Zechariah 1

The Lord Calls His People Back

1 In the eighth month of the second year Darius was king, the Lord spoke his word to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, who was the son of Iddo. The Lord said,2 “The Lord was very angry with your ancestors.3 So tell the people: This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: ‘Return to me, and I will return to you,’ says the Lord All-Powerful.4 Don’t be like your ancestors. In the past the prophets said to them: This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: ‘Stop your evil ways and evil actions.’ But they wouldn’t listen or pay attention to me, says the Lord.5 Your ancestors are dead, and those prophets didn’t live forever.

6 I commanded my words and laws to my servants the prophets, and they preached to your ancestors, who returned to me. They said, ‘The Lord All-Powerful did as he said he would. He punished us for the way we lived and for what we did.’ ”

The Vision of the Horses

7 It was on the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in Darius’s second year as king. The Lord spoke his word to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, who was the son of Iddo.

8 During the night I had a vision. I saw a man riding a red horse. He was standing among some myrtle trees in a ravine, with red, brown, and white horses behind him.

9 I asked, “What are these, sir?”
The angel who was talking with me answered, “I’ll show you what they are.”

10 Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They are the ones the Lord sent through all the earth.”

11 Then they spoke to the Lord’s angel, who was standing among the myrtle trees. They said, “We have gone through all the earth, and everything is calm and quiet.”
12 Then the Lord’s angel asked, “Lord All-Powerful, how long will it be before you show mercy to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah? You have been angry with them for seventy years now.”

13 So the Lord answered the angel who was talking with me, and his words were comforting and good.
14 Then the angel who was talking to me said to me, “Announce this: This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: ‘I have a strong love for Jerusalem.

15 And I am very angry with the nations that feel so safe. I was only a little angry at them, but they made things worse.’

16 “So this is what the Lord says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy. My Temple will be rebuilt,’ says the Lord All-Powerful, ‘and the measuring line will be used to rebuild Jerusalem.’

17 “Also announce: This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: ‘My towns will be rich again. The Lord will comfort Jerusalem again, and I will again choose Jerusalem.’ ”

The Vision of the Horns

18 Then I looked up and saw four animal horns.

19 I asked the angel who was talking with me, “What are these?”
He said, “These are the horns that scattered the people of Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
20 Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen.

21 I asked, “What are they coming to do?”
He answered, “They have come to scare and throw down the horns. These horns scattered the people of Judah so that no one could even lift up his head. These horns stand for the nations that attacked the people of Judah and scattered them.”

Zechariah 1

Introduction

1 In the eighth month of Darius’s second year,s the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah,s son of Berechiah son of Iddo, as follows:
2 The Lord was very angry with your ancestors.t3 Therefore say to the people:t The Lord who rules over alls says, “Turnt to me,” says the Lord who rules over all, “and I will turn to you,” says the Lord who rules over all.4 “Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the former prophets called out, saying, ‘The Lord who rules over all says, “Turn now from your evil wickedness,”’ but they would by no means obey me,” says the Lord.5 “As for your ancestors, where are they? And did the prophets live forever?

6 But have my words and statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, not outlived your fathers?s Then they paid attentiont and confessed, ‘The Lord who rules over all has indeed done what he said he would do to us, because of our sinful ways.’”

The Introduction to the Visions

7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month Shebat, in Darius’ second year,s the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah son of Iddo, as follows:

The Content of the First Vision

8 I was attentive that night and saw a man seatedt on a red horse that stood among some myrtle treess in the ravine. Behind him were red, sorrel,s and white horses.

The Interpretation of the First Vision

9 Then I asked one nearby, “What are these, sir?” The angelic messengert who replied to me said, “I will show you what these are.”10 Then the man standing among the myrtle trees spoke up and said, “These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to walk abouts on the earth.”11 The riders then agreed with the angel of the Lord,s who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have been walking about on the earth, and now everything is at rest and quiet.”12 The angel of the Lord then asked, “Lord who rules over all,s how long before you have compassion on Jerusalems and the other cities of Judah which you have been so angry with for these seventy years?”s13 The Lord then addressed good, comforting words to the angelic messenger who was speaking to me.14 Turning to me, the messenger then said, “Cry out that the Lord who rules over all says, ‘I am very much movedt for Jerusalem and for Zion.

15 But I am greatly displeased with the nations that take my grace for granted.t I was a little displeased with them, but they have only made things worse for themselves.

The Oracle of Response

16 “‘Therefore,’ says the Lord, ‘I have become compassionatet toward Jerusalems and will rebuild my templet in it,’ says the Lord who rules over all. ‘Once more a surveyor’s measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.’

17 Speak up again with the message of the Lord who rules over all: ‘My cities will once more overflow with prosperity, and once more the Lord will comfort Zion and validate his choice of Jerusalem.’”

Vision Two: The Four Horns

18 s Once again I looked and this time I saw four horns.19 So I asked the angelic messengert who spoke with me, “What are these?” He replied, “These are the hornss that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”s20 Next the Lord showed me four blacksmiths.ts

21 I asked, “What are these going to do?” He answered, “These horns are the ones that have scattered Judah so that there is no one to be seen.t But the blacksmiths have come to terrify Judah’s enemiest and cut off the horns of the nations that have thrust themselves against the land of Judah in order to scatter its people.”t