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In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Jehovah unto Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying, Jehovah was sore displeased with your fathers. Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Return unto me, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I will return unto you, saith Jehovah of hosts. Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets cried, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Return ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith Jehovah. Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever? But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? and they turned and said, Like as Jehovah of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Jehovah unto Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying, I saw in the night, and, behold, a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle-trees that were in the [a]bottom; and behind him there were horses, red, sorrel, and white. Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will show thee what these are. 10 And the man that stood among the myrtle-trees answered and said, These are they whom Jehovah hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth. 11 And they answered the angel of Jehovah that stood among the myrtle-trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.

12 Then the angel of Jehovah answered and said, O Jehovah of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years? 13 And Jehovah answered the angel that talked with me with good words, even comfortable words. 14 So the angel that talked with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. 15 And I am very sore displeased with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, and they [b]helped forward the affliction. 16 Therefore thus saith Jehovah: I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies; my house shall be built in it, saith Jehovah of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth over Jerusalem. 17 Cry yet again, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: My cities [c]shall yet overflow with prosperity; and Jehovah shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.

18 And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, four horns. 19 And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. 20 And Jehovah showed me four smiths. 21 Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head; but these are come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations, which lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.

And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand. Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof. And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him, and said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall [d]be inhabited as villages without walls, by reason of the multitude of men and cattle therein. For I, saith Jehovah, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and I will be the glory in the midst of her.

Ho, ho, flee from the land of the north, saith Jehovah; for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, saith Jehovah. Ho Zion, escape, thou that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: [e]After glory hath he sent me unto the nations which plundered you; for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. For, behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they shall be a spoil to those that served them; and ye shall know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me. 10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith Jehovah. 11 And many nations shall join themselves to Jehovah in that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me unto thee. 12 And Jehovah shall inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and shall yet choose Jerusalem. 13 Be silent, all flesh, before Jehovah; for he is waked up out of his holy habitation.

And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Jehovah, and [f]Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary. And Jehovah said unto Satan, Jehovah rebuke thee, O Satan; yea, Jehovah that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take the filthy garments from off him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with rich apparel. And I said, Let them set a clean [g]mitre upon his head. So they set a clean [h]mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments; and the angel of Jehovah was standing by.

And the angel of Jehovah protested unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou also shalt judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee [i]a place of access among these that stand by. Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before thee; for they are men that are a [j]sign: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the [k]Branch. For, behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; upon one stone are seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 10 In that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, shall ye invite every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig-tree.

And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep. And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have seen, and, behold, a candlestick all of gold, with its bowl upon the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon; [l]there are seven pipes to each of the lamps, which are upon the top thereof; and two olive-trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. And I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord? Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these are? And I said, No, my lord. Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of Jehovah unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by [m]might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith Jehovah of hosts. Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain; and he shall bring forth the top stone with shoutings of Grace, grace, unto it. Moreover the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me unto you. 10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for these seven shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel; these are the eyes of Jehovah, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

11 Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive-trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? 12 And I answered the second time, and said unto him, What are these two olive-branches, [n]which are beside the two golden spouts, that empty [o]the golden oil out of themselves? 13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these are? And I said, No, my lord. 14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

Then again I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, a flying roll. And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits. Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole land: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off [p]on the one side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off [q]on the other side according to it. I will cause it to go forth, saith Jehovah of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name; and it shall abide in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.

Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth. And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their [r]appearance in all the land (and, behold, there was lifted up a [s]talent of lead); and this is a woman sitting in the midst of the ephah. And he said, This is Wickedness: and he cast her down into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof. Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there came forth two women, and the wind was in their wings; now they had wings like the wings of a stork; and they lifted up the ephah between earth and heaven. 10 Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah? 11 And he said unto me, To build her a house in the land of Shinar: and when it is [t]prepared, she shall be set there [u]in her own place.

And again I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between [v]two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass. In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; and in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grizzled strong horses. Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord? And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four [w]winds of heaven, which go forth from [x]standing before the Lord of all the earth. The chariot wherein are the black horses goeth forth toward the north country; and the white went forth after them; and the grizzled went forth toward the south country. And the [y]strong went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth. Then cried he to me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, they that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country.

And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, 10 Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah; and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, whither they are come from Babylon; 11 yea, take of them silver and gold, and make [z]crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest; 12 and speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, saying, Behold, the man [aa]whose name is the [ab]Branch: and he shall [ac]grow up out of his place; and he shall build the temple of Jehovah; 13 even he shall build the temple of Jehovah; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and [ad]he shall be a priest upon his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. 14 And the [ae]crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and [af]to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of Jehovah. 15 And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of Jehovah; and ye shall know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of Jehovah your God.

And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of Jehovah came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chislev. [ag]Now they of Beth-el had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech, and their men, to entreat the favor of Jehovah, and to speak unto the priests of the house of Jehovah of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years? Then came the word of Jehovah of hosts unto me, saying, Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month, even these seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? And when ye eat, and when ye drink, [ah]do not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves? Should ye not hear the words which Jehovah cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?

And the word of Jehovah came unto Zechariah, saying, Thus hath Jehovah of hosts spoken, saying, Execute true judgment, and show kindness and compassion every man to his brother; 10 and oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the sojourner, nor the poor; and let none of you devise evil against his brother in your heart. 11 But they refused to hearken, and [ai]pulled away the shoulder, and [aj]stopped their ears, that they might not hear. 12 Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which Jehovah of hosts had sent by his Spirit by the former prophets: therefore there came great wrath from Jehovah of hosts. 13 And it is come to pass that, as he cried, and they would not hear, so they shall cry, and I will not hear, said Jehovah of hosts; 14 but I will scatter them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they have not known. Thus the land was desolate after them, so that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the [ak]pleasant land desolate.

And the word of Jehovah of hosts came to me, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. Thus saith Jehovah: I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called The city of truth; and the mountain of Jehovah of hosts, The holy mountain. Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: There shall yet old men and old women [al]dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand [am]for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith Jehovah of hosts. Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.

Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets that were in the day that the foundation of the house of Jehovah of hosts was laid, even the temple, that it might be built. 10 For before those days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in, because of the adversary: for I set all men every one against his neighbor. 11 But now I will not be unto the remnant of this people as in the former days, saith Jehovah of hosts. 12 For there shall be the seed of peace; the vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things. 13 And it shall come to pass that, as ye were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.

14 For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: As I thought to do evil unto you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I repented not; 15 so again have I thought in these days to do good unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not. 16 These are the things that ye shall do: Speak ye every man the truth with his neighbor; [an]execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates; 17 and let none of you devise evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith Jehovah.

18 And the word of Jehovah of hosts came unto me, saying, 19 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love truth and peace. 20 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come peoples, and the inhabitants of [ao]many cities; 21 and the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to entreat the favor of Jehovah, and to seek Jehovah of hosts: I will go also. 22 Yea, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek Jehovah of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of Jehovah. 23 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold, out of all the languages of the nations, they shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.

The [ap]burden of the word of Jehovah upon the land of Hadrach, and Damascus shall be its resting-place (for [aq]the eye of man and of all the tribes of Israel is toward Jehovah); and Hamath, also, which bordereth thereon; Tyre and Sidon, [ar]because they are very wise. And Tyre did build herself a stronghold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets. Behold, the Lord will dispossess her, and he will smite [as]her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire. Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Gaza also, and shall be sore pained; and Ekron, for her expectation shall be put to shame; and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited. And [at]a bastard shall [au]dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines. And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth; and he also shall be a remnant for our God; and he shall be as a chieftain in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite.

And I will encamp about my house [av]against the army, that none pass through or return; and no [aw]oppressor shall pass through them any more: for now have I seen with mine eyes.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh unto thee; he is just, and [ax]having [ay]salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, even upon a colt the foal of an ass. 10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off; and he shall speak peace unto the nations: and his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

11 As for thee also, because of the blood of thy covenant I have set free thy prisoners from the pit wherein is no water. 12 [az]Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even to-day do I declare that I will render double unto thee. 13 For I have bent Judah for me, I have filled the bow with Ephraim; and I will stir up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O [ba]Greece, and will make thee as the sword of a mighty man. 14 And Jehovah shall be seen over them; and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning; and the Lord Jehovah will blow the trumpet, and will go with whirlwinds of the south. 15 Jehovah of hosts will defend them; and they shall devour, and shall tread down the sling-stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, like the corners of the altar. 16 And Jehovah their God will save them in that day as the flock of his people; for they shall be as the stones of a crown, [bb]lifted on high over his land. 17 For how great is [bc]his [bd]goodness, and how great is [be]his beauty! grain shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the virgins.

10 Ask ye of Jehovah rain in the time of the latter rain, even of Jehovah that maketh lightnings; and he will give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. For the teraphim have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie; and [bf]they have told false dreams, they comfort in vain: therefore they go their way like sheep, they are afflicted, because there is no shepherd. Mine anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the he-goats; for Jehovah of hosts hath visited his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them as his goodly horse in the battle. From him shall come forth the corner-stone, from him the nail, from him the battle bow, from him every [bg]ruler together. And they shall be as mighty men, treading down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle; and they shall fight, because Jehovah is with them; and the riders on horses shall be confounded. And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will [bh]bring them back; for I have mercy upon them; and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am Jehovah their God, and I will hear them. And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine; yea, their children shall see it, and rejoice; their heart shall be glad in Jehovah.

I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them; and they shall increase as they have increased. [bi]And I will sow them among the peoples; and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and shall return. 10 I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and place shall not be found for them. 11 And he will pass through the sea of affliction, and will smite [bj]the waves in the sea, and all the depths of the Nile shall dry up; and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the sceptre of Egypt shall depart. 12 And I will strengthen them in Jehovah; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith Jehovah.

11 Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars. Wail, O fir-tree, for the cedar is fallen, because the [bk]goodly ones are destroyed: wail, O ye oaks of Bashan, for the [bl]strong forest is come down. A voice of the wailing of the shepherds! for their glory is destroyed: a voice of the roaring of young lions! for the pride of the Jordan is laid waste.

Thus said Jehovah my God: Feed the flock of slaughter; whose [bm]possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty; and they that sell them say, Blessed be Jehovah, for I am rich; and [bn]their own shepherds pity them not. For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith Jehovah; but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbor’s hand, and into the hand of his king; and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them. So I fed the flock of slaughter, verily [bo]the poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called [bp]Beauty, and the other I called [bq]Bands; and I fed the flock. And I cut off the three shepherds in one month; for my soul was weary of them, and their soul also loathed me. Then said I, I will not feed you: that which dieth, let it die; and [br]that which is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let them that are left eat every one the flesh of another. 10 And I took my staff Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples. 11 And it was broken in that day; and [bs]thus [bt]the poor of the flock that gave heed unto me knew that it was the word of Jehovah. 12 And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my hire; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my hire thirty pieces of silver. 13 And Jehovah said unto me, Cast it unto the potter, the goodly price that I was prized at by them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them unto the potter, in the house of Jehovah. 14 Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

15 And Jehovah said unto me, Take unto thee yet again the instruments of a foolish shepherd. 16 For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, who will not [bu]visit those that are [bv]cut off, neither will seek [bw]those that are scattered, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which [bx]is sound; but he will eat the flesh of the fat sheep, and will tear their hoofs in pieces. 17 Woe to the worthless shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.

12 The [by]burden of the word of Jehovah concerning Israel.

Thus saith Jehovah, who stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him: Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of reeling unto all the peoples round about, and [bz]upon Judah also [ca]shall it be in the siege against Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all the peoples; all that burden themselves with it shall be sore wounded; and all the nations of the earth shall be gathered together against it. In that day, saith Jehovah, I will smite every horse with terror, and his rider with madness; and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the peoples with blindness. And the chieftains of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in Jehovah of hosts their God. In that day will I make the chieftains of Judah like a pan of fire among wood, and like a flaming torch among sheaves; and they shall devour all the peoples round about, on the right hand and on the left; and they of Jerusalem shall yet again dwell in [cb]their own place, even in Jerusalem. Jehovah also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem be not magnified above Judah. In that day shall Jehovah defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he [cc]that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of Jehovah before them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication; and they shall look unto [cd]me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born. 11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. 12 And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; 13 the family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of the Shimeites apart, and their wives apart; 14 all the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.

13 In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered; and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land. And it shall come to pass that, when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of Jehovah; and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he prophesieth; neither shall they wear a hairy mantle to deceive: but he shall say, I am no prophet, I am a tiller of the ground; for I have been made a bondman from my youth. And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds between thine [ce]arms? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my [cf]friends.

Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith Jehovah of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn my hand upon the little ones. And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith Jehovah, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part into the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried. They shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, Jehovah is my God.

14 Behold, a day of Jehovah cometh, when thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall Jehovah go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east; and the mount of Olives shall be cleft in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And [cg]ye shall flee [ch]by the valley of [ci]my mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azel; yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah; and Jehovah my God shall come, and all the holy ones with thee. And it shall come to pass in that day, that [cj]there shall not be light; the bright ones shall withdraw themselves: but it shall be one day which is known unto Jehovah; not day, and not night; but it shall come to pass, that at evening time there shall be light. And it shall come to pass in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the western sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.

And Jehovah shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall Jehovah be one, and his name one. 10 All the land shall be made like the Arabah, from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; and she shall be lifted up, and shall dwell in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananel unto the king’s winepresses. 11 And men shall dwell therein, and there shall be no more [ck]curse; but Jerusalem shall dwell safely.

12 And this shall be the plague wherewith Jehovah will smite all the peoples that have warred against Jerusalem: their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their sockets, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. 13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great [cl]tumult from Jehovah shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor. 14 And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the nations round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance. 15 And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in those camps, as that plague.

16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, Jehovah of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. 17 And it shall be, that whoso of all the families of the earth goeth not up unto Jerusalem to worship the King, Jehovah of hosts, upon them there shall be no rain. 18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, neither shall it be upon them; there shall be the plague wherewith Jehovah will smite the nations that go not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. 19 This shall be the [cm]punishment of Egypt, and the [cn]punishment of all the nations that go not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. 20 In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, Holy unto Jehovah; and the pots in Jehovah’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. 21 Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holy unto Jehovah of hosts; and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and boil therein: and in that day there shall be no more a Canaanite in the house of Jehovah of hosts.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 1:8 Or, shady place
  2. Zechariah 1:15 Or, helped for evil
  3. Zechariah 1:17 Or, through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad
  4. Zechariah 2:4 Or, dwell
  5. Zechariah 2:8 Or, After the glory, he hath etc.
  6. Zechariah 3:1 That is, the Adversary.
  7. Zechariah 3:5 Or, turban
  8. Zechariah 3:5 Or, turban
  9. Zechariah 3:7 Or, places to walk
  10. Zechariah 3:8 Or, wonder
  11. Zechariah 3:8 Or, Shoot. Or, Sprout
  12. Zechariah 4:2 The Septuagint and Vulgate have and seven pipes to the lamps.
  13. Zechariah 4:6 Or, an army
  14. Zechariah 4:12 Or, which by means of the two golden sprouts empty
  15. Zechariah 4:12 Hebrew the gold.
  16. Zechariah 5:3 Or, from hence
  17. Zechariah 5:3 Or, from hence
  18. Zechariah 5:6 Hebrew eye.
  19. Zechariah 5:7 Or, round piece
  20. Zechariah 5:11 Or, established
  21. Zechariah 5:11 Or, upon her own base
  22. Zechariah 6:1 Or, the two
  23. Zechariah 6:5 Or, spirits
  24. Zechariah 6:5 Or, presenting themselves
  25. Zechariah 6:7 The Syriac and Aquila have red.
  26. Zechariah 6:11 Or, a crown, and set it
  27. Zechariah 6:12 Or, whose name is the Bud; and it (or, they) shall bud forth under him
  28. Zechariah 6:12 Or, Shoot. Or, Sprout
  29. Zechariah 6:12 Or, shoot
  30. Zechariah 6:13 Or, there shall be
  31. Zechariah 6:14 Or, crown
  32. Zechariah 6:14 Or, for the kindness of the son etc.
  33. Zechariah 7:2 Or, Now they of Beth-el, even Sharezer . . . had sent
  34. Zechariah 7:6 Or, are not ye they that eat etc.
  35. Zechariah 7:11 Or, turned a stubborn shoulder
  36. Zechariah 7:11 Or, made their ears heavy. See Isa. 6:10.
  37. Zechariah 7:14 Hebrew land of desire.
  38. Zechariah 8:4 Or, sit
  39. Zechariah 8:4 Hebrew for multitude of days.
  40. Zechariah 8:16 Hebrew judge truth and the judgment of peace.
  41. Zechariah 8:20 Or, great
  42. Zechariah 9:1 Or, oracle
  43. Zechariah 9:1 Or, Jehovah hath an eye upon men and upon all the tribe of Israel
  44. Zechariah 9:2 Or, though
  45. Zechariah 9:4 Or, the sea which is her rampart. Or, her rampart into the sea
  46. Zechariah 9:6 Or, a bastard race
  47. Zechariah 9:6 Or, sit as king
  48. Zechariah 9:8 Or, as otherwise read, as a garrison
  49. Zechariah 9:8 Or, exactor
  50. Zechariah 9:9 Hebrew saved.
  51. Zechariah 9:9 Or, victory
  52. Zechariah 9:12 Or, Return
  53. Zechariah 9:13 Hebrew Javan.
  54. Zechariah 9:16 Or, glittering upon etc.
  55. Zechariah 9:17 Or, their
  56. Zechariah 9:17 Or, prosperity
  57. Zechariah 9:17 Or, their
  58. Zechariah 10:2 Or, the dreamers speak falsely
  59. Zechariah 10:4 Or, exactor
  60. Zechariah 10:6 Or, cause them to dwell
  61. Zechariah 10:9 Or, And though I sow them . . . they shall remember etc.
  62. Zechariah 10:11 Or, the sea of waves
  63. Zechariah 11:2 Or, glorious
  64. Zechariah 11:2 Or, fortified
  65. Zechariah 11:5 Or, buyers
  66. Zechariah 11:5 Or, their shepherd pitieth
  67. Zechariah 11:7 Or, the most miserable of sheep
  68. Zechariah 11:7 Or, Graciousness
  69. Zechariah 11:7 Or, Binders. Or, Union
  70. Zechariah 11:9 Or, that which is lost, let it be lost
  71. Zechariah 11:11 Or, the poor of the flock . . . knew of a truth
  72. Zechariah 11:11 Or, the most miserable of sheep
  73. Zechariah 11:16 Or, miss
  74. Zechariah 11:16 Or, lost
  75. Zechariah 11:16 Or, the young
  76. Zechariah 11:16 Hebrew standeth.
  77. Zechariah 12:1 Or, oracle
  78. Zechariah 12:2 Or, against
  79. Zechariah 12:2 Or, shall it fall to be
  80. Zechariah 12:6 Hebrew her.
  81. Zechariah 12:8 Or, that stumbleth
  82. Zechariah 12:10 According to some manuscripts, him.
  83. Zechariah 13:6 Hebrew hands.
  84. Zechariah 13:6 Or, lovers
  85. Zechariah 14:5 Or, as otherwise read, the valley of my mountains shall be stopped
  86. Zechariah 14:5 Or, to
  87. Zechariah 14:5 Or, the
  88. Zechariah 14:6 Or, the light shall not be bright nor dark
  89. Zechariah 14:11 Or, ban. Or, devoting to destruction
  90. Zechariah 14:13 Or, discomfiture
  91. Zechariah 14:19 Or, sin
  92. Zechariah 14:19 Or, sin

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