Zechariah, 1

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

1. In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo:

2. The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.

2. "Yahweh was very angry with your ancestors.

3. Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.

3. Then you will tell them these words of Yahweh Sabaoth: 'Return to me and I will return to you.'

4. Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and [from] your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.

4. Do not be like your ancestors whom the earlier prophets warned, reiterating to them Yahweh Sabaoth's words: 'Turn from your evil ways and your wicked deeds.' But they would not listen or pay attention to me. Yahweh asks you,

5. Your fathers, where [are] they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?

5. "Where are your ancestors now? Those prophets also died

6. But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

6. but my words and decrees entrusted to my servants, the prophets, overtook your ancestors. They repented and confessed: "Yahweh Sabaoth has treated us just as he had determined to do, according to our ways and deeds."

7. Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which [is] the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,

7. On the twenty-fourth of Shebat, the eleventh month, in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, in the following manner.

8. I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that [were] in the bottom; and behind him [were there] red horses, speckled, and white.

8. In a vision at night, I saw a man riding a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine, and behind him were red, brown and white horses.

9. Then said I, O my lord, what [are] these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these [be].

9. I asked, "What are these, my lord?" The angel with whom I was talking answered, "You will know."

10. And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These [are they] whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.

10. The man standing among the myrtle trees spoke, "They are those whom Yahweh sent to patrol the earth."

11. And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.

11. These then reported to Yahweh's angel standing among the myrtle trees, "We have patrolled the whole earth and found it peaceful and tranquil."

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

12. The angel of Yahweh spoke, "O Yahweh of hosts, how long will you be without mercy for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah which you have afflicted in anger these seventy years?"

13. And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me [with] good words [and] comfortable words.

13. Yahweh replied with comforting words to the angel who spoke to me.

14. So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.

14. This angel then turned to me and said, "Proclaim this word which Yahweh Sabaoth speaks: 'I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion,

15. And I am very sore displeased with the heathen [that are] at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.

15. but I am very angry with complacent nations. At first I was only a little angry with Jerusalem, but they made things worse.'

16. Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.

16. Therefore Yahweh says: 'I will turn again with mercy to Jerusalem, where my house will be rebuilt and the measuring line stretched.'" Then Yahweh Sabaoth said,

17. Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.

17. "Proclaim this as well: 'My towns will once more overflow with prosperity; Yahweh will again comfort Zion and make Jerusalem his favorite.'"

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

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19. And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What [be] these? And he answered me, These [are] the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

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20. And the LORD shewed me four carpenters.

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21. Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These [are] the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up [their] horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.

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