< Zacharias 1 >

1 In the eighth month, in the second year of [the reign of] Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zacharias, the son of Barachias, the son of Addo, 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 The Lord has been very angry with your fathers.
Jehovah was greatly displeased with your fathers.
3 And you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord Almighty: Turn to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will turn to you, says the Lord 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 And be you not as your fathers, whom the prophets before charged, saying, Thus says the Lord Almighty: Turn you from your evil ways, and from your evil practices: but they listened not, and attended not to listen to me, says the Lord.
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 Where are your fathers, and the prophets? Will they live for ever?
Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?
6 But do you receive my words and mine ordinances, all that I command by my Spirit to my servants the prophets, who lived in the days of your fathers; and they answered and said, As the Lord Almighty determined to do to us, according to our ways, and according to our practices, so has he done to 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] in the eleventh month, this is the month Sabat, in the second year of [the reign of] Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zacharias, the son of Barachias, the son of Addo, 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 by night, and behold a man mounted on a red horse, and he stood between the shady mountains; and behind him were red horses, and grey, and piebald, and white.
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 And I said, What are these, [my] lord? And the angel spoke 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 And the man that stood between the mountains answered, and said to me, These are [they] whom the Lord has sent forth to go round 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 And they answered the angel of the Lord that stood between the mountains, and said, We have gone round all the earth, and, behold, all the earth is inhabited, 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 the Lord answered and said, O Lord Almighty, how long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem, and the cities of Juda, which you has disregarded 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 And the Lord Almighty answered the angel that spoke with me good words and consolatory sayings.
And Jehovah answered the agent who talked with me with good words, comforting words.
14 And the angel that spoke with me said to me, Cry out and say, Thus says the Lord Almighty; I have been jealous for Jerusalem and Sion with great jealousy.
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 And I am very angry with the heathen that combine to attack [her]: forasmuch as I indeed was a little angry, but they combined to attack [her] for evil.
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 thus says the Lord: I will return to Jerusalem with compassion; and my house shall be rebuilt in her, says the Lord Almighty, and a measuring line shall yet 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 And the angel that spoke with me said to me, Cry yet, and say, Thus says the Lord Almighty; Yet shall cities be spread abroad through prosperity; and the Lord shall yet have mercy upon Sion, and shall 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 And I lifted up mine eyes and looked, and behold four horns.
And I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and, behold, four horns.
19 And I said to the angel that spoke with me, What are these things, [my] lord? And he said to me, These are the horns that have scattered Juda, and 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 And the Lord showed me four artificers.
And Jehovah showed me four smiths.
21 And I said, What are these coming to do? And he said, These are the horns that scattered Juda, and they broke Israel in pieces, and none of them lifted up his head: and these are come forth to sharpen them for their hands, [even] the four horns, the nations that lifted up the horn against the land of the Lord to scatter it.
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.

< Zacharias 1 >