Zechariah 1

1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Daryavesh, the word of YHWH came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying,

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

2 "YHWH was very displeased with your fathers.

Jehovah hath been much displeased with your fathers.

3 Therefore tell them: Thus says YHWH of hosts: 'Return to me,' says YHWH of hosts, 'and I will return to you,' says YHWH of hosts.

But say thou to them, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Turn ye to me, saith Jehovah of hosts, And I will turn to you, saith Jehovah of hosts.

4 Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying: Thus says YHWH of hosts, 'Return now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings;' but they did not hear, nor listen to me, says YHWH.

Be ye not as your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried, saying, Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings! But they did not hear, nor hearken to me, saith Jehovah.

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

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

6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded by my Spirit to my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, 'Just as YHWH of hosts 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 statutes, Which I commanded my servants, the prophets, Did they not overtake your fathers? And they returned and said, Even as Jehovah of hosts thought To do to us according to our ways, and according to doings, So hath he done to us.

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

On the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Jehovah to Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying:

8 "I had a vision in the night, and look, 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 in the night, and behold, a man riding upon a red horse; and he stood among the myrtle-trees that were in the deep valley, and behind him were other horses, red, fox-colored, and white.

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."

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

10 The man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said to me, "They are the ones YHWH has sent to go back and forth through the earth."

And the man that stood among the myrtle-trees answered and said, These are they whom Jehovah hath sent to go to and fro through the earth.

11 They reported to the angel of YHWH who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, "We have walked back and forth through the earth, and look, all the earth is at rest and in peace."

And they answered the angel of Jehovah that stood among the myrtle-trees, and said, We have gone to and fro through the earth, and behold, all the earth is still and at rest.

12 Then the angel of YHWH replied, "YHWH of hosts, 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 the angel of Jehovah answered, and said, O Jehovah of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?

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

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

14 So the angel who talked with me said to me, "Proclaim, saying, 'Thus says YHWH of hosts: "I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.

And the angel who talked with me said to me: Proclaim thou and say, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with great jealousy,

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

And with great anger am I angry with the nations that are at ease; For I was but a little displeased, And they helped forward the affliction.

16 Therefore thus says YHWH: "I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy. My house will be built in it," says YHWH of hosts, "and a line shall be stretched forth over Jerusalem."'

Therefore thus saith Jehovah: I return to Jerusalem with mercies; My house shall be built in it, Saith Jehovah of hosts, And a measuring-line shall be stretched forth over Jerusalem.

17 "Proclaim further, saying, 'Thus says YHWH of hosts: "My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and YHWH will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem."'"

Proclaim yet and say, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: My cities shall yet overflow with prosperity, And Jehovah will yet comfort Zion, And will yet choose Jerusalem.

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

Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, 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 to the angel that talked with me, What mean these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

20 YHWH showed me four craftsmen.

And Jehovah showed me four smiths.

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, which lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it."

Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man lifted up his head; and now these are come to terrify them, to cast out the horns of the nations which lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.