Zechariah 1
1 [I am] Zechariah, a prophet, the son of Berekiah and grandson of Iddo. When Darius [had been the emperor of Persia] for almost two years, during November [of that year], Yahweh gave me this message:
In mense octavo in anno secundo Darii regis, factum est verbum Domini ad Zachariam, filium Barachiæ filii Addo, prophetam, dicens:
2 “I was very angry with your ancestors.
Iratus est Dominus super patres vestros iracundia.
3 So tell this to the people: [I, ] the Commander of the armies of angels, say, ‘Return to me, and [if you do that], I will [help] you again.
Et dices ad eos: Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum: Convertimini ad me, ait Dominus exercituum: et convertar ad vos, dicit Dominus exercituum.
4 Do not be like your ancestors. [Other] prophets, who have now died, [continually] proclaimed to your ancestors that they should stop doing the evil things that they were continually doing. But they refused to pay attention to what I said.
Ne sitis sicut patres vestri, ad quos clamabant prophetæ priores, dicentes: Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum: Convertimini de viis vestris malis, et de cogitationibus vestris pessimis: et non audierunt, neque attenderunt ad me, dicit Dominus.
5 Your ancestors [have died and are now in their graves] [RHQ]. And the prophets did not [RHQ] live forever, [either].
Patres vestri ubi sunt? et prophetæ numquid in sempiternum vivent?
6 But I punished [IDM] [the people for disobeying] the commands and the decrees which I commanded my servants the prophets [to tell to the people]. Then they (repented/turned away from their evil behavior) and said, ‘The Commander of the armies of angels has done to us what we deserved for our evil behavior, just like he said that he would do.’”
Verumtamen verba mea, et legitima mea, quæ mandavi servis meis prophetis, numquid non comprehenderunt patres vestros, et conversi sunt, et dixerunt: Sicut cogitavit Dominus exercituum facere nobis secundum vias nostras, et secundum adinventiones nostras fecit nobis.
7 [Three months later], on February 15, Yahweh gave [another] message to me.
In die vigesima et quarta undecimi mensis Sabath, in anno secundo Darii, factum est verbum Domini ad Zachariam filium Barachiæ, filii Addo, prophetam, dicens:
8 During the night [I had a vision. In the vision] I saw an [angel] who was on a red horse. He was in a narrow valley among some myrtle trees. Behind him were [angels on] red, brown, and white horses.
Vidi per noctem, et ecce vir ascendens super equum rufum, et ipse stabat inter myrteta, quæ erant in profundo: et post eum equi rufi, varii, et albi.
9 I asked the angel who had been talking to me, “Sir, who are those [angels on the horses]?” He replied, “I will show you who they are.”
Et dixi: Quid sunt isti, domine mi? Et dixit ad me Angelus, qui loquebatur in me: Ego ostendam tibi quid sint hæc.
10 Then the [angel] who had been under the myrtle trees explained. [He said, ] “They are the [angels] whom Yahweh sent [to (patrol/see what is happening in)] the [entire] world.”
Et respondit vir, qui stabat inter myrteta, et dixit: Isti sunt, quos misit Dominus ut perambulent terram.
11 Then those angels reported to the angel who was [there] among the myrtle trees, “We have traveled throughout the world, and we have found out that [the army of the emperor of Persia has conquered nations] throughout the world, [and that] those nations are now (helpless/unable to resist his army).”
Et responderunt Angelo Domini, qui stabat inter myrteta, et dixerunt: Perambulavimus terram, et ecce omnis terra habitatur, et quiescit.
12 Then the angel asked, “Commander of the armies of angels, how long will you continue to not be merciful to Jerusalem and the [other] towns in Judah? You have been angry with them for 70 years!”
Et respondit angelus Domini, et dixit: Domine exercituum usquequo tu non misereberis Ierusalem, et urbium Iuda, quibus iratus es? iste iam septuagesimus annus est.
13 [So] Yahweh spoke kindly to the angel who had talked to me, saying things that comforted/encouraged him.
Et respondit Dominus angelo, qui loquebatur in me verba bona, verba consolatoria.
14 Then the angel who had been talking with me said to me, “Proclaim this [to the people of Jerusalem]: The Commander of the armies of angels says that he is very concerned about [the people who live on] Zion [Hill] and [in the other parts of] Jerusalem.
Et dixit ad me angelus, qui loquebatur in me: Clama, dicens: Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum: Zelatus sum Ierusalem, et Sion zelo magno.
15 But he is very angry with the nations that are [proud and feel] safe. He was only a little bit angry [with the people of Judah], but [he is very angry with the surrounding nations because] they caused [the people of Judah to experience] complete disaster.
Et ira magna ego irascor super gentes opulentas: quia ego iratus sum parum, ipsi vero adiuverunt in malum.
16 Therefore, this is what he says: ‘I will again be merciful to [the people of] Jerusalem, and they will rebuild my temple. Men will measure [all the land in] the city [before they start rebuilding the houses].’
Propterea hæc dicit Dominus: Revertar ad Ierusalem in misericordiis: et domus mea ædificabitur in ea, ait Dominus exercituum: et perpendiculum extendetur super Ierusalem.
17 The Commander of the armies of angels [also] said this: ‘Tell the people that [the people in] my towns [in Judah] will soon be very prosperous again, and I will encourage [the people of] Jerusalem, and their city will again be my chosen [city].’”
Adhuc, clama dicens: Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum: Adhuc affluent civitates meæ bonis: et consolabitur adhuc Dominus Sion, et eliget adhuc Ierusalem.
18 Then I looked up, and I saw in front of me four [animal] horns.
Et levavi oculos meos, et vidi: et ecce quattuor cornua.
19 I asked the angel who had been speaking to me, “What are those [horns]?” He replied, “Those horns [represent the armies that] forced [the people of] Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah and Israel to go [to other countries].”
Et dixi ad angelum, qui loquebatur in me: Quid sunt hæc? Et dixit ad me: Hæc sunt cornua, quæ ventilaverunt Iudam, et Israel, et Ierusalem.
20 Then Yahweh showed me four (craftsmen/men who make things from metal).
Et ostendit mihi Dominus quattuor fabros.
21 I asked, “What are those men coming to do?” He replied, “[The armies represented by] those horns caused [the people of] Judah to be scattered, with the result that they suffered greatly. But the craftsmen have come to cause those who attacked [IDM] Judah to be terrified and crushed.”
Et dixi: Quid isti veniunt facere? Qui ait, dicens: Hæc sunt cornua, quæ ventilaverunt Iudam per singulos viros, et nemo eorum levavit caput suum: et venerunt isti deterrere ea, ut deiiciant cornua Gentium, quæ levaverunt cornu super terram Iuda ut dispergerent eam.
