Zechariah 1

1 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: —

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,

2 Jehovah hath been much displeased with your fathers.

The Lord has been very angry with your fathers.

3 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.

And thou shalt say to them, Thus saith the Lord Almighty: Turn to me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn to you, saith the Lord of hosts.

4 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.

And be ye not as your fathers, whom the prophets before charged, saying, Thus saith the Lord Almighty: Turn ye from your evil ways, and from your evil practices: but they hearkened not, and attended not to hearken to me, saith the Lord.

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

Where are your fathers, and the prophets? Will they live for ever?

6 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.

But do ye 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.

7 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:

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,

8 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.

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.

9 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.

And I said, What are these, [my] lord? And the angel spoke with me said to me, I will shew thee what these [things] are.

10 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.

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.

11 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.

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.

12 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?

Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord Almighty, how long wilt thou have no mercy on Jerusalem, and the cities of Juda, which thou has disregarded these seventy years?

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

And the Lord Almighty answered the angel that spoke with me good words and consolatory sayings.

14 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,

And the angel that spoke with me said to me, Cry out and say, Thus saith the Lord Almighty; I have been jealous for Jerusalem and Sion with great jealousy.

15 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.

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.

16 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.

Therefore thus saith the Lord: I will return to Jerusalem with compassion; and my house shall be rebuilt in her, saith the Lord Almighty, and a measuring line shall yet be stretched out over Jerusalem.

17 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.

And the angel that spoke with me said to me, Cry yet, and say, Thus saith the Lord Almighty; Yet shall cities be spread abroad through prosperity; and the Lord shall yet have mercy upon Sion, and shall choose Jerusalem.

18 Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, four horns.

And I lifted up mine eyes and looked, and behold four horns.

19 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.

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.

20 And Jehovah showed me four smiths.

And the Lord shewed me four artificers.

21 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.

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.