Zechariah 1

1 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,

In the eighth month in the second year of Darius, this message of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo:

2 The Lord hath been greatly angry with your fathers.

The Lord was furious with your ancestors.

3 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.

So tell the people this message of the Lord of hosts: “Return to me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return to you” says the Lord of hosts.

4 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.

“Do not be like your ancestors to whom the former prophets cried, ‘The Lord of hosts says to turn now from your evil ways, and from your evil deeds’. They did not heed nor listen to me,” says the Lord.

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

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

6 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.

But did not my words and my statutes with which I charged my servants the prophets overtake your ancestors? And they repented and said, ‘Just as the Lord of hosts planned to do to us, according to our ways, and according to our deeds, so he has dealt with us.’”

7 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,

In the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, this message of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo:

8 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.

I saw in the night a man on a red horse, among the myrtle trees that were in the valley-bottom. Behind him there were horses, red, sorrel, and white.

9 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.

Then said I, “My Lord, what are these?” And the messenger who was talking with me said, “I will show you what they are.”

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

And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, “They are those whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.”

11 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.

And the riders answered the messenger of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have gone up and down through the world and behold, all the earth is still and at peace.”

12 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?

Then the messenger of the Lord said, “Lord of hosts, how long will you have no pity for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah with which you have been angry for seventy years?”

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

And the Lord answered the messenger who was talking with me with kind and comforting words.

14 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.

So the messenger who was talking with me said to me, “Proclaim now that the Lord of hosts says: I am deeply concerned for Jerusalem.

15 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.

But I am deeply angry with the arrogant, complacent nations. I was only a little angry with Israel but they made the suffering worse.

16 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.

Therefore, says the Lord, I am turning to show mercy to Jerusalem. My temple will be rebuilt in it, says the Lord of hosts, and a measuring line will be stretched over Jerusalem.

17 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.

Proclaim again: Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities will again overflow with prosperity and the Lord will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.”

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

Now I looked up and saw four horns.

19 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.

I said to the messenger who was talking with me, “What are these?” He answered, “These are the horns which scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.”

20 And the Lord showed me four carpenters.

Then the Lord showed me four smiths.

21 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.

I said, “What are these coming to do?” He answered, “The horns scattered Judah, so that no one dared lift their head. But the smiths have come to terrify them, to crush the horns of the nations which lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter its people.”