Zechariah 1

A Call to Repentance

1 In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,2 The Lord has been very angry with your fathers.3 Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord of hosts: Return to Me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.4 Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts: Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds. But they did not hear nor heed Me, says the Lord.5 Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?6 Yet surely My words and My statutes, Which I commanded My servants the prophets, Did they not overtake your fathers? So they returned and said: Just as the Lord of hosts determined to do to us, According to our ways and according to our deeds, So He has dealt with us.

Vision of the Horses

7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet:8 I saw by night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were horses: red, sorrel, and white.9 Then I said, My lord, what are these? So the angel who talked with me said to me, I will show you what they are. 10 And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth.11 So they answered the Angel of the Lord, who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth is resting quietly.

The Lord Will Comfort Zion

12 Then the Angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry these seventy years?13 And the Lord answered the angel who talked to me, with good and comforting words.14 So the angel who spoke with me said to me, Proclaim, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am zealous for Jerusalem And for Zion with great zeal.15 I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease; For I was a little angry, And they helped but with evil intent. 16 Therefore thus says the Lord: I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it, says the Lord of hosts, And a surveyors line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.17 Again proclaim, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities shall again spread out through prosperity; The Lord will again comfort Zion, And will again choose Jerusalem.

Vision of the Horns

18 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were four horns.19 And I said to the angel who talked with me, What are these? So he answered me, These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.20 Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen.21 And I said, What are these coming to do? So he said, These are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no one could lift up his head; but the craftsmen are coming to terrify them, to cast out the horns of the nations that lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.

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