Zaccharias Propheta 1

1 in mense octavo in anno secundo Darii factum est verbum Domini ad Zacchariam filium Barachiae filium Addo prophetam dicens

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 iratus est Dominus super patres vestros iracundia

The Lord was furious with your ancestors.

3 et dices ad eos haec dicit Dominus exercituum convertimini ad me ait Dominus exercituum et convertar ad vos dicit Dominus exercituum

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 ne sitis sicut patres vestri ad quos clamabant prophetae priores dicentes haec dicit Dominus exercituum convertimini de viis vestris malis et cogitationibus vestris pessimis et non audierunt neque adtenderunt ad me dicit Dominus

‘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 patres vestri ubi sunt et prophetae numquid in sempiternum vivent

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

6 verumtamen verba mea et legitima mea quae mandavi servis meis prophetis numquid non conprehenderunt patres vestros et conversi sunt et dixerunt sicut cogitavit Dominus exercituum facere nobis secundum vias nostras et secundum adinventiones nostras fecit nobis

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 in die vicesima et quarta undecimo mense sabath in anno secundo Darii factum est verbum Domini ad Zacchariam filium Barachiae filium Addo prophetam dicens

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 vidi per noctem et ecce vir ascendens super equum rufum et ipse stabat inter myrteta quae erant in profundo et post eum equi rufi varii et albi

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 et dixi quid sunt isti domine mi et dixit ad me angelus qui loquebatur in me ego ostendam tibi quid sint haec

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 et respondit vir qui stabat inter myrteta et dixit isti sunt quos misit Dominus ut perambularent terram

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

11 et responderunt angelo Domini qui stabat inter myrteta et dixerunt perambulavimus terram et ecce omnis terra habitatur et quiescit

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 et respondit angelus Domini et dixit Domine exercituum usquequo tu non misereberis Hierusalem et urbium Iuda quibus iratus es iste septuagesimus annus est

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 et respondit Dominus angelo qui loquebatur in me verba bona verba consolatoria

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

14 et dixit ad me angelus qui loquebatur in me clama dicens haec dicit Dominus exercituum zelatus sum Hierusalem et Sion zelo magno

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 et ira magna ego irascor super gentes opulentas quia ego iratus sum parum ipsi vero adiuverunt in malum

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 propterea haec dicit Dominus revertar ad Hierusalem in misericordiis domus mea aedificabitur in ea ait Dominus exercituum et perpendiculum extendetur super Hierusalem

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 adhuc clama dicens haec dicit Dominus exercituum adhuc affluent civitates meae bonis et consolabitur Dominus adhuc Sion et eliget adhuc Hierusalem

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 et levavi oculos meos et vidi et ecce quattuor cornua

Now I looked up and saw four horns.

19 et dixi ad angelum qui loquebatur in me quid sunt haec et dixit ad me haec sunt cornua quae ventilaverunt Iudam et Israhel et Hierusalem

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 et ostendit mihi Dominus quattuor fabros

Then the Lord showed me four smiths.

21 et dixi quid isti veniunt facere qui ait dicens haec sunt cornua quae ventilaverunt Iudam per singulos viros et nemo eorum levavit caput suum et venerunt isti deterrere ea ut deiciant cornua gentium quae levaverunt cornu super terram Iuda ut dispergerent eam

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.’