, and those prophets did not live forever. 6 The prophets were my servants. I used them to tell your ancestors about my laws and teachings. Your ancestors finally learned their lesson and said, ‘The Lord All-Powerful did what he said he would do. He punished us for the way we lived and for all the evil things we did.’ So they came back to God.”
7 On the 24th day of the eleventh month (Shebat) of the second year that Darius was king of Persia, Zechariah received another message from the Lord . (This was Zechariah son of Berekiah, son of Iddo.) This is the message:
8 At night I saw a man riding a red horse. He was standing among some myrtle bushes in the valley. Behind him, there were red, brown, and white horses. 9 I said, “Sir, what are these horses for?”
Then the angel speaking to me said, “I will show you what these horses are for.”
10 Then the man standing among the myrtle bushes said, “The Lord sent these horses to go here and there on earth.”
11 Then the horses spoke to the Lord ’s angel standing among the myrtle bushes and said, “We have walked here and there on the earth, and everything is calm and quiet.”
12 Then the Lord ’s angel said, “ Lord All-Powerful, how long before you comfort Jerusalem and the cities of Judah? You have shown your anger at these cities for 70 years now.”
13 Then the Lord answered the angel who was talking with me. He spoke good, comforting words.
14 Then the angel told me to tell the people this: The Lord All-Powerful says:
“I have a strong love for Jerusalem and Zion.
15 And I am very angry at the nations that feel so safe.
I was only a little angry,
and I used them to punish my people.
But they caused too much damage.”
16 So the Lord says, “I will come back to Jerusalem and comfort her.”
The Lord All-Powerful says, “Jerusalem will be rebuilt,
and my house will be built there.”
17 The angel also said, “The Lord All-Powerful says,
‘My towns will be rich again.
I will comfort Zion.
I will again choose Jerusalem to be my special city.’”
18 Then I looked up and I saw four horns. 19 So I asked the angel who was talking with me, “What do these horns mean?”
He said, “These are the horns that forced the people of Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem to go to foreign countries.”
20 The Lord showed me four workers. 21 I asked him, “What are these four workers coming to do?”
He said, “The horns represent the nations that attacked the people of Judah and forced them to go to foreign countries. The horns ‘threw’ the people of Judah to the foreign countries. The horns didn’t show mercy to anyone. But these four workers have come to frighten the horns and throw them away.”
1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
2 The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers.
3 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.
4 Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord .
5 Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?
6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.
7 Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
8 I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white.
9 Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be.
10 And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the Lord hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.
11 And they answered the angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.
12 Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?
13 And the Lord answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.
14 So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.
15 And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord ; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.
17 Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.
18 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.
19 And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.
20 And the Lord shewed me four carpenters.
21 Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.
1 In the eighth month of the second year of ( A ) Darius, the word of the Lord came to ( B ) Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of ( C ) Iddo saying, 2 “The Lord was very ( D ) angry with your fathers. 3 Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “ ( E ) Return to Me,” declares the Lord of armies, “ [ a ] that I may return to you,” says the Lord of armies. 4 “Do not be ( F ) like your fathers, to whom the ( G ) former prophets proclaimed, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “ ( H ) Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.”’ But they did ( I ) not listen or pay attention to Me,” declares the Lord . 5 “Your ( J ) fathers, where are they? And the ( K ) prophets, do they live forever? 6 But did My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, not [ b ] ( L ) overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, ‘ ( M ) Just as the Lord of armies planned to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has dealt with us.’”’”
7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, that is, the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, [ c ] as follows: 8 I saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a ( N ) red horse, and he was standing among the ( O ) myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, [ d ] sorrel, and ( P ) white horses behind him. 9 Then I said, “What are these, my ( Q ) lord?” And the ( R ) angel who was speaking with me said to me, “I will show you what these are.” 10 And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees responded and said, “These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to [ e ] ( S ) patrol the earth.” 11 So they responded to the angel of the Lord who was ( T ) standing among the myrtle trees and said, “We have [ f ] patrolled the earth, and behold, ( U ) all the earth is [ g ] still and quiet.”
12 Then the angel of the Lord said, “ Lord of armies, ( V ) how long will You ( W ) take no pity on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which You have been ( X ) indignant for these ( Y ) seventy years?” 13 And the Lord responded to the ( Z ) angel who was speaking with me with [ h ] gracious words, ( AA ) comforting words. 14 So the angel who was speaking with me said to me, “ ( AB ) Proclaim, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “I am ( AC ) exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion. 15 But I am very ( AD ) angry with the nations who are ( AE ) carefree; for while I was only a little angry, they [ i ] ( AF ) furthered the disaster.” 16 Therefore the Lord says this: “I will ( AG ) return to Jerusalem with compassion; My ( AH ) house will be built in it,” declares the Lord of armies, “and a measuring ( AI ) line will be stretched over Jerusalem.”’ 17 Again, proclaim, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “My ( AJ ) cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again ( AK ) comfort Zion and again ( AL ) choose Jerusalem.”’”
18 [ j ] Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there were four horns. 19 So I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these?” And he said to me, “These are the ( AM ) horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” 20 Then the Lord showed me four ( AN ) craftsmen. 21 And I said, “What are these coming to do?” And he said, “These are the ( AO ) horns that have scattered Judah so that no one lifts up his head; but these craftsmen have come to frighten them, to ( AP ) throw down the horns of the nations who have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah in order to scatter it.”
1 In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, ( A ) the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah ( B ) son of Berekiah, ( C ) the son of Iddo: ( D )
2 “The Lord was very angry ( E ) with your ancestors. 3 Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return ( F ) to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ ( G ) says the Lord Almighty. 4 Do not be like your ancestors, ( H ) to whom the earlier prophets ( I ) proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways ( J ) and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, ( K ) declares the Lord . ( L ) 5 Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live forever? 6 But did not my words ( M ) and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors? ( N )
“Then they repented and said, ‘The Lord Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, ( O ) just as he determined to do.’” ( P )
7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo. ( Q )
8 During the night I had a vision, and there before me was a man mounted on a red ( R ) horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses. ( S )
9 I asked, “What are these, my lord?”
The angel ( T ) who was talking with me answered, “I will show you what they are.” ( U )
10 Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They are the ones the Lord has sent to go throughout the earth.” ( V )
11 And they reported to the angel of the Lord ( W ) who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace.” ( X )
12 Then the angel of the Lord said, “ Lord Almighty, how long ( Y ) will you withhold mercy ( Z ) from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah, ( AA ) which you have been angry with these seventy ( AB ) years?” 13 So the Lord spoke ( AC ) kind and comforting words ( AD ) to the angel who talked with me. ( AE )
14 Then the angel who was speaking to me said, “Proclaim this word: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I am very jealous ( AF ) for Jerusalem and Zion, 15 and I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. ( AG ) I was only a little angry, ( AH ) but they went too far with the punishment.’ ( AI )
16 “Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will return ( AJ ) to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line ( AK ) will be stretched out over Jerusalem,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ( AL )
17 “Proclaim further: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort ( AM ) Zion and choose ( AN ) Jerusalem.’” ( AO )
18 Then I looked up, and there before me were four horns. 19 I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these?”
He answered me, “These are the horns ( AP ) that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.”
20 Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. 21 I asked, “What are these coming to do?”
He answered, “These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise their head, but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns ( AQ ) against the land of Judah to scatter its people.” [ a ] ( AR )
