Zechariah 1

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

In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of Jehovah came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying,

2 “Yahweh was exceedingly angry with your fathers!

Jehovah was greatly displeased with your fathers.

3 Say to them, 'Yahweh of hosts says this: Turn to me!—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts— and I will return to you, says Yahweh of hosts.

Therefore say thou to them, Thus says Jehovah of hosts: Return to me, says Jehovah of hosts, and I will return to you, says Jehovah of hosts.

4 Do not be like your fathers to whom the prophets cried out previously, saying, “Yahweh of hosts says this: Turn from your evil ways and wicked practices!” But they would not hear and did not pay attention to me—this is Yahweh's declaration.'

Be ye not as your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried, saying, Thus says Jehovah of hosts: Return ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings, but they did not hear, nor hearken to me, says Jehovah.

5 Your fathers, where are they? Where are the prophets, are they here forever?

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

6 But my words and my decrees that I commanded my servants the prophets, have they not overtaken your fathers? So they repented and said, 'Just as Yahweh of hosts planned to do to us what our ways and actions deserved, so he has dealt with us.'”

But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? And they turned and said, Like as Jehovah of hosts thought to do to us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so he has dealt with us.

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

Upon the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of Jehovah came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying,

8 “I saw in the night, and, look! a man was riding on a red horse, and he was among the myrtle trees that are in the valley; and behind him there were red, reddish-brown, and white horses.”

I saw in the 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 there were horses, red, sorrel, and white.

9 I said, “What are these things, Lord?” Then the angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what these things are.”

Then I said, O my lord, what are these? And the agent who talked with me said to me, I will show thee what these are.

10 Then the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, “These are those Yahweh has sent out to roam throughout the earth.”

And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom Jehovah has sent to walk to and fro through the earth.

11 They answered the angel of Yahweh who stood among the myrtle trees; they said to him, “We have been roaming throughout the earth; see, all the earth sits still and is at rest.”

And they answered the agent of Jehovah who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sits still, and is at rest.

12 Then the angel of Yahweh answered and said, “Yahweh of hosts, how long will you show no compassion to Jerusalem and to the cities of Judah, which you have been angry with these seventy years?”

Then the agent of Jehovah answered and said, O Jehovah of hosts, how long will thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou have had indignation these seventy years?

13 Yahweh answered the angel who had talked with me, with good words, words of comfort.

And Jehovah answered the agent who talked with me with good words, comforting words.

14 So the angel who had talked with me said to me, “Call out and say, 'Yahweh of hosts says this: I have been jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great passion!

So the agent who talked with me said to me, Cry thou, saying, Thus says Jehovah 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. When I was only a little angry with them, they made the disaster worse.

And I am very greatly displeased with the nations that are at ease. For I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.

16 Therefore Yahweh of hosts says this: I have returned to Jerusalem with mercies. My house will be built within her —this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts—and the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem!'

Therefore thus says Jehovah: I have returned to Jerusalem with mercies. My house shall be built in it, says Jehovah of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth over Jerusalem.

17 Again call out, saying, 'Yahweh of hosts says this: My cities will once again overflow with goodness, and Yahweh will again comfort Zion, and he will once again choose Jerusalem.'”

Cry yet again, saying, Thus says Jehovah of hosts: My cities shall yet overflow with prosperity, and Jehovah shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.

18 Then I lifted up my eyes and saw four horns!

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

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

And I said to the agent who talked with me, What are these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

20 Then Yahweh showed me four craftsmen.

And Jehovah showed me four smiths.

21 I said, “What are these people coming to do?” He answered, and said, “These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no man would lift up his head. But the blacksmiths have come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations that lifted up a horn against the land of Judah to scatter her.”

Then I said, What are these coming to do? And he spoke, saying, 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, which lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.