Zechariah 1

A Plea for Repentance

1In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, # 1:1 Ezr 4:5,24; 5:5–7; Ezr 6:1,12–15; Neh 12:22; Hg 1:1,15; 2:10; Zch 7:1 the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah # 1:1 Ezr 5:1; 6:14 son of Berechiah, son of Iddo: 2“The Lord was extremely angry with your ancestors. # 1:2 Zch 8:14 3So tell the people, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: Return to me — this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies — and I will return to you, says the Lord of Armies. # 1:3 Neh 1:9; Is 44:22; Jr 3:7,10; 24:7; Am 4:6–11; Mal 3:7 4Do not be like your ancestors; # 1:4 2Ch 30:7,8; Ps 78:8,57 the earlier prophets proclaimed to them: # 1:4 Dn 9:6,10; Am 3:7 This is what the Lord of Armies says: Turn from your evil ways and your evil deeds. # 1:4 2Kg 17:13; 2Ch 7:14; Ezk 33:9,11 But they did not listen or pay attention to me — this is the Lord’s declaration. 5Where are your ancestors now? And do the prophets live forever? 6But didn’t my words and my statutes that I commanded my servants the prophets overtake your ancestors? ’ ”

So the people repented and said, “As the Lord of Armies decided to deal with us for our ways and our deeds, so he has dealt with us.” # 1:6 Jr 51:12; Lm 2:17; Zch 8:14–15

The Night Visions

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

First Vision: Horsemen

8I looked out in the night and saw a man riding on a chestnut # 1:8 Lit red horse. # 1:8 Rv 6:4 He was standing among the myrtle trees in the valley. # 1:8 Lit depths Behind him were chestnut, brown, and white horses. 9I asked, “What are these, my lord? ”

The angel who was talking to me replied, “I will show you what they are.”

10Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They are the ones the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.”

11They reported to the angel of the Lord standing among the myrtle trees, “We have patrolled the earth, and right now the whole earth is calm and quiet.” # 1:11 Jos 11:23; Jdg 5:31; Is 14:7

12Then the angel of the Lord responded, “How long, Lord of Armies, will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah that you have been angry with these seventy years? ” # 1:12 Ps 13:1; 79:5; 89:46; 90:13; Jr 25:11–12; 29:10 13The Lord replied with kind and comforting words to the angel who was speaking with me.

14So the angel who was speaking with me said, “Proclaim: The Lord of Armies says: I am extremely jealous # 1:14 Ex 20:5; 34:14; Dt 4:24; 5:9; 6:15; Jos 24:19; Nah 1:2; Zch 8:2 for Jerusalem and Zion. 15I am fiercely angry with the nations that are at ease, # 1:15 Is 34:2; Nah 1:2 for I was a little angry, but they made the destruction worse. # 1:15 Lit they helped for evil 16Therefore, this is what the Lord says: In mercy, I have returned to Jerusalem; my house will be rebuilt within it — this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies — and a measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem. # 1:16 2Kg 21:13; Is 28:17; 34:11; Lm 2:8; Am 7:17

17“Proclaim further: This is what the Lord of Armies says: My cities will again overflow with prosperity; the Lord will once more comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.” # 1:17 2Ch 6:6; Is 40:1; Zch 2:12

Second Vision: Four Horns and Craftsmen

18Then I looked up and saw four horns. # 1:18 Ezk 43:15,20 19So I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these? ”

And he said to me, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”

20Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. 21I asked, “What are they coming to do? ”

He replied, “These are the horns that scattered Judah so no one could raise his head. These craftsmen have come to terrify them, to cut off # 1:21 Lit throw down the horns of the nations that raised a horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.”

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Zechariah 1: CSB

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Zecharyah 1

1In the chodesh hashmini (eighth month), in the shnat shtayim (second year) of Daryavesh, came the Devar Hashem unto Zecharyah ben Berechyah ben Iddo HaNavi, saying, 2Hashem hath been very angry with your avot. 3Therefore, say thou unto them:

Thus saith Hashem Tzva'os:

Return ye unto Me, saith Hashem Tzva'os,

and I will return to you,

saith Hashem Tzva'os.

4Do not be like your avot,

unto whom the nevi'im harishonim preached,

saying: Thus saith Hashem Tzva'os:

Turn ye now from your evil ways,

and from your evil doings;

but they did not hear,

nor listen to Me, saith Hashem.

5Your avot, where are they?

And the nevi'im, do they live hal'olam (forever)?

6But My devarim and My chukkim,

which I commanded My avadim hanevi'im,

did they not overtake your avot?

And they made teshuvah and said,

Just as Hashem Tzva'os determined to do unto us,

according to our ways, and according to our doings,

so hath He dealt with us.

7Upon the four and twentieth yom of the eleventh chodesh, which is the chodesh Shevat, in the shnat shtayim of Daryavesh,#1:7 519 B.C.E. came the Devar Hashem unto Zecharyah, ben Berechyah ben Iddo, HaNavi, saying,

8I had a vision by halailah, and, hinei, a man riding upon a sus adom (a red-brown horse), and he stood among the myrtles that were in the hollow; and behind him there were susim: red-brown, sorrel, and white. 9Then said I, O adoni, what are these? And the malach that spoke with me said unto me, I will show thee what these are. 10And the man that stood among the myrtles answered and said, These are they whom Hashem hath sent to patrol ha'aretz. 11And they reported to the Malach Hashem that stood among the myrtles, and said, We have patrolled ha'aretz, and, hinei, kol ha'aretz is quiet, and at peace. 12Then the Malach Hashem answered and said, O Hashem Tzva'os, until when wilt Thou withhold mercy on Yerushalayim and on the towns of Yehudah, against which Thou hast been angry these threescore and ten shanah? 13And Hashem answered the Malach that spoke with me with devarim tovim and with comforting words. 14So the malach that communed with me said unto me, Preach, saying:

Thus saith Hashem Tzva'os;

I have been jealous for Yerushalayim

and for Tziyon with a kina gedolah (great jealousy).

15And I am very angry with the Goyim that are [self] secure;

for I was but a little angry,

and they added to the ra'ah.

16Therefore thus saith Hashem:

I am returning to Yerushalayim with rachamim;

My Beis#1:16 Hamikdash shall be rebuilt in her,#1:16 Yerushalayim

saith Hashem Tzva'os;

and a measuring line shall be stretched forth upon Yerushalayim.

17Preach also, saying:

Thus saith Hashem Tzva'os:

My towns will overflow with tov;

and Hashem shall yet comfort Tziyon,

and shall yet choose Yerushalayim.

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