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

Jehovah hath been very wroth with your fathers.

And thou shalt say 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: Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings; but they did not hearken nor attend 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 prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying,

I saw by night, and behold, a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle-trees that were in the low valley; and behind him were red, bay, and white horses.

And I said, My lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew 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 And the angel of Jehovah answered and said, 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 seventy years?

13 And Jehovah answered the angel that talked with me good words, comforting words.

14 And the angel that talked with me said unto me, Cry, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy,

15 and I am wroth exceedingly with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little wroth, and they 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 the line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.

17 Cry further, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: My cities 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 said to me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

20 And Jehovah shewed me four craftsmen.

21 And I said, What come these to do? And he spoke, saying, Those are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man lifted up his head; but these are come to affright them, to cast out the horns of the nations, which lifted up the 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.

And I said, 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 forth to meet him,

and said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein;

and I, saith Jehovah, I will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.

Ho, ho! flee from the land of the north, saith Jehovah; for I have scattered you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, saith Jehovah.

Ho! escape, Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.

For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: After the glory, hath he sent me unto the nations that made you a spoil; for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.

For behold, I will shake my hand upon them, and they shall become a spoil to those that served them: and ye shall know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me.

10 Sing aloud and rejoice, daughter of Zion; for behold, 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 unto me for a 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 Let all flesh be silent before Jehovah; for he is risen up out of his holy habitation.

And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of Jehovah, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

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?

And Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the Angel.

And he spoke and said unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from off him. And unto him he said, See, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I clothe thee with festival-robes.

And I said, Let them set a pure turban upon his head. And they set the pure turban upon his head, and clothed him with garments; and the Angel of Jehovah stood 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 shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts; and I will give thee a place to walk among these that stand by.

Hear now, Joshua the high priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before thee—for they are men of portent—for behold, I will bring forth my servant the Branch.

For behold, the stone that I have laid 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 this land in one day.

10 In that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, shall ye invite every man his neighbour 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 see, and behold, a lamp-stand all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon, seven [lamps] and seven pipes to the lamps, which are upon the top thereof;

and two olive-trees beside it, one on the right of the bowl, and the other on the left of it.

And I answered and spoke to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?

And the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these are? And I said, No, my lord.

And he answered and spoke unto me, saying, This is the word of Jehovah unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith Jehovah of hosts.

Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel [thou dost become] a plain; and he shall bring forth the head-stone with shoutings: Grace, grace unto it!

And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; and his hands shall 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? Yea, they shall rejoice [even] those seven—and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel: these are the eyes of Jehovah, which run to and fro in the whole earth.

11 And I answered and said unto him, What are these two olive-trees on the right of the lamp-stand and on its left?

12 And I answered the second time and said unto him, What are the two olive-branches which are beside the two golden tubes that empty the gold out of themselves?

13 And he spoke to me, saying, Knowest thou not what these are? And I said, No, my lord.

14 And he said, These are the two sons of oil, that stand before the Lord of the whole earth.

And I lifted up mine eyes again, and saw, and behold, a flying roll.

And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I see a flying roll: the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.

And he said 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 according to it on this side; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off according to it on that side.

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 lodge in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.

And 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. And he said, This is their resemblance in all the land.

And behold, there was lifted up a round plate of lead; and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.

And he said, This is Wickedness: and he cast her into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.

And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; and they had wings like the wings of a stork; and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens.

10 And I said to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these carry the ephah?

11 And he said unto me, To build it a house in the land of Shinar; and it shall be established, and set there upon its own base.

And I lifted up mine eyes again, and saw, and behold, there came four chariots out from between 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 grisled, strong horses.

And I spoke 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 spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.

That in which are the black horses goeth forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth towards the south country;

and the strong go forth, and seek to go that they may walk to and fro through the earth. And he said, Go, walk to and fro through the earth. And they walked to and fro through the earth.

And he cried unto me, and spoke unto me, saying, See, these that go forth towards the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country.

And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

10 Take [gifts] of them of the captivity, of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, and come thou the same day, and enter into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, whither they are come from Babylon;

11 yea, take silver and gold, and make 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 a man whose name is [the] Branch; and he shall grow up from his own 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 he shall be a priest upon his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

14 And the crowns shall be for Helem, and for Tobijah, and for Jedaiah, and for Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of Jehovah.

15 And they that are far off shall come and build at 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 hearken to 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 on the fourth [day] of the ninth month, [even] in Chislev,

when Bethel had sent Sherezer and Regem-melech, and his men, to supplicate Jehovah,

[and] to speak unto the priests that were in the house of Jehovah of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done now so many years?

And the word of Jehovah of hosts came 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 those seventy years, did ye really fast unto me, [even] unto me?

And when ye ate, and when ye drank, was it not you that were eating and drinking?

Are not these the words that Jehovah cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and at peace, and her cities round about her, when the south and the lowland were inhabited?

And the word of Jehovah came unto Zechariah, saying,

Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew loving-kindness and mercies one to another,

10 and oppress not the widow and the fatherless, the stranger and the afflicted; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.

11 But they refused to hearken, and turned a rebellious shoulder, and made their ears heavy, that they should not hear.

12 And they made their heart [as] an adamant, that they should not hear the law, and the words that Jehovah of hosts sent by his Spirit by the hand of the former prophets: therefore was there great wrath from Jehovah of hosts.

13 And it came to pass, like as he called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear, saith Jehovah of hosts;

14 and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not, and the land was desolate after them, so that no one passed through nor returned; and they laid the pleasant land desolate.

And the word of Jehovah of hosts came [unto me], saying,

Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great fury.

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 sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand for multitude of days.

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 wonderful in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be wonderful 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 by the mouth of the prophets, that were in the day that the foundation of the house of Jehovah of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.

10 For before those days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; and there was no peace for him that went out or that came in, because of the distress: for I let loose all men, every one against his neighbour.

11 But now I will not be unto the remnant of this people as in the former days, saith Jehovah of hosts;

12 for the seed shall be prosperous, the vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these [things].

13 And it shall come to pass, like 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 ye not, let your hands be strong.

14 For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Like as I thought to do you evil 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 truth every one with his neighbour; execute truth and the judgment of peace in your gates;

17 and let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; 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 gatherings. Love ye then truth and peace.

20 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Yet again shall there come peoples, and the inhabitants of many cities;

21 and the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to supplicate Jehovah, and to seek Jehovah of hosts: I will go also.

22 And many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek Jehovah of hosts in Jerusalem, and to supplicate Jehovah.

23 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: In those days shall ten men take hold, out of all languages of the nations, shall even 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 burden of the word of Jehovah, in the land of Hadrach, and [on] Damascus shall it rest; (for Jehovah hath an eye upon men, and upon all the tribes of Israel;)

and also [on] Hamath [which] bordereth thereon; on Tyre and Zidon, though she be very wise.

And Tyre hath built herself a stronghold, and hath heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets.

Behold, the Lord will take possession of her, and he will smite her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire.

Ashkelon shall see [it], and fear; Gazah also, and she shall be greatly pained; Ekron also, for her expectation shall be put to shame: and the king shall perish from Gazah, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.

And a bastard shall 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; but he that remaineth, he also shall belong to our God, and shall be as a leader in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite.

And I will encamp about my house because of the army, because of those that pass by and that return; and the exactor shall not pass through them any more: for now have I seen [it] with mine eyes.

Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion; shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, thy King cometh to thee: he is just, and having 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, by the blood of thy covenant, I will send forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.

12 Turn again to the stronghold, prisoners of hope! even to-day do I declare I will render double unto thee.

13 For I have bent Judah for me, I have filled the bow with Ephraim; and I will raise up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and make thee like 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 march 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 from wine; and they shall be filled like a bowl, like the corners of the altar.

16 And Jehovah their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people; for [they shall be as] the stones of a crown, lifted up upon his land.

17 For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! Corn shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the maidens.

10 Ask of Jehovah rain in the time of the latter rain; Jehovah will make 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 have told false dreams: they comfort in vain. Therefore they have gone away as a flock, they are in distress, because there is no shepherd.

Mine anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the he-goats; for Jehovah of hosts visiteth his flock, the house of Judah, and maketh them as his majestic horse in the battle.

From him shall come forth the corner-stone, from him the nail, from him the battle bow, from him every exactor together.

And they shall be as mighty men, treading down the mire of the streets in the battle; and they shall fight, for Jehovah is with them, and the riders on horses shall be put to shame.

And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them back again; for I will 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 answer them.

And [they of] Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their hearts shall rejoice as through wine; and their children shall see [it], and rejoice; their heart shall be joyful in Jehovah.

I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall multiply as they used to multiply.

And I will sow them among the peoples, and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children and return.

10 And I will bring them again 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 shall pass through the sea of affliction, and shall smite the billows 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 away.

12 And I will strengthen them in Jehovah; and they shall walk in his name, saith Jehovah.

11 Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars.

Howl, cypress, for the cedar is fallen; because the noble ones are spoiled. Howl, ye oaks of Bashan; for the strong forest is come down.

A voice of howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: a voice of roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled.

Thus saith Jehovah my God: Feed the flock of slaughter,

whose possessors slay them without being held guilty; and they that sell them say, Blessed be Jehovah! for I am become rich; and their own shepherds pity them not.

For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith Jehovah, and behold, I will deliver men, every one into his neighbour's hand, and into the hand of his king; and they shall smite the land, and I will not deliver out of their hand.

So I fed the flock of slaughter, truly the poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock.

And I destroyed three shepherds in one month; and my soul was vexed with them, and their soul also loathed me.

And I said, I will not feed you: that which dieth, let it die; and that which perisheth let it perish; and let them which 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 so the poor of the flock that gave heed to 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. And they weighed for my hire thirty silver-pieces.

13 And Jehovah said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prized at by them. And I took the thirty silver-pieces, and cast them to the potter in the house of Jehovah.

14 And I cut asunder mine other staff, Bands, to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

15 And Jehovah said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.

16 For behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, who shall not visit those that are about to perish, neither shall seek that which is strayed away, nor heal that which is wounded, nor feed that which is sound; but he will eat the flesh of the fat, and 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 utterly darkened.

12 The burden of the word of Jehovah concerning Israel. [Thus] saith Jehovah, who stretcheth out 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 bewilderment unto all the peoples round about, and also against Judah 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 unto all peoples: all that burden themselves with it shall certainly be wounded, and all the nations of the earth shall be assembled together against it.

In that day, saith Jehovah, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness; but I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the peoples with blindness.

And the leaders of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength through Jehovah of hosts their God.

In that day will I make the leaders of Judah like a hearth of fire among wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the peoples round about, on the right hand and on the left; and Jerusalem shall dwell again in her own place, in Jerusalem.

And Jehovah 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 over Judah.

In that day will Jehovah defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that stumbleth among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David 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 supplications; and they shall look on me whom they pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for an only [son], and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for [his] firstborn.

11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadad-rimmon 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 Shimei 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, if any shall yet prophesy, that 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.

And he shall say, I am no prophet, I am a tiller of the ground; for man acquired me [as bondman] from my youth.

And one shall say unto him, What are those wounds in thy hands? And he will say, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.

Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, even 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 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 answer them: I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, Jehovah is my God.

14 Behold, the day cometh for Jehovah, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.

And I will assemble all the 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 rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

And Jehovah will go forth and fight with 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 toward the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west,—a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

And ye shall flee [by] the valley of my mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: ye shall even 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] there shall not be light; the shining shall be obscured.

And it shall be one day which is known to Jehovah, not day, and not night; and it shall come to pass, at eventide it 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 hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.

And Jehovah shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Jehovah, and his name one.

10 All the land from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem shall be turned as the Arabah; and [Jerusalem] shall be lifted up, and shall dwell in her own place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner-gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses.

11 And [men] shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; and 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 holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

13 And it shall come to pass in that day [that] a great panic from Jehovah shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.

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 garments, 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 this plague.

16 And it shall come to pass, that all that are left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, Jehovah of hosts, and to celebrate the feast of tabernacles.

17 And it shall be, that whoso goeth not up of the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, Jehovah of hosts, upon them 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 celebrate the feast of tabernacles.

19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations that go not up to celebrate the feast of tabernacles.

20 In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO JEHOVAH; and the pots in Jehovah's house shall be like the bowls before the altar.

21 And every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto Jehovah of hosts; and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein. And in that day there shall be no more a Canaanite in the house of Jehovah of hosts.

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