Ezra 1-6
GOD’S WORD Translation
Cyrus Allows the Jews to Return from Babylon(A)
1 The promise the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah was about to come true in Cyrus’ first year as king of Persia. The Lord inspired the king to make this announcement throughout his whole kingdom and then to put it in writing.
2 This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: The Lord God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the world. Then he ordered me to build a temple for him in Jerusalem (which is in Judah). 3 May God be with all of you who are his people. You may go to Jerusalem (which is in Judah) and build a temple for the Lord God of Israel. He is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 All who ⌞choose to⌟ remain behind, wherever they may be living, should provide the people who are leaving with silver, gold, supplies, livestock, and freewill offerings to be used in God’s temple in Jerusalem.
Sheshbazzar Returns with the Temple Furnishings
5 Then the heads of the families of Judah and Benjamin, the priests, and the Levites—everyone God had inspired—came forward to rebuild the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem. 6 All their neighbors ⌞who were remaining behind⌟ provided them with articles made from silver and gold, supplies, livestock, and valuable gifts besides everything that was freely offered. 7 King Cyrus brought out the utensils belonging to the Lord’s temple. Nebuchadnezzar had taken these utensils from Jerusalem and put them in the temple of his own god. 8 King Cyrus of Persia put the treasurer Mithredath in charge of bringing them out. So Mithredath made a list of them for Prince Sheshbazzar of Judah.[a] 9 This is the inventory:
gold dishes … 30
silver dishes … 1,000
knives … 29
10 gold bowls … 30
other silver bowls … 410
other utensils … 1,000
11 The gold and silver utensils totaled … 5,400.
Sheshbazzar took all these utensils with him when the exiles left Babylon to go to Jerusalem.
Those Who Returned with Zerubbabel(B)
2 These were the people in the province. They were the ones who left the place where the exiles had been taken captive. (King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had taken them to Babylon.) These exiles returned to Jerusalem and Judah. All of them went to their own cities. 2 They went with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah.
Families Listed by Ancestor(C)
This is the number of Israelite men from the people in exile:
3 the descendants of Parosh … 2,172
4 of Shephatiah … 372
5 of Arah … 775
6 of Pahath Moab, that is, of Jeshua and Joab … 2,812
7 of Elam … 1,254
8 of Zattu … 945
9 of Zaccai … 760
10 of Bani … 642
11 of Bebai … 623
12 of Azgad … 1,222
13 of Adonikam … 666
14 of Bigvai … 2,056
15 of Adin … 454
16 of Ater, that is, Hezekiah … 98
17 of Bezai … 323
18 of Jorah … 112
19 of Hashum … 223
20 of Gibbar … 95
Families Listed by Cities(D)
21 The people of Bethlehem … 123
22 of Netophah … 56
23 of Anathoth … 128
24 of Azmaveth … 42
25 of Kiriath Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth … 743
26 of Ramah and Geba … 621
27 of Michmas … 122
28 of Bethel and Ai … 223
29 of Nebo … 52
30 of Magbish … 156
31 of the other Elam … 1,254
32 of Harim 320
33 of Lod, Hadid, and Ono … 725
34 of Jericho … 345
35 of Senaah … 3,630
Priests(E)
36 These priests returned from exile:
the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua) … 973
37 of Immer … 1,052
38 of Pashhur … 1,247
39 of Harim … 1,017
Levites(F)
40 These Levites returned from exile:
the descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel, that is, of Hodaviah … 74
41 These singers returned from exile:
the descendants of Asaph … 128
42 These gatekeepers returned from exile:
the descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai … 139
Temple Servants(G)
43 These temple servants returned from exile: the descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, 44 Keros, Siaha, Padon, 45 Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub, 46 Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan, 47 Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah, 48 Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam, 49 Uzza, Paseah, Besai, 50 Asnah, Meunim, Nephusim, 51 Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, 52 Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, 53 Barkos, Sisera, Temah, 54 Neziah, and Hatipha.
Descendants of Solomon’s Servants(H)
55 These descendants of Solomon’s servants returned from exile: the descendants of Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda, 56 Jaalah, Darkon, Giddel, 57 Shephatiah, Hattil, Pochereth Hazzebaim, and Ami.
58 The temple servants and the descendants of Solomon’s servants totaled 392.
Those of Unknown Origin(I)
59 The following people came from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer, but they couldn’t prove they were Israelites on the basis of their father’s family or their genealogy: 60 the descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda. These people totaled 652.
61 These descendants of the priests ⌞couldn’t prove their families were Israelites⌟: the descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai (who had married one of the daughters of Barzillai from Gilead and took that ⌞family⌟ name). 62 These people searched for their ⌞family⌟ names in the genealogical records, but their names couldn’t be found there. For this reason they were considered contaminated and couldn’t be priests. 63 The governor told them not to eat any of the most holy food until a priest could use the Urim and Thummim [b] ⌞to settle the problem⌟.
The Total of the People and Animals Returning from Exile(J)
64 The whole assembly totaled 42,360. 65 In addition to the male and female servants who numbered 7,337, they also had 200 male and female singers. 66 They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 67 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
Gifts Given for the Temple(K)
68 When some of the heads of the families came to the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem, they contributed freewill offerings to help rebuild God’s temple on its ⌞former⌟ site. 69 They contributed as much as they could to the treasury for this work: 1,030 pounds of gold, 5,740 pounds of silver, and 100 robes for the priests.
70 The priests, the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants settled in their own cities. All the other Israelites settled in their own cities.
Worship at the Temple Site Begins Again
3 When the seventh month came, the people gathered together in Jerusalem. (The Israelites had already settled in their cities.) 2 Then Jozadak’s son Jeshua and his relatives ⌞who were⌟ priests and Shealtiel’s son Zerubbabel and his relatives built an altar for the God of Israel. They built it in order to sacrifice burnt offerings. They ⌞followed the directions⌟ written in Moses’ Teachings. (Moses was a man of God). 3 So they rebuilt the altar on its original site, though they were afraid of the people in the neighboring regions. They sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord every morning and evening.
4 Following the written directions, they celebrated the Festival of Booths. Each day they sacrificed the required number of burnt offerings. 5 After that, they sacrificed the daily burnt offerings, the offerings for the New Moon Festival and all the other holy festivals of the Lord, and all the freewill offerings brought to the Lord. 6 They started to bring these burnt offerings to the Lord on the first day of the seventh month, even though the foundation of the Lord’s temple had not yet been laid.
Work on the Temple Begins
7 So they gave money to the stonecutters and carpenters. Then they gave food, drink, and olive oil to the men from Sidon and Tyre in exchange for cedar, which the men would bring by sea from Lebanon to Joppa as King Cyrus of Persia had authorized them to do.
8 Zerubbabel (who was Shealtiel’s son), Jeshua (who was Jozadak’s son), and the rest of the Jews, (the priests, Levites, and all the others who had come back from exile to Jerusalem) began to rebuild the temple. This happened in the second month of the second year following their return to ⌞the site⌟ of God’s house in Jerusalem. They began by appointing the Levites who were at least 20 years old to direct the work on the Lord’s house. 9 Then Jeshua with his sons and relatives and Kadmiel with his sons who were Judah’s descendants joined Henadad’s family and their sons and relatives, the Levites, in directing those working on God’s house.
A Celebration After the Laying of the Temple’s Foundation
10 The builders laid the foundation of the Lord’s temple. Then the priests who were dressed in their robes took their places with trumpets, and the Levites who were Asaph’s descendants took their places with cymbals to praise the Lord according to the instructions of King David of Israel. 11 As they praised and gave thanks to the Lord, they sang antiphonally:
“He is good; his mercy toward Israel endures forever.”
Then all the people shouted, “Praise the Lord,” because the foundation for the house of the Lord had been laid.
12 But many of the priests, Levites, and the heads of the families who were old enough to have seen the first temple with their own eyes began to sob when they saw the foundation of this temple. Many others shouted for joy. 13 No one could distinguish between the joyful shouts and the loud sobbing because the people were shouting so loudly. The noise was heard from far away.
The Samaritans Stop the Work
4 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people who returned from exile were building a temple for the Lord God of Israel, 2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the families. They told them, “We want to help you build because we worship the same God you worship. We have been sacrificing to him [c] since the time of King Esarhaddon of Assyria, who brought us here.”
3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of Israel’s families told them, “It isn’t right for your people and our people to build a temple for our God together. We must build it alone for the Lord God of Israel, as King Cyrus of Persia ordered us to do.”
4 Then the people of that region discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to continue building. 5 They bribed officials to keep the people of Judah from carrying out their plans throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia until the reign of King Darius of Persia.
6 When Xerxes began to rule, the enemies of Judah and Jerusalem wrote a letter in which they made an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their group wrote to him when Artaxerxes was king of Persia. The letter was written with the Aramaic script and translated into the Aramaic language.
8 Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote another letter against ⌞the people of⌟ Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes. 9 At that time, Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe were with the others of their group—the people from Denya, Partakka, Tarpel, Persia, Erech, Babylon, Susa, (that is, those of Elam), 10 and the rest of the people whom the great and noble Assurbanipal deported. (Assurbanipal settled them in the cities of Samaria and the rest of the lands west of the Euphrates River.) 11 This is the copy of the letter they sent to him:
To King Artaxerxes,
From your servants, the people west of the Euphrates:
12 Your Majesty, you should know that the Jews who came to us from you are now in Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are close to finishing the walls. The foundations are already in place. 13 You should also know that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are finished, the Jews will no longer pay taxes, fees, and tolls.
Ultimately, this will hurt the king’s income. 14 Now, because we are paid by your palace, it isn’t right for us to watch something happen that will dishonor the king. So we are sending this letter to inform you 15 that you should search the official records of your predecessors. You will find in those official records that this city has been rebellious and has been a threat to kings and provinces. This city has a history of rebelliousness. That’s why this city was destroyed. 16 We want the king to know that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are finished, you will have nothing left ⌞of your province⌟ west of the Euphrates River.
17 Then the king sent this reply:
To Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their group living in Samaria, and to others west of the Euphrates River: I wish you peace and prosperity!
18 The letter you sent me has been read word for word in my presence. 19 I gave the order, and a search was made. I discovered that this city has a long history of uprisings against kings. Its inhabitants are guilty of treason and rebellion. 20 Jerusalem has had powerful kings who have ruled the whole ⌞province⌟ west of the Euphrates. Taxes, fees, and tolls were paid to them. 21 So order these men to stop rebuilding. Keep this city from being rebuilt until I give the order. 22 Be careful not to neglect your duty in this matter. Why should I, the king, suffer any more harm?
23 Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and their group hurried to Jerusalem after hearing a copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter. They forced the Jews to stop rebuilding.
24 Then the work on God’s temple in Jerusalem was stopped. Nothing more was done until Darius’ second year as king of Persia.
Work Resumed on the Temple
5 The prophet Haggai and Zechariah, grandson of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of Israel’s God, who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel, who was Shealtiel’s son, and Jeshua, who was Jozadak’s son, began to rebuild God’s temple in Jerusalem. God’s prophets were with them and supported them.
3 At the same time, Governor Tattenai ⌞from the province⌟ west of the Euphrates River, Shethar Bozenai, and their group went to the Jews and asked them, “Who gave you permission to rebuild this temple and finish its walls?” 4 They also asked the Jews for the names of the men who were working on this building.
5 But the leaders of the Jews were under God’s watchful eye. They couldn’t be stopped until Darius received a report and sent a reply to it.
Permission Requested from Darius
6 Here is a copy of the letter Governor Tattenai ⌞from the province⌟ west of the Euphrates River, Shethar Bozenai and his group (the Persians west of that river) sent to King Darius. 7 They sent him the following report:
To King Darius,
We wish you peace and prosperity in everything you do.
8 Your Majesty should know that we went to the province of Judah, to the temple of the great God. The temple is being built with large stones and with wooden beams laid in its walls. The builders are doing an excellent job and making rapid progress. 9 We asked their leaders the following question: “Who gave you permission to rebuild this temple and finish its walls?” 10 For your information, we also asked them for their names so that we would have a record of the men who were their leaders. 11 This was their reply to us:
“We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the temple that was originally built many years ago by a great king of Israel. 12 But because our ancestors made the God of heaven angry, he handed them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (a Chaldean). So Nebuchadnezzar destroyed this temple and deported its people to Babylon.
13 “However, in the first year of the reign of King Cyrus of Babylon, Cyrus gave permission for God’s temple to be rebuilt. 14 In addition, Cyrus took out of a temple in Babylon the gold and silver utensils that belonged to God’s temple. (Nebuchadnezzar had taken them out of God’s temple in Jerusalem and brought them into a temple in Babylon.) Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor. 15 Cyrus told him, ‘Take these utensils. Place them in the temple in Jerusalem. Rebuild God’s temple on its original site.’ 16 Then Sheshbazzar laid the foundation of God’s temple in Jerusalem. The temple has been under construction from that time until now, but it still isn’t finished.”
17 If it pleases Your Majesty, allow someone to search the king’s archives in Babylon to determine whether King Cyrus gave permission for the temple of God to be rebuilt in Jerusalem. Then please send us Your Majesty’s decision on this matter.
King Darius Finds King Cyrus’ Memorandum
6 Then King Darius gave the order to search the library where the archives were stored in Babylon. 2 A scroll was found in the palace of Ecbatana, which is in the province of Media. This was written on it:
MEMORANDUM
3 Date: Cyrus’ first year as king
From: King Cyrus
Subject: God’s temple in Jerusalem
The temple should be rebuilt as a place to offer sacrifices. Its foundation should be laid. It should be 90 feet high and 90 feet wide 4 with three rows of large stones and a row of wood. The king’s palace will pay for it. 5 In addition, Cyrus took out of a temple in Babylon the gold and silver utensils that belonged to God’s temple. (Nebuchadnezzar had taken them out of God’s temple in Jerusalem and brought them into a temple in Babylon.) They should be returned to their proper place in the temple in Jerusalem. You should put each one in God’s temple.
6 Governor Tattenai ⌞from the province⌟ west of the Euphrates, Shethar Bozenai, and those of your group (the Persians west of the river):
You must stay away from there. 7 Don’t interfere with the work on God’s temple. Let the governor of the Jews and the leaders of Judah rebuild God’s temple on its ⌞original⌟ foundation. 8 I am issuing this decree about how you must help the Jewish leaders rebuild God’s temple:
The cost ⌞for this⌟ should be paid out of the king’s own money from the taxes ⌞on the province⌟ west of the Euphrates. Full payment should be made to these men so that the work is not interrupted. 9 Also, whatever the priests in Jerusalem need for burnt offerings to the God of heaven—young bulls, rams, lambs, wheat, salt, wine, and olive oil—should be provided for them each day. Make sure that nothing is omitted. 10 Then they can offer sacrifices that please the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.
11 I am also issuing a decree that if anyone tampers with my orders, that person should be impaled on a beam torn from his own house and his house should be turned into a pile of rubble. 12 May the God whose name is worshiped there cause the downfall of each king and nation who tries to tamper with my orders or tries to destroy the temple of the God in Jerusalem.
I, Darius, have issued a decree. It’s to be carried out exactly as ordered.
13 Then Governor Tattenai ⌞from the province⌟ west of the Euphrates River, Shethar Bozenai, and their group did exactly what King Darius had ordered. 14 So the Jewish leaders continued to make progress because of the message from the prophet Haggai and Zechariah, the grandson of Iddo. They finished building as the God of Israel had ordered and as Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes (the kings of Persia) had ordered. 15 This temple was finished on the third day of the month of Adar in the sixth year of King Darius’ reign.
The Temple Is Completed and Dedicated
16 Then the people of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the others who had returned from exile celebrated at the dedication of God’s temple. 17 At the dedication of God’s temple, they sacrificed 100 bulls, 200 rams, and 400 lambs. They sacrificed 12 male goats as an offering for sin, one goat for each of the tribes of Israel.
18 The priests were assigned to their divisions and the Levites to their groups ⌞to lead⌟ the worship of God in Jerusalem by following the directions written in the Book of Moses.
The Passover Is Celebrated
19 On the fourteenth day of the first month, those who had returned from exile celebrated the Passover. 20 Since the priests and Levites had cleansed themselves, all of them were ⌞now⌟ clean.[d] They killed the Passover lambs for all the people who had returned from exile, for the rest of the priests, and for themselves. 21 The lambs were eaten by the Israelites who had returned from exile and by all who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of the non-Jews in the land to worship the Lord God of Israel. 22 So for seven days they celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread because the Lord had made them joyful. The Lord had made the king of Assyria change his mind so that he supported the people in their work on the temple of God, the God of Israel.
Footnotes
- 1:8 Or “for Sheshbazzar, the leader of Judah.”
- 2:63 The Urim and Thummim were used by the chief priest to determine God’s answer to questions.
- 4:2 Dead Sea Scrolls, Greek, Syriac, Egyptian; Masoretic Text “We have not sacrificed.”
- 6:20 “Clean ” refers to anything that Moses’ Teachings say is presentable to God.
Haggai 1-2
GOD’S WORD Translation
A Call to Rebuild the Lord’s House
1 On the first day of the sixth month in Darius’ second year as king, the Lord spoke his word through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel (who was the son of Shealtiel and was governor of Judah) and to the chief priest Joshua (who was the son of Jehozadak). He said, 2 “This is what the Lord of Armies says: These people say it’s not the right time to rebuild the house of the Lord.”
3 Then the Lord spoke his word through the prophet Haggai. He said, 4 “Is it time for you to live in your paneled houses while this house lies in ruins? 5 Now, this is what the Lord of Armies says: Carefully consider your ways! 6 You planted a lot, but you harvested little. You eat, but you’re never full. You drink, but you’re still thirsty.[a] You wear clothing, but you never have enough to keep you warm. You spend money as fast as you earn it. 7 This is what the Lord of Armies says: Carefully consider your ways!
8 “Go to the mountains, get lumber, and build the house. I will be pleased with it, and I will be honored,” declares the Lord.
9 “You expected a lot, but you received a little. When you bring something home, I blow it away. Why?” declares the Lord of Armies. “It’s because my house lies in ruins while each of you is busy working on your own house. 10 It is because of you that the sky has withheld its dew and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 I called for a drought on the land, the hills, and on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil, and whatever the ground produces, on humans and animals, and on all your hard work.”
The Work on the House Resumes
12 Then Zerubbabel (who was the son of Shealtiel), the chief priest Joshua (who was the son of Jehozadak), and the faithful few who returned from Babylon obeyed the Lord their God. They also obeyed the words of the prophet Haggai because the Lord their God had sent him and because the people feared the Lord.
13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord who had received the Lord’s message, said to the people, “I am with you, declares the Lord.”
14 The Lord inspired them ⌞to rebuild his house⌟. So Zerubbabel (who was the son of Shealtiel and was governor of Judah), the chief priest Joshua (who was the son of Jehozadak), and the faithful few who returned from Babylon began working on the house of the Lord of Armies, their God. 15 They began on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in Darius’ second year as king.
The New House Will Be Greater Than the Old One
2 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the Lord spoke his word through the prophet Haggai. He said, 2 “Now, speak to Zerubbabel (who is the son of Shealtiel and is governor of Judah), the chief priest Joshua (who is the son of Jehozadak), and the faithful few who returned from Babylon. 3 Ask them, ‘Is there anyone among the faithful few who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Doesn’t it seem like nothing to you?’
4 “But now, Zerubbabel, be strong,” declares the Lord. “Chief Priest Joshua (son of Jehozadak), be strong. Everyone in the land, be strong,” declares the Lord. “Work, because I am with you,” declares the Lord of Armies. 5 “This is the promise I made to you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains with you. Don’t be afraid.
6 “This is what the Lord of Armies says: Once again, in a little while, I am going to shake the sky and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all the nations, and the one whom all the nations desire will come. Then I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of Armies. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of Armies. 9 This new house will be more glorious than the former, declares the Lord of Armies. And in this place I will give ⌞them⌟ peace, declares the Lord of Armies.”
Though the People Are Sinful, the Lord Will Bless Them
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month in Darius’ second year as king, the Lord spoke his word to the prophet Haggai. He said, 11 “This is what the Lord of Armies says: Ask the priests for a decision. 12 Suppose a person carries meat set aside for a holy purpose and he folds it up in his clothes. If his clothes touch bread, boiled food, wine, oil, or any kind of food, does that make the food holy?”
The priests answered, “No.”
13 Haggai asked, “Suppose a person becomes unclean [b] by touching a corpse. If he touches any of these things, does that make them unclean?”
The priests answered, “That makes them unclean.”
14 Then Haggai answered, “In the same way, I have decided that these people are unclean, and so is this nation, declares the Lord. So is everything they do. Whatever offering they bring is unclean.
15 “And from now on, carefully consider this. Consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the temple of the Lord. 16 When anyone came to a pile of grain ⌞to get⌟ 20 measures, there would be only 10. And when anyone came to a wine vat to draw out 50 measures, there would be only 20 in it. 17 I infested all your work with blight and mildew and struck it with hail. But you didn’t come back to me, declares the Lord. 18 Carefully consider from now on, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day when the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. Carefully consider: 19 Is there any seed left in the barn? The vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree still haven’t produced. But from now on I will bless you.”
A Promise to Zerubbabel
20 The Lord spoke his word to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month. He said, 21 “Say to Zerubbabel (governor of Judah), ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of nations. I will overthrow chariots and their riders, and the horses will fall along with their riders. They will kill one another with swords. 23 On that day, declares the Lord of Armies, I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel (son of Shealtiel), declares the Lord. I will make you like a signet ring, because I have chosen you, declares the Lord of Armies.’ ”
Zechariah 1
GOD’S WORD Translation
Turn from Your Evil Ways
1 In the eighth month of Darius’ second year as king, the Lord spoke his word to the prophet Zechariah, who was the son of Berechiah and the grandson of Iddo. He said, 2 “The Lord was very angry with your ancestors. 3 Tell the people, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: Return to me, declares the Lord of Armies, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Armies.’ 4 Don’t be like your ancestors, who heard the earlier prophets preach to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: Turn from your evil ways and your evil deeds.’ But they didn’t listen or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. 5 Your ancestors—where are they now? And the prophets—are they still alive? 6 Didn’t my warnings and my laws, which I’ve commanded my servants the prophets ⌞to preach⌟, finally catch up with your ancestors? Then your ancestors turned away from their sins and said, ‘The Lord of Armies has done to us what he had planned to do. He has dealt with us as our ways and deeds deserve.’ ”
The Lord Will Comfort Zion
7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month (the month of Shebat) in Darius’ second year as king, the Lord spoke his word to the prophet Zechariah, who was the son of Berechiah and the grandson of Iddo.
8 During that night I saw a man riding on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, chestnut, and white horses.
9 “What do these horses mean, sir?” I asked.
The angel who was speaking with me answered, “I will show you what they mean.”
10 The man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They’re the horses the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.” 11 Then they reported to the Messenger of the Lord standing among the myrtle trees, “We have patrolled the earth. The whole world is at rest and in peace.”
12 Then the Messenger of the Lord said, “Lord of Armies, how much longer until you show compassion to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah? You’ve been angry with them for 70 years.” 13 The Lord responded to the angel who was speaking with me, using kind and comforting words.
14 The angel who was speaking with me said, “Announce: This is what the Lord of Armies says: I’m very jealous about Jerusalem and Zion, 15 and I’m very angry with the nations who think they are at ease. I was only a little angry, but they made things worse. 16 This is what the Lord of Armies says: I have returned to Jerusalem with compassion. My house will be rebuilt in it, declares the Lord of Armies. A measuring line will be used to rebuild Jerusalem.
17 “Announce again: This is what the Lord of Armies says: My cities will overflow with prosperity once more. The Lord will again comfort Zion and will again choose Jerusalem.” [a]
Punishment for the Nations That Scattered Judah
18 I looked up and saw four animal horns. 19 So I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “What do these horns mean?”
He said to me, “These are the horns ⌞of the nations⌟ that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
20 Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. 21 I asked, “What are they going to do?”
He answered, “Those horns scattered Judah so widely that no one could lift up his head. But the craftsmen have come to terrify them, to throw down the horns of the nations. The nations raised their horns to scatter the land of Judah.”
Footnotes
- 1:17 Zechariah 1:18–21 in English Bibles is Zechariah 2:1–4 in the Hebrew Bible.
Zechariah 8
GOD’S WORD Translation
What the Lord Will Do for Zion
8 The Lord of Armies spoke his word.
2 This is what the Lord of Armies says:
I am very jealous about Zion.
I am fiercely possessive of it.
3 This is what the Lord says:
I will return to Zion and live in Jerusalem.
Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth.
The mountain of the Lord of Armies will be called the holy mountain.
4 This is what the Lord of Armies says:
Old men and old women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem.
Each will have a cane in hand because of old age.
5 The city will be filled with boys and girls playing in the streets.
6 This is what the Lord of Armies says:
It may seem impossible to the few remaining people in those days,
but will it seem impossible to me? declares the Lord of Armies.
7 This is what the Lord of Armies says:
I am going to save my people
from the land where the sun rises
and from the land where the sun sets.
8 I will bring them back, and they will live in Jerusalem.
They will be my people, and I will be their God, who is faithful and just.
9 This is what the Lord of Armies says:
Be strong so that the temple might be rebuilt,
you people who are presently listening
to the words from the mouths of the prophets
who spoke when the foundation
for the house of the Lord of Armies was laid.
10 Before that time there was no money to hire any person or animal.
No one who traveled was safe from the enemy.
I turned every person against his neighbor.
11 But now I won’t deal with the few remaining people
as I did in earlier times, declares the Lord of Armies.
12 Seeds will thrive in peacetime.
Vines will produce their grapes.
The land will yield its crops.
The sky will produce its dew.
I will give the few remaining people
all these things as an inheritance.
13 Just as you, people of Judah and people of Israel,
have been a curse among the nations,
so I will now save you,
and you will become a blessing.
Don’t be afraid. Let your hands work hard.
14 This is what the Lord of Armies says:
When your ancestors made me angry,
I made plans to destroy you, declares the Lord of Armies,
and I didn’t change my plans.
15 So now I have again made plans, but this time to do good
to Jerusalem and the people of Judah.
Don’t be afraid.
16 You must do these things:
Speak the truth to each other.
Give correct and fair verdicts for peace in your courts.
17 Don’t even think of doing evil to each other.
Don’t enjoy false testimony.
I hate all these things, declares the Lord.
Many Nations Will Come to the Lord’s People
18 The Lord of Armies spoke his word to me again.
19 This is what the Lord of Armies says:
The fast in the fourth month, the fast in the fifth month,
the fast in the seventh month, and the fast in the tenth month
will become joyful and glad occasions
as well as happy festivals for the nation of Judah.
So love truth and peace.
20 This is what the Lord of Armies says:
People and citizens from many cities are going to come.
21 The citizens of one city will come to another city, saying,
“Let’s make a habit of going to ask the Lord for a blessing
and to seek the Lord of Armies.
I’m also going.”
22 Many people and powerful nations will come
to seek the Lord of Armies in Jerusalem
and to ask the Lord for a blessing.
23 This is what the Lord of Armies says:
In those days ten people from every language found among the nations
will take hold of the clothes of a Jew. They will say,
“Let us go with you
because we have heard that God is with you.”
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