Zechariah 1

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

In the eight moneth of the second yeere of Darius, came the worde of the Lord vnto Zechariah the sonne of Berechiah, the sonne of Iddo, the Prophet, saying,

2 “The LORD was very displeased with your fathers.

The Lord hath bene sore displeased with your fathers.

3 Therefore tell them, the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Return to me,’ says the LORD of Hosts, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the LORD of Hosts.

Therefore say thou vnto them, Thus sayth the Lord of hostes, Turne ye vnto me, saith the Lord of hostes, and I will turne vnto you, saith the Lord of hostes.

4 Don’t you be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying: The LORD of Hosts says, ‘Return now from your evil ways and from your evil doings;’ but they didn’t hear nor listen to me, says the LORD.

Be ye not as your fathers, vnto whome the former prophets haue cried, saying, Thus sayth the Lord of hostes, Turne you nowe from your euill wayes, and from your wicked workes: but they would not heare, nor hearken vnto me, saith the Lord.

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

your fathers, where are they? and doe the Prophets liue for euer?

6 But my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, didn’t they overtake your fathers? “Then they repented and said, ‘Just as the LORD of Hosts determined to do to us, according to our ways and according to our practices, so he has dealt with us.’”

But did not my wordes and my statutes, which I commanded by my seruants ye Prophets, take holde of your fathers? and they returned, and sayd, As the Lord of hostes hath determined to doe vnto vs, according to our owne wayes, and according to our workes, so hath hee dealt with vs.

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

Vpon the foure and twentieth day of the eleuenth moneth, which is the moneth Shebat, in the second yeere of Darius, came the worde of the Lord vnto Zechariah the sonne of Berechiah, the sonne of Iddo the Prophet, saying,

8 “I had a vision in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and he stood amongst the myrtle trees that were in a ravine; and behind him there were red, brown, and white horses.

I saw by night, and behold a man riding vpon a red horse, and hee stood among the mirre trees, that were in a bottome, and behinde him were there red horses speckeled 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 sayd I, O my Lord, what are these? And the Angel that talked with me, sayde vnto me, I wil shew thee what these be.

10 The man who stood amongst the myrtle trees answered, “They are the ones the LORD has sent to go back and forth through the earth.”

And the man that stood among the mirre trees, answered, and sayd, These are they whome the Lord hath sent to go through the world.

11 They reported to the LORD’s angel who stood amongst the myrtle trees, and said, “We have walked back and forth through the earth, and behold, all the earth is at rest and in peace.”

And they answered the Angel of the Lord, that stood among the mirre trees, and sayd, We haue gone thorowe the world: and beholde, all the world sitteth still, and is at rest.

12 Then the LORD’s angel replied, “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 seventy years?”

Then the Angel of the Lord answered and sayd, O Lord of hostes, howe long wilt thou be vnmercifull to Ierusalem, and to the cities of Iudah, with whom thou hast bene displeased now these threescore and ten yeeres?

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

And the Lord answered the Angel that talked with me, with good wordes and comfortable wordes.

14 So the angel who talked with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, ‘The LORD of Hosts says: “I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.

So the Angel that communed with me, said vnto me, Crie thou, and speake, Thus saith the Lord of hostes, I am ielous ouer Ierusalem and Zion with a great zeale,

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

And am greatly angrie against the carelesse heathen: for I was angrie but a litle, and they helped forward the affliction.

16 Therefore the LORD says: “I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy. My house shall be built in it,” says the LORD of Hosts, “and a line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.”’

Therefore thus saith the Lord, I wil returne vnto Ierusalem with tender mercie: mine house shall be builded in it, saith the Lord of hostes, and a line shall be stretched vpon Ierusalem.

17 “Proclaim further, saying, ‘The LORD of Hosts says: “My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem.”’”

Cry yet, and speake, Thus saith the Lord of hostes, My cities shall yet be broken with plentie: the Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet chuse Ierusalem.

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

Then lift I vp mine eyes and sawe, and beholde, foure hornes.

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 vnto the Angel that talked with me, What be these? And hee answered me, These are the hornes which haue scattered Iudah, Israel, and Ierusalem.

20 The LORD showed me four craftsmen.

And the Lord shewed me foure carpenters.

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 that lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.”

Then said I, What come these to doe? And he answered, and said, These are the hornes, which haue scattered Iudah, so that a man durst not lift vp his head: but these are come to fray them, and to cast out the hornes of the Gentiles, which lift vp their horne ouer the land of Iudah, to scatter it.