Zechariah 1
Chapter 1
A Call to Return to the LORD
1 In Novembert of the second year of King Darius’s reign, the LORD gave this message to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah and grandson of Iddo:
2 “I, the LORD, was very angry with your ancestors.3 Therefore, say to the people, ‘This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.’
4 Don’t be like your ancestors who would not listen or pay attention when the earlier prophets said to them, ‘This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: Turn from your evil ways, and stop all your evil practices.’
5 “Where are your ancestors now? They and the prophets are long dead.
6 But everything I said through my servants the prophets happened to your ancestors, just as I said. As a result, they repented and said, ‘We have received what we deserved from the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. He has done what he said he would do.’”
A Man among the Myrtle Trees
7 Three months later, on February 15,t the LORD sent another message to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah and grandson of Iddo.
8 In a vision during the night, I saw a man sitting on a red horse that was standing among some myrtle trees in a small valley. Behind him were riders on red, brown, and white horses.
9 I asked the angel who was talking with me, “My lord, what do these horses mean?”
“I will show you,” the angel replied.
10 The rider standing among the myrtle trees then explained, “They are the ones the LORD has sent out to patrol the earth.”
11 Then the other riders reported to the angel of the LORD, who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have been patrolling the earth, and the whole earth is at peace.”
12 Upon hearing this, the angel of the LORD prayed this prayer: “O LORD of Heaven’s Armies, for seventy years now you have been angry with Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. How long until you again show mercy to them?”
13 And the LORD spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who talked with me.
14 Then the angel said to me, “Shout this message for all to hear: ‘This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: My love for Jerusalem and Mount Zion is passionate and strong.
15 But I am very angry with the other nations that are now enjoying peace and security. I was only a little angry with my people, but the nations inflicted harm on them far beyond my intentions.
16 “‘Therefore, this is what the LORD says: I have returned to show mercy to Jerusalem. My Temple will be rebuilt, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, and measurements will be taken for the reconstruction of Jerusalem.t’
17 “Say this also: ‘This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: The towns of Israel will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem as his own.’”
Four Horns and Four Blacksmiths
18 tThen I looked up and saw four animal horns.
19 “What are these?” I asked the angel who was talking with me.
He replied, “These horns represent the nations that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
20 Then the LORD showed me four blacksmiths.
21 “What are these men coming to do?” I asked.
The angel replied, “These four horns—these nations—scattered and humbled Judah. Now these blacksmiths have come to terrify those nations and throw them down and destroy them.”
ZECHARIAH 1
Turn to the [Lord]
1 t I am the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah and the grandson of Iddo.
In the eighth month of the second year that Darius was king of Persia, t the [Lord] told me to say:
2-3 Israel, I, the [Lord] All-Powerful, was very angry with your ancestors. But if you people will return to me, I will turn and help you.
4 Don't be stubborn like your ancestors. They were warned by the earlier prophetst to give up their evil and turn back to me, but they paid no attention.
5 Where are your ancestors now? Not even prophets live forever.
6 But my warnings and my words spoken by the prophets caught up with your ancestors. So they turned back to me and said, “[Lord] All-Powerful, you have punished us for our sins, just as you had planned.”First Vision: //Horses and Riders
7-8 t On the twenty-fourth day of Shebat, t which was the eleventh month of that same year, t the [Lord] spoke to me in a vision during the night: In a valley among myrtle trees, t I saw someone on a red horse, with riders on red, brown, and white horses behind him.
9 An angel was there to explain things to me, and I asked, “Sir, who are these riders?”
“I'll tell you,” the angel answered.
10 At once, the man standing among the myrtle trees said, “These are the ones the [Lord] has sent to find out what's happening on earth.”
11 Then the riders spoke to the [Lord]'s angel, who was standing among the myrtle trees, and they said, “We have gone everywhere and have discovered that the whole world is at peace.”
12 At this, the angel said, “[Lord] All-Powerful, for 70 years you have been angry with Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. When are you ever going to have mercy on them?”
13 The [Lord]'s answer was kind and comforting.
14 So the angel told me to announce:
I, the [Lord] All-Powerful, am very protective of Jerusalem. 15 For a while I was angry at the nations, but now I am furious, because they have made things worse for Jerusalem and are not the least bit concerned. 16 And so, I will have pity on Jerusalem. The city will be completely rebuilt, and my temple will stand again.
17 I also promise that my towns will prosper—Jerusalem will once again be my chosen city, and I will comfort the people of Zion.Second Vision: //Animal Horns
18 Next, I saw four animal horns.t
19-21 The angel who was sent to explain was there, and so I asked, “What do these mean?”
His answer was, “These horns are the nations that scattered the people of Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem, and took away their freedom.”
Then the [Lord] showed me four blacksmiths, and I asked, “What are they going to do?”
He replied, “They are going to terrify and crush those horns.”
