Zechariah 1

1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,

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,

2 The LORD has been sore displeased with your fathers.

“Yahweh was exceedingly angry with your fathers!

3 Therefore say you unto them, Thus says the LORD of hosts; Turn all of you unto me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, says the LORD of hosts.

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.

4 Be all of you not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus says the LORD of hosts; Turn all of you now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, says the LORD.

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.'

5 Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?

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

6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so has he dealt with us.

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.'”

7 Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,

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,

8 I saw by 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 were there red horses, speckled, and white.

“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.”

9 Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will show you what these be.

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.”

10 And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD has sent to walk back and forth through the earth.

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

11 And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked back and forth through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sits still, and is at rest.

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.”

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 have had indignation these threescore and ten years?

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?”

13 And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.

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

14 So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry you, saying, Thus says the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.

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!

15 And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.

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.

16 Therefore thus says the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, says the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.

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!'

17 Cry yet, saying, Thus says the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.

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.'”

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

Then I lifted up my eyes and saw four horns!

19 And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

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.”

20 And the LORD showed me four carpenters.

Then Yahweh showed me four craftsmen.

21 Then said I, What come these to do? And he spoke, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to frighten them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.

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.”