A Call to Repentance

In the eighth month of the second year of (A)Darius, the word of the Lord came to (B)Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of (C)Iddo saying, “The Lord was very (D)angry with your fathers. Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “(E)Return to Me,” declares the Lord of armies, “[a]that I may return to you,” says the Lord of armies. “Do not be (F)like your fathers, to whom the (G)former prophets proclaimed, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “(H)Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.”’ But they did (I)not listen or pay attention to Me,” declares the Lord. “Your (J)fathers, where are they? And the (K)prophets, do they live forever? But did My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, not [b](L)overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, ‘(M)Just as the Lord of armies planned to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has dealt with us.’”’”

Patrol of the Earth

On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, that is, the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, [c]as follows: I saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a (N)red horse, and he was standing among the (O)myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, [d]sorrel, and (P)white horses behind him. Then I said, “What are these, my (Q)lord?” And the (R)angel who was speaking with me said to me, “I will show you what these are.” 10 And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees responded and said, “These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to [e](S)patrol the earth.” 11 So they responded to the angel of the Lord who was (T)standing among the myrtle trees and said, “We have [f]patrolled the earth, and behold, (U)all the earth is [g]still and quiet.”

12 Then the angel of the Lord said, “Lord of armies, (V)how long will You (W)take no pity on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which You have been (X)indignant for these (Y)seventy years?” 13 And the Lord responded to the (Z)angel who was speaking with me with [h]gracious words, (AA)comforting words. 14 So the angel who was speaking with me said to me, “(AB)Proclaim, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “I am (AC)exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion. 15 But I am very (AD)angry with the nations who are (AE)carefree; for while I was only a little angry, they [i](AF)furthered the disaster.” 16 Therefore the Lord says this: “I will (AG)return to Jerusalem with compassion; My (AH)house will be built in it,” declares the Lord of armies, “and a measuring (AI)line will be stretched over Jerusalem.”’ 17 Again, proclaim, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “My (AJ)cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again (AK)comfort Zion and again (AL)choose Jerusalem.”’”

18 [j]Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there were four horns. 19 So I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these?” And he said to me, “These are the (AM)horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” 20 Then the Lord showed me four (AN)craftsmen. 21 And I said, “What are these coming to do?” And he said, “These are the (AO)horns that have scattered Judah so that no one lifts up his head; but these craftsmen have come to frighten them, to (AP)throw down the horns of the nations who have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah in order to scatter it.”

God’s Favor to Zion

[k]Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man with a (AQ)measuring line in his hand. So I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To (AR)measure Jerusalem, to see how wide it is and how long it is.” And behold, the (AS)angel who had been speaking with me was going out, and another angel was going out to meet him. And he said to him, “Run, speak to that (AT)young man there, saying, ‘(AU)Jerusalem will be inhabited (AV)as open country because of the (AW)multitude of people and cattle within it. But I,’ declares the Lord, ‘will be a (AX)wall of fire to her on all sides, and I will be the (AY)glory in her midst.’”

[l]You there! (AZ)Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “because I have (BA)spread you out like the four winds of the heavens,” declares the Lord. [m]You, Zion! (BB)Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon.” For the Lord of armies says this: “After (BC)glory He has sent me against the nations that plunder you, for the one who touches you, touches the [n](BD)apple of His eye. For behold, I am going to (BE)wave My hand over them so that they will be (BF)plunder for their slaves. Then you will know that the Lord of armies has sent Me. 10 (BG)Shout for joy and rejoice, daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will (BH)dwell in your midst,” declares the Lord. 11 “And (BI)many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day and will become My people. Then I will (BJ)dwell in your midst, and you will (BK)know that the Lord of armies has sent Me to you. 12 And the Lord will [o](BL)possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again (BM)choose Jerusalem.

13 [p](BN)Be silent, all [q]mankind, before the Lord; for He has (BO)roused Himself from His holy dwelling.”

Joshua, the High Priest

Then he showed me (BP)Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and [r](BQ)Satan standing at his right to accuse him. And the Lord said to Satan, “(BR)The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has (BS)chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a (BT)log snatched from the fire?” Now Joshua was clothed in (BU)filthy garments and was standing before the angel. And he responded and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “(BV)Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have (BW)taken your guilt away from you and [s]will (BX)clothe you with festive robes.” Then I said, “Have them put a clean (BY)headband on his head.” So they put the clean headband on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the Lord was standing by.

And the angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying, “The Lord of armies says this: ‘If you (BZ)walk in My ways and perform My service, then you will both (CA)govern My house and be in charge of My (CB)courtyards, and I will grant you [t]free access among these who are standing here.

The Branch

Now listen, Joshua, you high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you—indeed they are men who are a (CC)sign: for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the [u](CD)Branch. For behold, the stone that I have put before Joshua; on one stone are (CE)seven eyes. Behold, I am going to engrave an inscription on it,’ declares the Lord of armies, ‘and I will (CF)remove the guilt of that land in one day. 10 On that day,’ declares the Lord of armies, ‘every one of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his (CG)vine and under his fig tree.’”

The Golden Lampstand and the Olive Trees

Then (CH)the angel who had been speaking with me returned and (CI)woke me, like a person who is awakened from his sleep. And he said to me, “(CJ)What do you see?” And I said, “I see, and behold, a (CK)lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its (CL)seven lamps on it with seven [v]spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it; also (CM)two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side.” Then I said to the angel who was speaking with me, saying, “What are these, (CN)my lord?” So (CO)the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, “(CP)Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” Then he said to [w]me, “This is the word of the Lord to (CQ)Zerubbabel, saying, ‘(CR)Not by might nor by power, but by My (CS)Spirit,’ says the Lord of armies. ‘What are you, you great (CT)mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring out the top stone with (CU)shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”’”

Also the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “The hands of Zerubbabel have (CV)laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will (CW)finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of armies has sent me to [x]you. 10 For who has shown contempt for the day of (CX)small things? [y]But these (CY)seven will rejoice when they see the [z](CZ)plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel—they are the (DA)eyes of the Lord (DB)roaming throughout the earth.”

11 Then I said to him, “What are these (DC)two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?” 12 And I responded the second time and said to him, “What are the two olive [aa]branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden oil from themselves?” 13 So he answered me, saying, “(DD)Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, (DE)my lord.” 14 Then he said, “These are the two [ab](DF)anointed ones, who are (DG)standing by the (DH)Lord of the whole earth.”

The Flying Scroll

Then I raised my eyes again and looked, and behold, there was a flying (DI)scroll. And he said to me, “(DJ)What do you see?” And I said, “I see a flying scroll; its length is [ac]twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits.” Then he said to me, “This is the (DK)curse that is going forth over the face of the entire [ad]land; everyone who (DL)steals certainly will be purged away according to [ae]the writing on one side, and everyone who (DM)swears falsely will be purged away according to [af]the writing on the other side. I will (DN)make it go forth,” declares the Lord of armies, “and it will (DO)enter the house of the (DP)thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name; and it will spend the night within that house and (DQ)destroy it with its timber and stones.”

Then (DR)the angel who had been speaking with me went out and said to me, “Now raise your eyes and see what this is that is going forth.” And I said, “What is it?” Then he said, “This is the [ag](DS)ephah going forth.” Again he said, “This is their [ah]appearance in all the [ai]land. And behold, a lead cover was lifted up.” He continued, “And this is a woman sitting inside the ephah.” Then he said, “This is (DT)Wickedness!” And he thrust her into the middle of the ephah and threw the lead weight on its [aj]opening. Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there two women were coming out with the wind in their wings; and they had wings like the wings of the (DU)stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens. 10 So I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “Where are they taking the ephah?” 11 Then he said to me, “To build a [ak]temple for her in the land of (DV)Shinar; and when it is prepared, she will be set there on her own pedestal.”

The Four Chariots

Now I raised my eyes again and looked, and behold, (DW)four chariots were going out from between the two mountains; and the mountains were bronze mountains. With the first chariot were (DX)red horses, with the second chariot (DY)black horses, with the third chariot (DZ)white horses, and with the fourth chariot strong (EA)spotted horses. So I responded and said to the angel who was speaking with me, “(EB)What are these, my lord?” The angel replied to me, “These are the (EC)four spirits of heaven, going out after taking their stand before the Lord of all the earth, with one of which the black horses are going out to the (ED)north country; and the white ones are to go out after them, while the spotted ones are to go out to the (EE)south country.” When the strong ones went out, they [al]were eager to go to [am](EF)patrol the earth. And He said, “Go, [an]patrol the earth.” So they [ao]patrolled the earth. Then He called out to me and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who are going to the land of the north have [ap](EG)appeased My wrath in the land of the north.”

The (EH)word of the Lord also came to me, saying, 10 (EI)Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah; and you shall go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have arrived from Babylon.

The Symbolic Crowns

11 Also take silver and gold, make an ornate (EJ)crown, and set it on the head of (EK)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 Then say to him, ‘The Lord of armies says this: “Behold, there is a Man whose name is [aq](EL)Branch, for He will [ar](EM)branch out from where He is; and He will (EN)build the temple of the Lord. 13 Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will (EO)bear the majesty and sit and (EP)rule on His throne. So He will be a (EQ)priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two [as]offices.”’ 14 Now the (ER)crown will become a reminder in the temple of the Lord to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and [at]Hen the son of Zephaniah. 15 (ES)Those who are far away will come and [au]build the temple of the Lord.” Then you will (ET)know that the Lord of armies has sent me to you. And it will take place if you completely (EU)obey [av]the Lord your God.

In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is (EV)Chislev. Now the town of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and [aw]their men to [ax](EW)seek the favor of the Lord, speaking to the (EX)priests who belong to the house of the Lord of armies, and to the prophets, saying, “Shall I weep in the (EY)fifth month [ay]and fast, as I have done these many years?” Then the word of the Lord of armies came to me, saying, “Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months [az]these (EZ)seventy years, was it actually for (FA)Me that you fasted? And when you eat and drink, [ba]do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? Are these not the words which the Lord (FB)proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and (FC)carefree along with its cities around it, and the [bb](FD)Negev and the [bc]foothills were inhabited?’”

Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, “This is what the Lord of armies has said: ‘(FE)Dispense true justice and practice (FF)kindness and compassion each to his brother; 10 and (FG)do not oppress the widow or the [bd]orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do (FH)not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’ 11 But they (FI)refused to pay attention, and [be](FJ)turned a stubborn shoulder and [bf](FK)plugged their ears from hearing. 12 They also made their (FL)hearts as hard as (FM)a diamond [bg]so that they could not hear the Law and the (FN)words which the Lord of armies had sent by His Spirit through the (FO)former prophets; therefore great (FP)wrath came from the Lord of armies. 13 And just as (FQ)He called and they would not listen, so (FR)they called and I would not listen,” says the Lord of armies; 14 “but I [bh](FS)scattered them with a (FT)storm wind among all the nations whom they did not know. So the land was (FU)desolated behind them [bi]so that (FV)no one went back and forth, since they (FW)made the pleasant land desolate.”

The Coming Peace and Prosperity of Zion

Then the word of the Lord of armies came, saying, “The Lord of armies says this: ‘I am (FX)exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.’ The Lord says this: ‘I will return to Zion and (FY)dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of (FZ)Truth, and the mountain of the Lord of armies will be called the Holy Mountain.’ The Lord of armies says this: ‘(GA)Old men and old women will again sit in the public squares of Jerusalem, each person with his staff in his hand because of [bj]age. And the public squares of the city will be filled with (GB)boys and girls playing in its squares.’ The Lord of armies says this: ‘If it is (GC)too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be (GD)too difficult in My sight?’ declares the Lord of armies. The Lord of armies says this: ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the [bk](GE)east and from the land of the [bl]west; and I will (GF)bring them back and they will (GG)live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be (GH)My people, and I will be their God in [bm]truth and righteousness.’

“The Lord of armies says this: ‘Let your hands be (GI)strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the (GJ)prophets, those who spoke in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of armies was laid, so that the temple might be built. 10 For before those days there was (GK)no wage for man nor any wage for animal; and for him who went out or came in there was no [bn](GL)peace because of [bo]his enemies, and I (GM)sent all the people against one another. 11 But now I will (GN)not [bp]treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ declares the Lord of armies. 12 ‘For there will be (GO)the seed of peace: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce, and the heavens will provide their (GP)dew; and I will give to the remnant of this people (GQ)all these things as an inheritance. 13 And it will come about that just as you were a (GR)curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a (GS)blessing. Do not fear; let your (GT)hands be strong.’

14 “For this is what the Lord of armies says: ‘Just as I (GU)determined to do harm to you when your fathers provoked Me to anger,’ says the Lord of armies, ‘and I have not (GV)relented, 15 so I have again determined in these days to (GW)do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. (GX)Do not fear! 16 These are the things which you shall do: speak the (GY)truth to one another; (GZ)judge with truth and judgment for peace at your [bq]gates. 17 Also let none of you (HA)devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love [br](HB)perjury; for all these things are what I (HC)hate,’ declares the Lord.”

18 Then the word of the Lord of armies came to me, saying, 19 “The Lord of armies says this: ‘The fast of the (HD)fourth, the fast of the (HE)fifth, the fast of the (HF)seventh, and the fast of the (HG)tenth months will become (HH)joy, jubilation, and [bs]cheerful festivals for the house of Judah; so (HI)love truth and peace.’

20 “The Lord of armies says this: ‘It will yet turn out that (HJ)peoples will come, that is, the inhabitants of many cities. 21 The inhabitants of one city will go to another, saying, “Let’s go at once to (HK)plead for the favor of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of armies; [bt]I also will go.” 22 So (HL)many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the Lord of armies in Jerusalem, and to (HM)plead for the favor of the Lord.’ 23 The Lord of armies says this: ‘In those days ten people from all the [bu]nations will [bv](HN)grasp the [bw]garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”

Prophecies against Neighboring Nations

The pronouncement of the word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach, with (HO)Damascus as its resting place (for the eyes of mankind, especially of all the tribes of Israel, are toward the Lord),

And (HP)Hamath also, which borders on it;
(HQ)Tyre and (HR)Sidon, [bx]though [by]they are (HS)very wise.
For Tyre built herself a (HT)fortress,
And (HU)piled up silver like dust,
And (HV)gold like the mud of the streets.
Behold, the Lord will (HW)dispossess her
And throw her wealth into the sea;
And she will be (HX)consumed with fire.
Ashkelon will see it and be afraid.
Gaza too will writhe in great pain;
Also Ekron, because her hope has been ruined.
Moreover, the king will perish from Gaza,
And Ashkelon will not be inhabited.
And a people of mixed origins will live in (HY)Ashdod,
And I will eliminate the pride of the Philistines.
And I will remove their blood from their mouth
And their detestable things from between their teeth.
Then they also will be a remnant for our God,
And be like a [bz]clan in Judah,
And Ekron will be like a Jebusite.
But I will camp around My house [ca]because of an army,
Because of (HZ)him who passes by and returns;
And (IA)no oppressor will pass over them anymore,
For now I have seen with My eyes.
(IB)Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your (IC)king is coming to you;
He is [cb](ID)righteous and (IE)endowed with salvation,
(IF)Humble, and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a (IG)colt, the [cc]foal of a donkey.
10 And I will (IH)eliminate the chariot from Ephraim
And the (II)horse from Jerusalem;
And the (IJ)bow of war will be eliminated.
And He will speak (IK)peace to the nations;
And His (IL)dominion will be from sea to sea,
And from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.

Restoration of Judah and Ephraim

11 As for you also, because of the (IM)blood of My covenant with you,
I have set your (IN)prisoners free from the [cd]waterless pit.
12 Return to the [ce](IO)stronghold, you prisoners [cf]who have the (IP)hope;
This very day I am declaring that I will restore (IQ)double to you.
13 For I will (IR)bend Judah [cg]as My bow,
I will fill the bow with Ephraim.
And I will stir up your sons, Zion, against your sons, (IS)Greece;
And I will make you like a (IT)warrior’s sword.
14 Then the Lord will appear (IU)over them,
And His (IV)arrow will go forth like lightning;
And the Lord [ch]God will blow the (IW)trumpet,
And march in the (IX)storm winds of the south.
15 (IY)The Lord of armies will protect them.
And they will (IZ)devour and trample on the (JA)slingstones;
And they will drink and be (JB)boisterous as with wine;
And they will be filled like a sacrificial basin,
Drenched like the (JC)corners of the altar.
16 And the Lord their God will (JD)save them on that day
As the flock of His people;
For they are like the precious stones of a (JE)crown,
Sparkling on His land.
17 For how great will [ci]their (JF)loveliness and (JG)beauty be!
Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine, the virgins.

God Will Bless Judah and Ephraim

10 Ask for (JH)rain from the Lord at the time of the spring rain—

The Lord who (JI)makes the [cj]storm winds;
And He will give them (JJ)showers of rain, vegetation in the field to each person.
For the [ck](JK)household idols speak deception,
And the (JL)diviners see [cl]an illusion
And tell (JM)deceitful dreams;
They comfort in vain.
Therefore the people [cm]wander like (JN)sheep,
They are wretched because there is no shepherd.
“My (JO)anger is kindled against the shepherds,
And I will punish the [cn]male goats;
For the Lord of armies has (JP)visited His flock, the house of Judah,
And will make them like His majestic horse in battle.
From [co]them will come the (JQ)cornerstone,
From [cp]them the tent peg,
From [cq]them the bow of (JR)battle,
From [cr]them every tyrant, all of them together.
And they will be like warriors,
(JS)Trampling down the enemy in the mud of the streets in battle;
And they will fight, because the Lord will be with them;
And the (JT)riders on horses will be put to shame.
And I will (JU)strengthen the house of Judah,
And I will (JV)save the house of Joseph,
And I will [cs](JW)bring them back,
Because I have had (JX)compassion on them;
And they will be as though I had (JY)not rejected them,
For I am the Lord their God and I will (JZ)answer them.
Ephraim will be like a warrior,
And their heart will be joyful as if from wine;
Indeed, their (KA)children will see it and be joyful,
[ct]Their heart will rejoice in the Lord.
I will (KB)whistle for them and gather them together,
For I have redeemed them;
And they will be as (KC)numerous as they [cu](KD)were before.
When I [cv]scatter them among the peoples,
They will (KE)remember Me in distant countries,
And they with their children will live and come back.
10 I will (KF)bring them back from the land of Egypt
And gather them from Assyria;
And I will bring them into the land of (KG)Gilead and Lebanon
[cw]Until (KH)no room can be found for them.
11 And they will pass through the (KI)sea of distress
And He will strike the waves in the sea,
So that all the depths of the (KJ)Nile will dry up;
And the pride of (KK)Assyria will be brought down,
And the scepter of (KL)Egypt will depart.
12 And I will (KM)strengthen them in the Lord,
And in His name (KN)they will walk,” declares the Lord.

The Doomed Flock

11 Open your doors, Lebanon,

So that a (KO)fire may feed on your (KP)cedars.
Wail, juniper, because the cedar has fallen,
For the magnificent trees have been destroyed;
Wail, oaks of Bashan,
Because the [cx]impenetrable forest has come down.
There is a sound of the shepherds’ (KQ)wail,
For their splendor is ruined;
There is a (KR)sound of the young lions’ roar,
For the [cy]pride of the Jordan is ruined.

This is what the Lord my God says: “Pasture the flock doomed to (KS)slaughter. Those who buy them slaughter them and [cz]go (KT)unpunished, and each of those who sell them says, ‘Blessed be the Lord, for (KU)I have become rich!’ And their (KV)own shepherds have no compassion for them. For I will (KW)no longer have compassion for the inhabitants of the land,” declares the Lord; “but behold, I will (KX)let the people fall, each into another’s [da]power and into the [db]power of his king; and they will crush the land, and I will (KY)not rescue them from their [dc]power.”

So I (KZ)pastured the flock doomed to slaughter, [dd]therefore also the (LA)afflicted of the flock. And I took for myself two (LB)staffs: the one I called [de](LC)Favor, and the other I called (LD)Union; so I pastured the flock. Then I did away with the three shepherds in (LE)one month, for my soul was impatient with them, and their soul also [df]was tired of me. Then I said, “I will not pasture you. What is to (LF)die, [dg]let it die, and what is to perish, [dh]let it perish; and [di]let those who are left eat one another’s flesh.” 10 And I took my staff [dj](LG)Favor and cut it in pieces, to [dk](LH)break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples. 11 So it was [dl]broken on that day, and [dm]so the (LI)afflicted of the flock who were watching me realized that it was the word of the Lord. 12 And I said to them, “If it is good in your sight, give me my (LJ)wages; but if not, [dn]never mind!” So they weighed out (LK)thirty shekels of silver as my wages. 13 Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the (LL)potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them.” So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord. 14 Then I cut in pieces my second staff (LM)Union, to (LN)break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

15 And the Lord said to me, “Take again for yourself the equipment of a (LO)foolish shepherd. 16 For behold, I am going to raise up a shepherd in the land who will (LP)not care for the perishing, seek the scattered, heal the broken, or provide for the one who is exhausted, but will (LQ)devour the flesh of the fat sheep and tear off their hoofs.

17 (LR)Woe to the worthless shepherd
Who abandons the flock!
A (LS)sword will be on his arm
And on his right eye!
His (LT)arm will be totally withered,
And his right eye will be [do]blind.”

Jerusalem to Be Attacked

12 The pronouncement of the word of the Lord concerning Israel:

The Lord who (LU)stretches out the heavens, (LV)lays the foundation of the earth, and (LW)forms the spirit of a person within him, declares: “Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a (LX)cup [dp]that causes staggering to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against (LY)Judah. It will come about on that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy (LZ)stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will (MA)injure themselves severely. And all the (MB)nations of the earth will be gathered against it. On that day,” declares the Lord, “I will strike every horse with confusion and its rider with insanity. But I will [dq]watch over the house of Judah, while I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. Then the [dr]clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are a [ds]strong support for us through the Lord of armies, their God.’

“On that day I will make the [dt]clans of Judah like a (MC)firepot among pieces of wood and a flaming torch among sheaves, so they will consume on the right and on the left all the surrounding peoples, while [du]the (MD)inhabitants of Jerusalem again live on their own sites in Jerusalem. The Lord also will (ME)save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of (MF)David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not be greater than Judah. On that day the Lord will (MG)protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who [dv](MH)is feeble among them on that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like (MI)God, like the (MJ)angel of the Lord before them. And on that day I will (MK)seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

10 “And I will (ML)pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem [dw]the Spirit of grace and of pleading, so that they will look at Me whom they (MM)pierced; and they will mourn for Him, like one (MN)mourning for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. 11 On that day the (MO)mourning in Jerusalem will be great, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the [dx]plain of [dy]Megiddo. 12 The land will mourn, every family by itself; the family of the house of David by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself and their wives by themselves; 13 the family of the house of Levi by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself and their wives by themselves; 14 all the families that are left, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves.

False Prophets Ashamed

13 “On that day a (MP)fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for (MQ)sin and for (MR)defilement.

“And it will come about on that day,” declares the Lord of armies, “that I will (MS)eliminate the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered; and I will also remove the (MT)prophets and the (MU)unclean spirit from the land. And if anyone still (MV)prophesies, then his father and mother who gave birth to him will say to him, ‘You shall (MW)not live, because you have spoken (MX)falsely in the name of the Lord’; and his (MY)father and mother who gave birth to him shall pierce him through when he prophesies. Also it will come about on that day that the prophets will each be (MZ)ashamed of his vision when he prophesies, and they will not put on a (NA)hairy robe in order to deceive; but he will say, ‘I am (NB)not a prophet; I am a cultivator of the ground, because a man [dz]sold me as a slave in my youth.’ And someone will say to him, ‘What are these wounds (NC)between your [ea]arms?’ Then he will say, ‘Those with which I was wounded at the house of [eb]my friends.’

“Awake, (ND)sword, against My (NE)Shepherd,
And against the Man, My (NF)Associate,”
Declares the Lord of armies.
(NG)Strike the Shepherd and the sheep will be scattered;
And I will (NH)turn My hand [ec]against the little ones.
And it will come about in all the land,”
Declares the Lord,
“That (NI)two parts in it will be cut off and perish;
But the third will be left in it.
And I will bring the third part through the (NJ)fire,
Refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will (NK)call on My name,
And I will (NL)answer them;
I will say, ‘They are (NM)My people,’
And they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”

God Will Battle Jerusalem’s Enemies

14 Behold, a (NN)day is coming for the Lord when (NO)the spoils taken from you will be divided among you. For I will (NP)gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be taken, the (NQ)houses plundered, the women raped, and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be eliminated from the city. Then the Lord will go forth and (NR)fight against those nations, as [ed]when He fights on a day of battle. On that day His feet will (NS)stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be (NT)split [ee]in its middle from east to west forming a very large valley. Half of the mountain will move toward the north, and the other half toward the south. And you will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled from the (NU)earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. (NV)Then the Lord, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with [ef]Him!

On that day there will be (NW)no light; the [eg]luminaries will die out. For it will be (NX)a unique day which is (NY)known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at the (NZ)time of evening there will be light.

And on that day (OA)living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter.

God Will Be King over All

And the Lord will be (OB)King over all the earth; on that day the Lord will be the only (OC)one, and His name the only one.

10 All the land will change into a plain from (OD)Geba to (OE)Rimmon south of Jerusalem; but [eh]Jerusalem will (OF)rise and (OG)remain on its site from (OH)Benjamin’s Gate as far as the place of the First Gate to the (OI)Corner Gate, and from the (OJ)Tower of Hananel to the king’s wine presses. 11 People will live in it, and there will (OK)no longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will (OL)live in security.

12 Now this will be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will (OM)rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth. 13 And it will come about on that day that a great panic from the Lord will [ei]fall on them; and they will (ON)seize one another’s hand, and the hand of one will [ej]be raised against the hand of another. 14 (OO)Judah also will fight at Jerusalem; and the (OP)wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance. 15 And just like this (OQ)plague, there will be a plague on the horse, the mule, the camel, the donkey, and all the cattle that will be in those camps.

16 Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem will (OR)go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of armies, and to celebrate the (OS)Feast of Booths. 17 And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the (OT)King, the Lord of armies, there will be (OU)no rain on them. 18 And if the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the (OV)plague with which the Lord strikes the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 19 This will be the [ek]punishment of Egypt, and the [el]punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths.

20 On that day there will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “(OW)Holy to the Lord.” And the (OX)cooking pots in the Lords house will be like the bowls before the altar. 21 Every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be (OY)holy to the Lord of armies; and all who sacrifice will come and take of them and boil in them. And there will no longer be a [em](OZ)Canaanite in the house of the Lord of armies on that day.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 1:3 Or and I will
  2. Zechariah 1:6 Or reach
  3. Zechariah 1:7 Lit saying
  4. Zechariah 1:8 I.e., light reddish-brown
  5. Zechariah 1:10 Lit walk about through
  6. Zechariah 1:11 Lit walked about through
  7. Zechariah 1:11 Lit sitting
  8. Zechariah 1:13 Lit good
  9. Zechariah 1:15 Lit helped for evil
  10. Zechariah 1:18 Ch 2:1 in Heb
  11. Zechariah 2:1 Ch 2:5 in Heb
  12. Zechariah 2:6 Lit Hoy
  13. Zechariah 2:7 Lit Hoy
  14. Zechariah 2:8 Lit pupil
  15. Zechariah 2:12 Or inherit
  16. Zechariah 2:13 Lit Hush
  17. Zechariah 2:13 Lit flesh
  18. Zechariah 3:1 Satan is Heb for Adversary; or Accuser
  19. Zechariah 3:4 Lit to clothe
  20. Zechariah 3:7 Lit goings
  21. Zechariah 3:8 Lit Sprout
  22. Zechariah 4:2 Or reeds
  23. Zechariah 4:6 Lit me, saying
  24. Zechariah 4:9 Lit you (plural)
  25. Zechariah 4:10 Or But they will rejoice when they see...Zerubbabel. These seven are the eyes of the Lord
  26. Zechariah 4:10 Lit plummet stone
  27. Zechariah 4:12 Or clusters
  28. Zechariah 4:14 Lit sons of fresh oil
  29. Zechariah 5:2 About 30 ft. long and 15 ft. wide or 9 m and 4.5 m
  30. Zechariah 5:3 Or earth
  31. Zechariah 5:3 Lit it
  32. Zechariah 5:3 Lit it
  33. Zechariah 5:6 I.e., a measuring basket, about 1 cubic foot or 0.03 cubic meters, and so throughout the ch
  34. Zechariah 5:6 Lit eye; some ancient versions wrongdoing
  35. Zechariah 5:6 Or earth
  36. Zechariah 5:8 Lit mouth
  37. Zechariah 5:11 Lit house
  38. Zechariah 6:7 Lit sought to go
  39. Zechariah 6:7 Lit walk about through
  40. Zechariah 6:7 Lit walk about through
  41. Zechariah 6:7 Lit walked about through
  42. Zechariah 6:8 Lit pacified My spirit in
  43. Zechariah 6:12 Lit Sprout
  44. Zechariah 6:12 Lit sprout up
  45. Zechariah 6:13 Lit of them
  46. Zechariah 6:14 I.e., Josiah
  47. Zechariah 6:15 Lit build in
  48. Zechariah 6:15 Lit the voice of the Lord
  49. Zechariah 7:2 Lit his
  50. Zechariah 7:2 Lit soften the face of
  51. Zechariah 7:3 Lit to fast
  52. Zechariah 7:5 Lit and this
  53. Zechariah 7:6 Lit is it not you who eat and you who drink
  54. Zechariah 7:7 I.e., South country
  55. Zechariah 7:7 Heb Shephelah
  56. Zechariah 7:10 Or fatherless
  57. Zechariah 7:11 Lit gave
  58. Zechariah 7:11 Lit made their ears heavy
  59. Zechariah 7:12 Lit from hearing
  60. Zechariah 7:14 Lit stormed them away upon all
  61. Zechariah 7:14 Lit from passing and from returning
  62. Zechariah 8:4 Lit the multitude of days
  63. Zechariah 8:7 Lit sunrise
  64. Zechariah 8:7 Lit setting sun
  65. Zechariah 8:8 Or faithfulness
  66. Zechariah 8:10 Or security
  67. Zechariah 8:10 Lit the adversary
  68. Zechariah 8:11 Lit be to the
  69. Zechariah 8:16 I.e., the place where court was held
  70. Zechariah 8:17 Lit a false oath
  71. Zechariah 8:19 Or goodly
  72. Zechariah 8:21 Or let me go too
  73. Zechariah 8:23 Lit languages of the nations
  74. Zechariah 8:23 Lit grasp, and they will grasp
  75. Zechariah 8:23 Lit hem of a garment
  76. Zechariah 9:2 Or because
  77. Zechariah 9:2 I.e., they think they are
  78. Zechariah 9:7 Or chief
  79. Zechariah 9:8 Or as a garrison, so that none will go back and forth
  80. Zechariah 9:9 Or vindicated and victorious
  81. Zechariah 9:9 Lit son of a female donkey
  82. Zechariah 9:11 Lit cistern in which there is no water
  83. Zechariah 9:12 Or Stronghold
  84. Zechariah 9:12 Lit of the hope
  85. Zechariah 9:13 Lit for Me as a bow
  86. Zechariah 9:14 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  87. Zechariah 9:17 Lit his
  88. Zechariah 10:1 Or thunderbolts
  89. Zechariah 10:2 Heb teraphim
  90. Zechariah 10:2 Lit a lie
  91. Zechariah 10:2 Lit journey
  92. Zechariah 10:3 I.e., leaders
  93. Zechariah 10:4 Lit him
  94. Zechariah 10:4 Lit him
  95. Zechariah 10:4 Lit him
  96. Zechariah 10:4 Lit him
  97. Zechariah 10:6 Another reading is have them dwell
  98. Zechariah 10:7 Or Let their heart rejoice
  99. Zechariah 10:8 Lit were numerous
  100. Zechariah 10:9 Lit sow
  101. Zechariah 10:10 Lit And
  102. Zechariah 11:2 Another reading is forest of the vintage
  103. Zechariah 11:3 Or thicket
  104. Zechariah 11:5 Lit are not held guilty
  105. Zechariah 11:6 Lit hand
  106. Zechariah 11:6 Lit hand
  107. Zechariah 11:6 Lit hand
  108. Zechariah 11:7 Another reading is for the sheep dealers
  109. Zechariah 11:7 Or Pleasantness
  110. Zechariah 11:8 Or detested
  111. Zechariah 11:9 Or will die
  112. Zechariah 11:9 Or will perish
  113. Zechariah 11:9 Or those...will eat
  114. Zechariah 11:10 Or Pleasantness
  115. Zechariah 11:10 Or annul
  116. Zechariah 11:11 Or annulled
  117. Zechariah 11:11 Another reading is the sheep dealers who
  118. Zechariah 11:12 Lit cease
  119. Zechariah 11:17 Lit completely dimmed
  120. Zechariah 12:2 Lit of reeling
  121. Zechariah 12:4 Lit open My eyes
  122. Zechariah 12:5 Or chiefs
  123. Zechariah 12:5 Lit strength for me
  124. Zechariah 12:6 Or chiefs
  125. Zechariah 12:6 Lit Jerusalem...is again inhabited on its
  126. Zechariah 12:8 Lit stumbles
  127. Zechariah 12:10 Or a spirit
  128. Zechariah 12:11 I.e., broad valley
  129. Zechariah 12:11 Heb Megiddon
  130. Zechariah 13:5 Lit caused another to buy me
  131. Zechariah 13:6 Lit hands
  132. Zechariah 13:6 Lit those who love me
  133. Zechariah 13:7 Or upon
  134. Zechariah 14:3 Lit a day of His fighting
  135. Zechariah 14:4 Lit from
  136. Zechariah 14:5 As in many mss and ancient versions; MT You
  137. Zechariah 14:6 Lit glorious ones will congeal
  138. Zechariah 14:10 Lit it
  139. Zechariah 14:13 Lit be among
  140. Zechariah 14:13 Lit rise
  141. Zechariah 14:19 Lit sin
  142. Zechariah 14:19 Lit sin
  143. Zechariah 14:21 Or merchant

A Call to Return to the Lord

In the eighth month of the second year of Darius,(A) the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah(B) son of Berekiah,(C) the son of Iddo:(D)

“The Lord was very angry(E) with your ancestors. Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return(F) to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’(G) says the Lord Almighty. Do not be like your ancestors,(H) to whom the earlier prophets(I) proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways(J) and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me,(K) declares the Lord.(L) Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live forever? But did not my words(M) and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors?(N)

“Then they repented and said, ‘The Lord Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve,(O) just as he determined to do.’”(P)

The Man Among the Myrtle Trees

On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo.(Q)

During the night I had a vision, and there before me was a man mounted on a red(R) horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses.(S)

I asked, “What are these, my lord?”

The angel(T) who was talking with me answered, “I will show you what they are.”(U)

10 Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They are the ones the Lord has sent to go throughout the earth.”(V)

11 And they reported to the angel of the Lord(W) who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace.”(X)

12 Then the angel of the Lord said, “Lord Almighty, how long(Y) will you withhold mercy(Z) from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah,(AA) which you have been angry with these seventy(AB) years?” 13 So the Lord spoke(AC) kind and comforting words(AD) to the angel who talked with me.(AE)

14 Then the angel who was speaking to me said, “Proclaim this word: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I am very jealous(AF) for Jerusalem and Zion, 15 and I am very angry with the nations that feel secure.(AG) I was only a little angry,(AH) but they went too far with the punishment.’(AI)

16 “Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will return(AJ) to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line(AK) will be stretched out over Jerusalem,’ declares the Lord Almighty.(AL)

17 “Proclaim further: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort(AM) Zion and choose(AN) Jerusalem.’”(AO)

Four Horns and Four Craftsmen

18 Then I looked up, and there before me were four horns. 19 I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these?”

He answered me, “These are the horns(AP) that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.”

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

He answered, “These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise their head, but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns(AQ) against the land of Judah to scatter its people.”[a](AR)

A Man With a Measuring Line

[b]Then I looked up, and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand. I asked, “Where are you going?”

He answered me, “To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is.”(AS)

While the angel who was speaking to me was leaving, another angel came to meet him and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls(AT) because of the great number(AU) of people and animals in it.(AV) And I myself will be a wall(AW) of fire(AX) around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory(AY) within.’(AZ)

“Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “for I have scattered(BA) you to the four winds of heaven,”(BB) declares the Lord.(BC)

“Come, Zion! Escape,(BD) you who live in Daughter Babylon!”(BE) For this is what the Lord Almighty says: “After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye(BF) I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them.[c](BG) Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me.(BH)

10 “Shout(BI) and be glad, Daughter Zion.(BJ) For I am coming,(BK) and I will live among you,”(BL) declares the Lord.(BM) 11 “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people.(BN) I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.(BO) 12 The Lord will inherit(BP) Judah(BQ) as his portion in the holy land and will again choose(BR) Jerusalem. 13 Be still(BS) before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.(BT)

Clean Garments for the High Priest

Then he showed me Joshua(BU) the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan[d](BV) standing at his right side to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you,(BW) Satan! The Lord, who has chosen(BX) Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick(BY) snatched from the fire?”(BZ)

Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.”

Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin,(CA) and I will put fine garments(CB) on you.”

Then I said, “Put a clean turban(CC) on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by.

The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements,(CD) then you will govern my house(CE) and have charge(CF) of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.(CG)

“‘Listen, High Priest(CH) Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic(CI) of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.(CJ) See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua!(CK) There are seven eyes[e](CL) on that one stone,(CM) and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin(CN) of this land in a single day.

10 “‘In that day each of you will invite your neighbor to sit(CO) under your vine and fig tree,(CP)’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

The Gold Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees

Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke(CQ) me up, like someone awakened from sleep.(CR) He asked me, “What do you see?”(CS)

I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand(CT) with a bowl at the top and seven lamps(CU) on it, with seven channels to the lamps. Also there are two olive trees(CV) by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”

I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”

He answered, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I replied.(CW)

So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:(CX) ‘Not(CY) by might nor by power,(CZ) but by my Spirit,’(DA) says the Lord Almighty.

“What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground.(DB) Then he will bring out the capstone(DC) to shouts(DD) of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’”

Then the word of the Lord came to me: “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation(DE) of this temple; his hands will also complete it.(DF) Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me(DG) to you.

10 “Who dares despise the day(DH) of small things,(DI) since the seven eyes(DJ) of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone[f] in the hand of Zerubbabel?”(DK)

11 Then I asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees(DL) on the right and the left of the lampstand?”

12 Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?”

13 He replied, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I said.

14 So he said, “These are the two who are anointed(DM) to[g] serve the Lord of all the earth.”

The Flying Scroll

I looked again, and there before me was a flying scroll.(DN)

He asked me, “What do you see?”(DO)

I answered, “I see a flying scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.[h]

And he said to me, “This is the curse(DP) that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief(DQ) will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely(DR) will be banished. The Lord Almighty declares, ‘I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely(DS) by my name. It will remain in that house and destroy it completely, both its timbers and its stones.(DT)’”

The Woman in a Basket

Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, “Look up and see what is appearing.”

I asked, “What is it?”

He replied, “It is a basket.(DU)” And he added, “This is the iniquity[i] of the people throughout the land.”

Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! He said, “This is wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed its lead cover down on it.(DV)

Then I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork,(DW) and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth.

10 “Where are they taking the basket?” I asked the angel who was speaking to me.

11 He replied, “To the country of Babylonia[j](DX) to build a house(DY) for it. When the house is ready, the basket will be set there in its place.”(DZ)

Four Chariots

I looked up again, and there before me were four chariots(EA) coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze. The first chariot had red horses, the second black,(EB) the third white,(EC) and the fourth dappled—all of them powerful. I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these, my lord?”

The angel answered me, “These are the four spirits[k](ED) of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world.(EE) The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west,[l] and the one with the dappled horses toward the south.”

When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earth.(EF) And he said, “Go throughout the earth!” So they went throughout the earth.

Then he called to me, “Look, those going toward the north country have given my Spirit[m] rest(EG) in the land of the north.”(EH)

A Crown for Joshua

The word of the Lord came to me: 10 “Take silver and gold from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon.(EI) Go the same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. 11 Take the silver and gold and make a crown,(EJ) and set it on the head of the high priest, Joshua(EK) son of Jozadak.[n](EL) 12 Tell him this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch,(EM) and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the Lord.(EN) 13 It is he who will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he[o] will be a priest(EO) on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.’ 14 The crown will be given to Heldai,[p] Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen[q] son of Zephaniah as a memorial(EP) in the temple of the Lord. 15 Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the Lord,(EQ) and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.(ER) This will happen if you diligently obey(ES) the Lord your God.”

Justice and Mercy, Not Fasting

In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah(ET) on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev.(EU) The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melek, together with their men, to entreat(EV) the Lord(EW) by asking the priests of the house of the Lord Almighty and the prophets, “Should I mourn(EX) and fast in the fifth(EY) month, as I have done for so many years?”

Then the word of the Lord Almighty came to me: “Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted(EZ) and mourned in the fifth and seventh(FA) months for the past seventy years,(FB) was it really for me that you fasted? And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?(FC) Are these not the words the Lord proclaimed through the earlier prophets(FD) when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest(FE) and prosperous, and the Negev and the western foothills(FF) were settled?’”(FG)

And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice;(FH) show mercy and compassion to one another.(FI) 10 Do not oppress the widow(FJ) or the fatherless, the foreigner(FK) or the poor.(FL) Do not plot evil against each other.’(FM)

11 “But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly(FN) they turned their backs(FO) and covered their ears.(FP) 12 They made their hearts as hard as flint(FQ) and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets.(FR) So the Lord Almighty was very angry.(FS)

13 “‘When I called, they did not listen;(FT) so when they called, I would not listen,’(FU) says the Lord Almighty.(FV) 14 ‘I scattered(FW) them with a whirlwind(FX) among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land they left behind them was so desolate that no one traveled through it.(FY) This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.(FZ)’”

The Lord Promises to Bless Jerusalem

The word of the Lord Almighty came to me.

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “I am very jealous(GA) for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her.”

This is what the Lord says: “I will return(GB) to Zion(GC) and dwell in Jerusalem.(GD) Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City,(GE) and the mountain(GF) of the Lord Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.(GG)

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem,(GH) each of them with cane in hand because of their age. The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there.(GI)

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “It may seem marvelous to the remnant of this people at that time,(GJ) but will it seem marvelous to me?(GK)” declares the Lord Almighty.

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west.(GL) I will bring them back(GM) to live(GN) in Jerusalem; they will be my people,(GO) and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God.(GP)

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Now hear these words, ‘Let your hands be strong(GQ) so that the temple may be built.’ This is also what the prophets(GR) said who were present when the foundation(GS) was laid for the house of the Lord Almighty. 10 Before that time there were no wages(GT) for people or hire for animals. No one could go about their business safely(GU) because of their enemies, since I had turned everyone against their neighbor. 11 But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as I did in the past,”(GV) declares the Lord Almighty.

12 “The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit,(GW) the ground will produce its crops,(GX) and the heavens will drop their dew.(GY) I will give all these things as an inheritance(GZ) to the remnant of this people.(HA) 13 Just as you, Judah and Israel, have been a curse[r](HB) among the nations, so I will save(HC) you, and you will be a blessing.[s](HD) Do not be afraid,(HE) but let your hands be strong.(HF)

14 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Just as I had determined to bring disaster(HG) on you and showed no pity when your ancestors angered me,” says the Lord Almighty, 15 “so now I have determined to do good(HH) again to Jerusalem and Judah.(HI) Do not be afraid. 16 These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth(HJ) to each other, and render true and sound judgment(HK) in your courts;(HL) 17 do not plot evil(HM) against each other, and do not love to swear falsely.(HN) I hate all this,” declares the Lord.

18 The word of the Lord Almighty came to me.

19 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “The fasts of the fourth,(HO) fifth,(HP) seventh(HQ) and tenth(HR) months will become joyful(HS) and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth(HT) and peace.”

20 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, 21 and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, ‘Let us go at once to entreat(HU) the Lord and seek(HV) the Lord Almighty. I myself am going.’ 22 And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to entreat him.”(HW)

23 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’”(HX)

Judgment on Israel’s Enemies

A prophecy:(HY)

The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrak
    and will come to rest on Damascus(HZ)
for the eyes of all people and all the tribes of Israel
    are on the Lord[t]
and on Hamath(IA) too, which borders on it,
    and on Tyre(IB) and Sidon,(IC) though they are very skillful.
Tyre has built herself a stronghold;
    she has heaped up silver like dust,
    and gold like the dirt of the streets.(ID)
But the Lord will take away her possessions
    and destroy(IE) her power on the sea,
    and she will be consumed by fire.(IF)
Ashkelon(IG) will see it and fear;
    Gaza will writhe in agony,
    and Ekron too, for her hope will wither.
Gaza will lose her king
    and Ashkelon will be deserted.
A mongrel people will occupy Ashdod,
    and I will put an end(IH) to the pride of the Philistines.
I will take the blood from their mouths,
    the forbidden food from between their teeth.
Those who are left will belong to our God(II)
    and become a clan in Judah,
    and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.(IJ)
But I will encamp(IK) at my temple
    to guard it against marauding forces.(IL)
Never again will an oppressor overrun my people,
    for now I am keeping watch.(IM)

The Coming of Zion’s King

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!(IN)
    Shout,(IO) Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,(IP)
    righteous and victorious,(IQ)
lowly and riding on a donkey,(IR)
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.(IS)
10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
    and the warhorses from Jerusalem,
    and the battle bow will be broken.(IT)
He will proclaim peace(IU) to the nations.
    His rule will extend from sea to sea
    and from the River[u] to the ends of the earth.(IV)
11 As for you, because of the blood of my covenant(IW) with you,
    I will free your prisoners(IX) from the waterless pit.(IY)
12 Return to your fortress,(IZ) you prisoners of hope;
    even now I announce that I will restore twice(JA) as much to you.
13 I will bend Judah as I bend my bow(JB)
    and fill it with Ephraim.(JC)
I will rouse your sons, Zion,
    against your sons, Greece,(JD)
    and make you like a warrior’s sword.(JE)

The Lord Will Appear

14 Then the Lord will appear over them;(JF)
    his arrow will flash like lightning.(JG)
The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet;(JH)
    he will march in the storms(JI) of the south,
15     and the Lord Almighty will shield(JJ) them.
They will destroy
    and overcome with slingstones.(JK)
They will drink and roar as with wine;(JL)
    they will be full like a bowl(JM)
    used for sprinkling[v] the corners(JN) of the altar.
16 The Lord their God will save his people on that day(JO)
    as a shepherd saves his flock.
They will sparkle in his land
    like jewels in a crown.(JP)
17 How attractive and beautiful they will be!
    Grain will make the young men thrive,
    and new wine the young women.

The Lord Will Care for Judah

10 Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime;
    it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms.
He gives showers of rain(JQ) to all people,
    and plants of the field(JR) to everyone.
The idols(JS) speak deceitfully,
    diviners(JT) see visions that lie;
they tell dreams(JU) that are false,
    they give comfort in vain.(JV)
Therefore the people wander like sheep
    oppressed for lack of a shepherd.(JW)

“My anger burns against the shepherds,
    and I will punish the leaders;(JX)
for the Lord Almighty will care
    for his flock, the people of Judah,
    and make them like a proud horse in battle.(JY)
From Judah will come the cornerstone,(JZ)
    from him the tent peg,(KA)
from him the battle bow,(KB)
    from him every ruler.
Together they[w] will be like warriors in battle
    trampling their enemy into the mud of the streets.(KC)
They will fight because the Lord is with them,
    and they will put the enemy horsemen to shame.(KD)

“I will strengthen(KE) Judah
    and save the tribes of Joseph.
I will restore them
    because I have compassion(KF) on them.(KG)
They will be as though
    I had not rejected them,
for I am the Lord their God
    and I will answer(KH) them.
The Ephraimites will become like warriors,
    and their hearts will be glad as with wine.(KI)
Their children will see it and be joyful;
    their hearts will rejoice(KJ) in the Lord.
I will signal(KK) for them
    and gather them in.
Surely I will redeem them;
    they will be as numerous(KL) as before.
Though I scatter them among the peoples,
    yet in distant lands they will remember me.(KM)
They and their children will survive,
    and they will return.
10 I will bring them back from Egypt
    and gather them from Assyria.(KN)
I will bring them to Gilead(KO) and Lebanon,
    and there will not be room(KP) enough for them.
11 They will pass through the sea of trouble;
    the surging sea will be subdued
    and all the depths of the Nile will dry up.(KQ)
Assyria’s pride(KR) will be brought down
    and Egypt’s scepter(KS) will pass away.(KT)
12 I will strengthen(KU) them in the Lord
    and in his name they will live securely,(KV)
declares the Lord.

11 Open your doors, Lebanon,(KW)
    so that fire(KX) may devour your cedars!
Wail, you juniper, for the cedar has fallen;
    the stately trees are ruined!
Wail, oaks(KY) of Bashan;
    the dense forest(KZ) has been cut down!(LA)
Listen to the wail of the shepherds;
    their rich pastures are destroyed!
Listen to the roar of the lions;(LB)
    the lush thicket of the Jordan is ruined!(LC)

Two Shepherds

This is what the Lord my God says: “Shepherd the flock marked for slaughter.(LD) Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Praise the Lord, I am rich!’ Their own shepherds do not spare them.(LE) For I will no longer have pity on the people of the land,” declares the Lord. “I will give everyone into the hands of their neighbors(LF) and their king. They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue anyone from their hands.”(LG)

So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter,(LH) particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock. In one month I got rid of the three shepherds.

The flock detested(LI) me, and I grew weary of them and said, “I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish.(LJ) Let those who are left eat(LK) one another’s flesh.”

10 Then I took my staff called Favor(LL) and broke it, revoking(LM) the covenant I had made with all the nations. 11 It was revoked on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the Lord.

12 I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.(LN)

13 And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver(LO) and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord.(LP)

14 Then I broke my second staff called Union, breaking the family bond between Judah and Israel.

15 Then the Lord said to me, “Take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd. 16 For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves.

17 “Woe to the worthless shepherd,(LQ)
    who deserts the flock!
May the sword strike his arm(LR) and his right eye!
    May his arm be completely withered,
    his right eye totally blinded!”(LS)

Jerusalem’s Enemies to Be Destroyed

12 A prophecy:(LT) The word of the Lord concerning Israel.

The Lord, who stretches out the heavens,(LU) who lays the foundation of the earth,(LV) and who forms the human spirit within a person,(LW) declares: “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup(LX) that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling.(LY) Judah(LZ) will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations(MA) of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock(MB) for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure(MC) themselves. On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness,” declares the Lord. “I will keep a watchful eye over Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations.(MD) Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong,(ME) because the Lord Almighty is their God.’

“On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot(MF) in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume(MG) all the surrounding peoples right and left, but Jerusalem will remain intact(MH) in her place.

“The Lord will save the dwellings of Judah first, so that the honor of the house of David and of Jerusalem’s inhabitants may not be greater than that of Judah.(MI) On that day the Lord will shield(MJ) those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest(MK) among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God,(ML) like the angel of the Lord going before(MM) them. On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations(MN) that attack Jerusalem.(MO)

Mourning for the One They Pierced

10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit[x](MP) of grace and supplication.(MQ) They will look on[y] me, the one they have pierced,(MR) and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child,(MS) and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.(MT) 11 On that day the weeping(MU) in Jerusalem will be as great as the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.(MV) 12 The land will mourn,(MW) each clan by itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, 13 the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, 14 and all the rest of the clans and their wives.(MX)

Cleansing From Sin

13 “On that day a fountain(MY) will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse(MZ) them from sin and impurity.

“On that day, I will banish the names of the idols(NA) from the land, and they will be remembered no more,”(NB) declares the Lord Almighty. “I will remove both the prophets(NC) and the spirit of impurity from the land. And if anyone still prophesies, their father and mother, to whom they were born, will say to them, ‘You must die, because you have told lies(ND) in the Lord’s name.’ Then their own parents will stab the one who prophesies.(NE)

“On that day every prophet will be ashamed(NF) of their prophetic vision. They will not put on a prophet’s garment(NG) of hair(NH) in order to deceive.(NI) Each will say, ‘I am not a prophet. I am a farmer; the land has been my livelihood since my youth.[z](NJ) If someone asks, ‘What are these wounds on your body[aa]?’ they will answer, ‘The wounds I was given at the house of my friends.’

The Shepherd Struck, the Sheep Scattered

“Awake, sword,(NK) against my shepherd,(NL)
    against the man who is close to me!”
    declares the Lord Almighty.
“Strike the shepherd,
    and the sheep will be scattered,(NM)
    and I will turn my hand against the little ones.
In the whole land,” declares the Lord,
    “two-thirds will be struck down and perish;
    yet one-third will be left in it.(NN)
This third I will put into the fire;(NO)
    I will refine them like silver(NP)
    and test them like gold.(NQ)
They will call(NR) on my name(NS)
    and I will answer(NT) them;
I will say, ‘They are my people,’(NU)
    and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.(NV)’”

The Lord Comes and Reigns

14 A day of the Lord(NW) is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions(NX) will be plundered and divided up within your very walls.

I will gather all the nations(NY) to Jerusalem to fight against it;(NZ) the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped.(OA) Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city.(OB) Then the Lord will go out and fight(OC) against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle.(OD) On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,(OE) east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split(OF) in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake[ab](OG) in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come,(OH) and all the holy ones with him.(OI)

On that day there will be neither sunlight(OJ) nor cold, frosty darkness. It will be a unique(OK) day—a day known only to the Lord—with no distinction between day and night.(OL) When evening comes, there will be light.(OM)

On that day living water(ON) will flow(OO) out from Jerusalem, half of it east(OP) to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter.(OQ)

The Lord will be king(OR) over the whole earth.(OS) On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.(OT)

10 The whole land, from Geba(OU) to Rimmon,(OV) south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up(OW) high from the Benjamin Gate(OX) to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate,(OY) and from the Tower of Hananel(OZ) to the royal winepresses, and will remain in its place.(PA) 11 It will be inhabited;(PB) never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure.(PC)

12 This is the plague with which the Lord will strike(PD) all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.(PE) 13 On that day people will be stricken by the Lord with great panic.(PF) They will seize each other by the hand and attack one another.(PG) 14 Judah(PH) too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected(PI)—great quantities of gold and silver and clothing. 15 A similar plague(PJ) will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps.

16 Then the survivors(PK) from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship(PL) the King,(PM) the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.(PN) 17 If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship(PO) the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain.(PP) 18 If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord[ac] will bring on them the plague(PQ) he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.(PR) 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.(PS)

20 On that day holy to the Lord(PT) will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots(PU) in the Lord’s house will be like the sacred bowls(PV) in front of the altar. 21 Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy(PW) to the Lord Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day(PX) there will no longer be a Canaanite[ad](PY) in the house(PZ) of the Lord Almighty.(QA)

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 1:21 In Hebrew texts 1:18-21 is numbered 2:1-4.
  2. Zechariah 2:1 In Hebrew texts 2:1-13 is numbered 2:5-17.
  3. Zechariah 2:9 Or says after … eye: “I … plunder them.”
  4. Zechariah 3:1 Hebrew satan means adversary.
  5. Zechariah 3:9 Or facets
  6. Zechariah 4:10 Or the plumb line
  7. Zechariah 4:14 Or two who bring oil and
  8. Zechariah 5:2 That is, about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide or about 9 meters long and 4.5 meters wide
  9. Zechariah 5:6 Or appearance
  10. Zechariah 5:11 Hebrew Shinar
  11. Zechariah 6:5 Or winds
  12. Zechariah 6:6 Or horses after them
  13. Zechariah 6:8 Or spirit
  14. Zechariah 6:11 Hebrew Jehozadak, a variant of Jozadak
  15. Zechariah 6:13 Or there
  16. Zechariah 6:14 Syriac; Hebrew Helem
  17. Zechariah 6:14 Or and the gracious one, the
  18. Zechariah 8:13 That is, your name has been used in cursing (see Jer. 29:22); or, you have been regarded as under a curse.
  19. Zechariah 8:13 Or and your name will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or and you will be seen as blessed
  20. Zechariah 9:1 Or Damascus. / For the eye of the Lord is on all people, / as well as on the tribes of Israel,
  21. Zechariah 9:10 That is, the Euphrates
  22. Zechariah 9:15 Or bowl, / like
  23. Zechariah 10:5 Or ruler, all of them together. / They
  24. Zechariah 12:10 Or the Spirit
  25. Zechariah 12:10 Or to
  26. Zechariah 13:5 Or farmer; a man sold me in my youth
  27. Zechariah 13:6 Or wounds between your hands
  28. Zechariah 14:5 Or My mountain valley will be blocked and will extend to Azel. It will be blocked as it was blocked because of the earthquake
  29. Zechariah 14:18 Or part, then the Lord
  30. Zechariah 14:21 Or merchant