Zechariah 1

1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, Yahweh’s word came to the prophet Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying,

In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechyah, the son of 'Iddo the prophet, saying,

2 “Yahweh was very displeased with your fathers.

The Lord hath been greatly angry with your fathers.

3 Therefore tell them, Yahweh of Armies says: ‘Return to me,’ says Yahweh of Armies, ‘and I will return to you,’ says Yahweh of Armies.

And [now] say thou unto them, Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, Return ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will return unto you: so hath said the Lord of hosts.

4 Don’t you be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying: Yahweh of Armies says, ‘Return now from your evil ways and from your evil doings;’ but they didn’t hear nor listen to me, says Yahweh.

Be ye not like your fathers, unto whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying, Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, Do return from your evil ways, and your evil doings; but they did not hear, nor listen unto me, saith the Lord.

5 Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?

Your fathers, —where are they! and the prophets, — could they live for ever!

6 But my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, didn’t they overtake your fathers? “Then they repented and said, ‘Just as Yahweh of Armies determined to do to us, according to our ways and according to our practices, so he has dealt with us.’”

But my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, behold, they did overtake your fathers: and [then] they returned and said, Just as the Lord of hosts had purposed to do unto us, in accordance with our ways, and in accordance with our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, Yahweh’s word came to the prophet Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying,

On the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechyahu, the son of 'Iddo the prophet, saying,

8 “I had a vision in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in a ravine; and behind him there were red, brown, and white horses.

I saw this night, and behold there was a man riding upon a red horse, and he was standing among the myrtle-trees that were in the deep valley; and behind him were red, pale, and white horses.

9 Then I asked, ‘My lord, what are these?’” The angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what these are.”

And I said, What are these, O my lord? Then said unto me the angel that spoke with me, I will show thee what these are.

10 The man who stood among the myrtle trees answered, “They are the ones Yahweh has sent to go back and forth through the earth.”

And the man that stood among the myrtle-trees answered and said, These are those whom the Lord hath sent to traverse the earth.

11 They reported to Yahweh’s angel who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, “We have walked back and forth through the earth, and behold, all the earth is at rest and in peace.”

And they answered the angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle-trees, and said, We have traversed the earth, and, behold, all the earth is inhabited quietly, and is at rest.

12 Then Yahweh’s angel replied, “O Yahweh of Armies, how long will you not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which you have had indignation these seventy years?”

Then commenced the angel of the Lord, and said, O Lord of hosts, how long yet wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast been indignant these seventy years?

13 Yahweh answered the angel who talked with me with kind and comforting words.

And the Lord answered the angel that spoke with me with good words and comforting words.

14 So the angel who talked with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, ‘Yahweh of Armies says: “I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.

And the angel that spoke with me said unto me, Proclaim thou, saying, Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.

15 I am very angry with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, but they added to the calamity.”

And with a great anger will I be angry with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little angry [with Zion], and they helped forward the mischief.

16 Therefore Yahweh says: “I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy. My house shall be built in it,” says Yahweh of Armies, “and a line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.”’

Therefore thus hath said the Lord, I am returned to Jerusalem in mercy: my house shall be rebuilt in it, saith the Lord of hosts, and the measuring-line shall be stretched forth over Jerusalem.

17 “Proclaim further, saying, ‘Yahweh of Armies says: “My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and Yahweh will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem.”’”

Proclaim yet [farther], saying, Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, My cities shall again overflow with prosperity: and the Lord will again comfort Zion, and make choice again of Jerusalem.

18 I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, four horns.

And I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold, there were four horns.

19 I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these?” He answered me, “These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”

And I said unto the angel who spoke with me, What are these? And he said unto me, These are the horns that have dispersed Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

20 Yahweh showed me four craftsmen.

And the Lord showed me four carpenters.

21 Then I asked, “What are these coming to do?” He said, “These are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man lifted up his head; but these have come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations that lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.”

Then said I, What are these coming to do? And he said as followeth, These are the horns that have dispersed Judah, to the extent that no man could lift up his head; but these are come to terrify them, to cast off the horns of the nations, that have been lifting up their horn over the land of Judah to disperse it.