Zechariah 1
1In November of the second year of King Darius’s reign, the Lord gave this message to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah and grandson of Iddo.H8066H2320H8147H8141H1867H1697H3068H2148H1121H1296H1121H5714H5030H5592“I, the Lord, was very angry with your ancestors.H3068H7110H7107H13Therefore, say to the people, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.’H559H559H3068H6635H7725H5002H3068H6635H7725H559H3068H66354Don’t be like your ancestors who would not listen or pay attention when the earlier prophets said to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Turn from your evil ways, and stop all your evil practices.’H1H7223H5030H7121H559H559H3068H6635H7725H7451H1870H7451H4611H8085H7181H5002H30685“Where are your ancestors now? They and the prophets are long dead.H1H5030H2421H57696But everything I said through my servants the prophets happened to your ancestors, just as I said. As a result, they repented and said, ‘We have received what we deserved from the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. He has done what he said he would do.’”H1697H2706H6680H5650H5030H5381H1H7725H559H3068H6635H2161H6213H1870H4611H62137Three months later, on February 15, the Lord sent another message to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah and grandson of Iddo.H702H6242H3117H6249H6240H2320H2320H7627H8147H8141H1867H1697H3068H2148H1121H1296H1121H5714H5030H5598In a vision during the night, I saw a man sitting on a red horse that was standing among some myrtle trees in a small valley. Behind him were riders on red, brown, and white horses.H7200H3915H376H7392H122H5483H5975H1918H4699H310H122H5483H8320H38369I asked the angel who was talking with me, “My lord, what do these horses mean?” “I will show you,” the angel replied.H559H113H4397H1696H559H720010The rider standing among the myrtle trees then explained, “They are the ones the Lord has sent out to patrol the earth.”H376H5975H1918H6030H559H3068H7971H1980H77611Then the other riders reported to the angel of the Lord, who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have been patrolling the earth, and the whole earth is at peace.”H6030H4397H3068H5975H1918H559H1980H776H776H3427H825212Upon hearing this, the angel of the Lord prayed this prayer: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, for seventy years now you have been angry with Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. How long until you again show mercy to them?”H4397H3068H6030H559H3068H6635H7355H3389H5892H3063H2194H7657H814113And the Lord spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who talked with me.H3068H6030H4397H1696H2896H1697H5150H169714Then the angel said to me, “Shout this message for all to hear: ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: My love for Jerusalem and Mount Zion is passionate and strong.H4397H1696H559H7121H559H559H3068H6635H7065H3389H6726H1419H706815But I am very angry with the other nations that are now enjoying peace and security. I was only a little angry with my people, but the nations inflicted harm on them far beyond my intentions.H1419H7110H7107H1471H7600H4592H7107H5826H745116“‘Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I have returned to show mercy to Jerusalem. My Temple will be rebuilt, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, and measurements will be taken for the reconstruction of Jerusalem.’H559H3068H7725H3389H7356H1004H1129H5002H3068H6635H6957H6961H5186H338917“Say this also: ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: The towns of Israel will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem as his own.’”H7121H559H559H3068H6635H5892H2896H6327H3068H5162H6726H977H338918Then I looked up and saw four animal horns.H5375H5869H7200H702H716119“What are these?” I asked the angel who was talking with me. He replied, “These horns represent the nations that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”H559H4397H1696H559H7161H2219H3063H3478H338920Then the Lord showed me four blacksmiths.H3068H7200H702H279621“What are these men coming to do?” I asked. The angel replied, “These four horns—these nations—scattered and humbled Judah. Now these blacksmiths have come to terrify those nations and throw them down and destroy them.”H559H935H6213H559H559H7161H2219H3063H6310H376H5375H7218H935H2729H3034H7161H1471H5375H7161H776H3063H2219
Zechariah 2
2When I looked again, I saw a man with a measuring line in his hand.H5375H5869H7200H376H4060H2256H3027 2“Where are you going?” I asked. He replied, “I am going to measure Jerusalem, to see how wide and how long it is.”H559H1980H559H4058H3389H7200H4100H7341H753 3Then the angel who was with me went to meet a second angel who was coming toward him.H4397H1696H3318H312H4397H3318H7125 4The other angel said, “Hurry, and say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem will someday be so full of people and livestock that there won’t be room enough for everyone! Many will live outside the city walls.H559H7323H1696H1975H5288H559H3389H3427H6519H7230H120H929H8432 5Then I, myself, will be a protective wall of fire around Jerusalem, says the Lord. And I will be the glory inside the city!’”H5002H3068H2346H784H5439H3519H8432 6The Lord says, “Come away! Flee from Babylon in the land of the north, for I have scattered you to the four winds.H1945H1945H5127H776H6828H5002H3068H6566H702H7307H8064H5002H3068 7Come away, people of Zion, you who are exiled in Babylon!”H4422H1945H6726H3427H1323H894 8After a period of glory, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me against the nations who plundered you. For he said, “Anyone who harms you harms my most precious possession.H559H3068H6635H310H3519H7971H1471H7997H5060H5060H892H5869 9I will raise my fist to crush them, and their own slaves will plunder them.” Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me.H5130H3027H7998H5647H3045H3068H6635H7971 10The Lord says, “Shout and rejoice, O beautiful Jerusalem, for I am coming to live among you.H7442H8055H1323H6726H935H7931H8432H5002H3068 11Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day, and they, too, will be my people. I will live among you, and you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me to you.H7227H1471H3867H3068H3117H5971H7931H8432H3045H3068H6635H7971 12The land of Judah will be the Lord’s special possession in the holy land, and he will once again choose Jerusalem to be his own city.H3068H5157H3063H2506H6944H127H977H3389 13Be silent before the Lord, all humanity, for he is springing into action from his holy dwelling.”H2013H1320H6440H3068H5782H6944H4583
Zechariah 3
3Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel’s right hand, making accusations against Jeshua.H7200H3091H1419H3548H5975H6440H4397H3068H7854H5975H3225H78532And the Lord said to Satan, “I, the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire.”H3068H559H7854H3068H1605H7854H3068H977H3389H1605H181H5337H7843Jeshua’s clothing was filthy as he stood there before the angel.H3091H3847H6674H899H5975H6440H43974So the angel said to the others standing there, “Take off his filthy clothes.” And turning to Jeshua he said, “See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes.”H6030H559H5975H6440H559H5493H6674H899H559H7200H5771H5674H3847H42545Then I said, “They should also place a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean priestly turban on his head and dressed him in new clothes while the angel of the Lord stood by.H559H7760H2889H6797H7218H7760H2889H6797H7218H3847H899H4397H3068H59756Then the angel of the Lord spoke very solemnly to Jeshua and said,H4397H3068H5749H3091H5597“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: If you follow my ways and carefully serve me, then you will be given authority over my Temple and its courtyards. I will let you walk among these others standing here.H559H3068H6635H3212H1870H8104H4931H1777H1004H8104H2691H5414H4108H59758“Listen to me, O Jeshua the high priest, and all you other priests. You are symbols of things to come. Soon I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.H8085H3091H1419H3548H7453H3427H6440H582H4159H935H5650H67809Now look at the jewel I have set before Jeshua, a single stone with seven facets. I will engrave an inscription on it, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, and I will remove the sins of this land in a single day.H68H5414H6440H3091H259H68H7651H5869H6605H6603H5002H3068H6635H4185H5771H776H259H311710“And on that day, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, each of you will invite your neighbor to sit with you peacefully under your own grapevine and fig tree.”H3117H5002H3068H6635H7121H376H7453H1612H8384
Zechariah 4
4Then the angel who had been talking with me returned and woke me, as though I had been asleep.H4397H1696H7725H5782H376H5782H81422“What do you see now?” he asked. I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl of oil on top of it. Around the bowl are seven lamps, each having seven spouts with wicks.H559H7200H559H7200H4501H2091H1531H7218H7651H5216H7651H4166H7651H5216H72183And I see two olive trees, one on each side of the bowl.”H8147H2132H259H3225H1543H259H80404Then I asked the angel, “What are these, my lord? What do they mean?”H6030H559H4397H1696H559H1135“Don’t you know?” the angel asked. “No, my lord,” I replied.H4397H1696H6030H559H3045H559H1136Then he said to me, “This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.H6030H559H559H1697H3068H2216H559H2428H3581H7307H559H3068H66357Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’”H1419H2022H6440H2216H4334H3318H68H7222H8663H2580H25808Then another message came to me from the Lord:H1697H3068H5599“Zerubbabel is the one who laid the foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me.H3027H2216H3245H1004H3027H1214H3045H3068H6635H797110Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” (The seven lamps represent the eyes of the Lord that search all around the world.)H936H3117H6996H8055H7200H68H913H3027H2216H7651H5869H3068H7751H77611Then I asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees on each side of the lampstand,H6030H559H8147H2132H3225H4501H804012and what are the two olive branches that pour out golden oil through two gold tubes?”H6030H8145H559H8147H2132H7641H3027H8147H2091H6804H7324H209113“Don’t you know?” he asked. “No, my lord,” I replied.H559H559H3045H559H11314Then he said to me, “They represent the two heavenly beings who stand in the court of the Lord of all the earth.”H559H8147H3323H1121H5975H113H776
Zechariah 5
5I looked up again and saw a scroll flying through the air.H7725H5375H5869H7200H5774H4039 2“What do you see?” the angel asked. “I see a flying scroll,” I replied. “It appears to be about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide.”H559H7200H559H7200H5774H4039H753H6242H520H7341H6235H520 3Then he said to me, “This scroll contains the curse that is going out over the entire land. One side of the scroll says that those who steal will be banished from the land; the other side says that those who swear falsely will be banished from the land.H559H423H3318H6440H776H1589H5352H3644H7650H5352H3644 4And this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: I am sending this curse into the house of every thief and into the house of everyone who swears falsely using my name. And my curse will remain in that house and completely destroy it—even its timbers and stones.”H3318H5002H3068H6635H935H1004H1590H1004H7650H8267H8034H3885H8432H1004H3615H6086H68 5Then the angel who was talking with me came forward and said, “Look up and see what’s coming.”H4397H1696H3318H559H5375H5869H7200H3318 6“What is it?” I asked. He replied, “It is a basket for measuring grain, and it’s filled with the sins of everyone throughout the land.”H559H559H374H3318H559H5869H776 7Then the heavy lead cover was lifted off the basket, and there was a woman sitting inside it.H5375H3603H5777H259H802H3427H8432H374 8The angel said, “The woman’s name is Wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket and closed the heavy lid again.H559H7564H7993H8432H374H7993H68H5777H6310 9Then I looked up and saw two women flying toward us, gliding on the wind. They had wings like a stork, and they picked up the basket and flew into the sky.H5375H5869H7200H3318H8147H802H7307H3671H2007H3671H3671H2624H5375H374H776H8064 10“Where are they taking the basket?” I asked the angel.H559H4397H1696H3212H374 11He replied, “To the land of Babylonia, where they will build a temple for the basket. And when the temple is ready, they will set the basket there on its pedestal.”H559H1129H1004H776H8152H3559H3240H4369
Zechariah 6
6Then I looked up again and saw four chariots coming from between two bronze mountains.H7725H5375H5869H7200H3318H702H4818H3318H8147H2022H2022H2022H5178 2The first chariot was pulled by red horses, the second by black horses,H7223H4818H122H5483H8145H4818H7838H5483 3the third by white horses, and the fourth by powerful dappled-gray horses.H7992H4818H3836H5483H7243H4818H1261H554H5483 4“And what are these, my lord?” I asked the angel who was talking with me.H6030H559H4397H1696H113 5The angel replied, “These are the four spirits of heaven who stand before the Lord of all the earth. They are going out to do his work.H4397H6030H559H702H7307H8064H3318H3320H113H776 6The chariot with black horses is going north, the chariot with white horses is going west, and the chariot with dappled-gray horses is going south.”H7838H5483H3318H6828H776H3836H3318H310H1261H3318H8486H776 7The powerful horses were eager to set out to patrol the earth. And the Lord said, “Go and patrol the earth!” So they left at once on their patrol.H554H3318H1245H3212H1980H776H559H3212H1980H776H1980H776 8Then the Lord summoned me and said, “Look, those who went north have vented the anger of my Spirit there in the land of the north.”H2199H853H1696H559H7200H3318H6828H776H5117H7307H6828H776 9Then I received another message from the Lord:H1697H3068H559 10“Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah will bring gifts of silver and gold from the Jews exiled in Babylon. As soon as they arrive, meet them at the home of Josiah son of Zephaniah.H3947H1473H2469H2900H3048H935H894H935H3117H935H1004H2977H1121H6846 11Accept their gifts, and make a crown from the silver and gold. Then put the crown on the head of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest.H3947H3701H2091H6213H5850H7760H7218H3091H1121H3087H1419H3548 12Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Here is the man called the Branch. He will branch out from where he is and build the Temple of the Lord.H559H559H559H3068H6635H559H376H8034H6780H6779H1129H1964H3068 13Yes, he will build the Temple of the Lord. Then he will receive royal honor and will rule as king from his throne. He will also serve as priest from his throne, and there will be perfect harmony between his two roles.’H1129H1964H3068H5375H1935H3427H4910H3678H3548H3678H6098H7965H8147 14“The crown will be a memorial in the Temple of the Lord to honor those who gave it—Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Josiah son of Zephaniah.”H5850H2494H2900H3048H2581H1121H6846H2146H1964H3068 15People will come from distant lands to rebuild the Temple of the Lord. And when this happens, you will know that my messages have been from the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. All this will happen if you carefully obey what the Lord your God says.H7350H935H1129H1964H3068H3045H3068H6635H7971H8085H8085H6963H3068H430
Zechariah 7
7On December 7 of the fourth year of King Darius’s reign, another message came to Zechariah from the Lord.H702H8141H4428H1867H1697H3068H2148H702H8671H2320H3691 2The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech, along with their attendants, to seek the Lord’s favor.H7971H1004H410H8272H7278H582H2470H6440H3068 3They were to ask this question of the prophets and the priests at the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies: “Should we continue to mourn and fast each summer on the anniversary of the Temple’s destruction, as we have done for so many years?”H559H3548H1004H3068H6635H5030H559H1058H2549H2320H5144H6213H8141 4The Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me this message in reply:H1697H3068H6635H559 5“Say to all your people and your priests, ‘During these seventy years of exile, when you fasted and mourned in the summer and in early autumn, was it really for me that you were fasting?H559H5971H776H3548H559H6684H5594H2549H7637H7657H8141H6684H6684 6And even now in your holy festivals, aren’t you eating and drinking just to please yourselves?H398H8354H398H8354 7Isn’t this the same message the Lord proclaimed through the prophets in years past when Jerusalem and the towns of Judah were bustling with people, and the Negev and the foothills of Judah were well populated?’”H1697H3068H7121H3027H7223H5030H3389H3427H7961H5892H5439H3427H5045H8219 8Then this message came to Zechariah from the Lord:H1697H3068H2148H559 9“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another.H559H3068H6635H559H8199H571H4941H6213H2617H7356H376H251 10Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other.H6231H490H3490H1616H6041H2803H7451H376H251H3824 11“Your ancestors refused to listen to this message. They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing.H3985H7181H5414H5637H3802H3513H241H8085 12They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the instructions or the messages that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies had sent them by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. That is why the Lord of Heaven’s Armies was so angry with them.H7760H3820H8068H8085H8451H1697H3068H6635H7971H7307H3027H7223H5030H1419H7110H3068H6635 13“Since they refused to listen when I called to them, I would not listen when they called to me, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.H7121H8085H7121H8085H559H3068H6635 14As with a whirlwind, I scattered them among the distant nations, where they lived as strangers. Their land became so desolate that no one even traveled through it. They turned their pleasant land into a desert.”H5590H1471H3045H776H8074H310H5674H7725H7760H2532H776H8047
Dublin, OH
of the second year of King Darius’s reign, the Lord gave this message to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah and grandson of Iddo.H8066
