Bible in 90 Days
1 The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.(A)
Habakkuk’s First Prayer
2 How long,(B) Lord, must I call for help(C)
and You do not listen
or cry out to You about violence
and You do not save?
3 Why do You force me to look at injustice?(D)
Why do You tolerate[a] wrongdoing?
Oppression and violence are right in front of me.
Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates.
4 This is why the law is ineffective
and justice never emerges.
For the wicked restrict(E) the righteous;
therefore, justice(F) comes out perverted.
God’s First Answer
5 Look at the nations[b](G) and observe(H)—
be utterly astounded!(I)
For something is taking place in your days
that you will not believe(J)
when you hear about it.(K)
6 Look! I am raising up(L) the Chaldeans,[c]
that bitter,(M) impetuous nation
that marches across the earth’s open spaces
to seize territories not its own.
7 They are fierce(N) and terrifying;
their views of justice and sovereignty
stem from themselves.
8 Their horses are swifter(O) than leopards(P)
and more fierce[d] than wolves of the night.
Their horsemen charge ahead;
their horsemen come from distant lands.
They fly like an eagle, swooping to devour.(Q)
9 All of them come to do violence;
their faces(R) are set in determination.[e]
They gather(S) prisoners like sand.(T)
10 They mock(U) kings,
and rulers are a joke to them.
They laugh(V) at every fortress
and build siege ramps to capture(W) it.
11 Then they sweep(X) by like the wind
and pass through.
They are guilty;[f] their strength is their god.
Habakkuk’s Second Prayer
12 Are You not from eternity, Yahweh my God?
My Holy One,(Y) You[g] will not die.
Lord, You appointed them to execute judgment;
my Rock,(Z) You destined them to punish us.
13 Your eyes(AA) are too pure(AB) to look on evil,
and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
So why do You tolerate those who are treacherous?(AC)
Why are You silent
while one[h] who is wicked swallows up
one[i] who is more righteous than himself?
14 You have made mankind
like the fish of the sea,(AD)
like marine creatures that have no ruler.
15 The Chaldeans pull them all up with a hook,
catch them in their dragnet,(AE)
and gather them in their fishing net;
that is why they are glad and rejoice.
16 That is why they sacrifice to their dragnet
and burn incense to their fishing net,
for by these things their portion is rich
and their food plentiful.(AF)
17 Will they therefore empty their net[j]
and continually slaughter nations without mercy?
Habakkuk Waits for God’s Response
2 I will stand at my guard post
and station myself on the lookout tower.(AG)
I will watch to see what He will say to me(AH)
and what I should[k] reply about my complaint.
God’s Second Answer
2 The Lord answered me:
Write down this vision;(AI)
clearly inscribe it on tablets
so one may easily read it.[l]
3 For the vision is yet for the appointed time;
it testifies about the end and will not lie.
Though it delays, wait for it,
since it will certainly come and not be late.(AJ)
4 Look, his ego is inflated;[m]
he is without integrity.
But the righteous one will live by his faith.[n](AK)
5 Moreover, wine[o] betrays;
an arrogant man is never at rest.[p]
He enlarges his appetite like Sheol,
and like Death he is never satisfied.(AL)
He gathers all the nations to himself;
he collects all the peoples for himself.
The Five Woe Oracles
6 Won’t all of these take up a taunt against him,
with mockery and riddles about him?
They will say:
Woe to him who amasses what is not his—
how much longer?—
and loads himself with goods taken in pledge.(AM)
7 Won’t your creditors suddenly arise,
and those who disturb you wake up?
Then you will become spoil for them.(AN)
8 Since you have plundered many nations,
all the peoples who remain will plunder you—
because of human bloodshed
and violence against lands, cities,
and all who live in them.(AO)
9 Woe to him who dishonestly makes
wealth for his house[q]
to place his nest on high,
to escape from the reach of disaster!(AP)
10 You have planned shame for your house
by wiping out many peoples
and sinning against your own self.
11 For the stones will cry out(AQ) from the wall,
and the rafters will answer them
from the woodwork.
12 Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed
and founds a town with injustice!(AR)
13 Is it not from the Lord of Hosts
that the peoples labor only to fuel the fire
and countries exhaust themselves for nothing?(AS)
14 For the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of the Lord’s glory,
as the waters cover the sea.(AT)
15 Woe to him who gives his neighbors drink,
pouring out your wrath[r]
and even making them drunk,
in order to look at their nakedness!
16 You will be filled with disgrace instead of glory.
You also—drink,
and expose your uncircumcision![s]
The cup in the Lord’s right hand
will come around to you,
and utter disgrace will cover your glory.(AU)
17 For your violence against Lebanon
will overwhelm you;
the destruction of animals will terrify you[t]
because of your human bloodshed and violence
against lands, cities, and all who live in them.
18 What use is a carved idol
after its craftsman carves it?
It is only a cast image, a teacher of lies.
For the one who crafts its shape trusts in it
and makes idols that cannot speak.
19 Woe to him who says to wood: Wake up!
or to mute stone: Come alive!
Can it teach?
Look! It may be plated with gold and silver,
yet there is no breath in it at all.
20 But the Lord is in His holy temple;
let everyone on earth
be silent in His presence.(AV)
Habakkuk’s Third Prayer
3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. According to Shigionoth.[u](AW)
2 Lord, I have heard the report about You;
Lord, I stand in awe of Your deeds.
Revive Your work in these years;
make it known in these years.
In Your wrath remember mercy!
3 God comes from Teman,
the Holy One from Mount Paran.(AX)
His splendor covers the heavens,
and the earth is full of His praise.(AY)
4 His brilliance is like light;
rays are flashing from His hand.
This is where His power is hidden.
5 Plague goes before Him,
and pestilence follows in His steps.
6 He stands and shakes[v] the earth;
He looks and startles the nations.
The age-old mountains break apart;
the ancient hills sink down.
His pathways are ancient.
7 I see the tents of Cushan[w] in distress;
the tent curtains of the land of Midian tremble.
8 Are You angry at the rivers, Lord?
Is Your wrath against the rivers?
Or is Your rage against the sea
when You ride on Your horses,
Your victorious chariot?
9 You took the sheath from Your bow;
the arrows are ready[x] to be used with an oath.[y](AZ)
You split the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains see You and shudder;(BA)
a downpour of water sweeps by.
The deep roars with its voice(BB)
and lifts its waves[z] high.
11 Sun and moon stand still in their lofty residence,(BC)
at the flash of Your flying arrows,
at the brightness of Your shining spear.
12 You march across the earth with indignation;
You trample down the nations in wrath.
13 You come out to save Your people,
to save Your anointed.[aa]
You crush the leader of the house of the wicked
and strip him from foot[ab] to neck.
14 You pierce his head
with his own spears;
his warriors storm out to scatter us,
gloating as if ready to secretly devour the weak.
15 You tread the sea with Your horses,
stirring up the great waters.(BD)
Habakkuk’s Confidence in God Expressed
16 I heard, and I trembled within;(BE)
my lips quivered at the sound.
Rottenness entered my bones;
I trembled where I stood.
Now I must quietly wait for the day of distress
to come against the people invading us.
17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there is no fruit on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will triumph in Yahweh;
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!(BF)
19 Yahweh my Lord is my strength;
He makes my feet like those of a deer(BG)
and enables me to walk on mountain heights!(BH)
For the choir director: on[ac] stringed instruments.
1 The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah(BI) son of Amon, king of Judah.
The Great Day of the Lord
2 I will completely sweep away everything
from the face of the earth(BJ)—
this is the Lord’s declaration.
3 I will sweep away man and animal;(BK)
I will sweep away the birds of the sky
and the fish of the sea,
and the ruins[ad] along with the wicked.(BL)
I will cut off mankind
from the face of the earth.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
4 I will stretch out My hand(BM) against Judah
and against all the residents of Jerusalem.
I will cut off every vestige of Baal(BN)
from this place,
the names of the pagan priests(BO)
along with the priests;
5 those who bow in worship on the rooftops(BP)
to the heavenly host;
those who bow and pledge loyalty to the Lord(BQ)
but also pledge loyalty to Milcom;[ae](BR)
6 and those who turn back from following the Lord,
who do not seek the Lord or inquire of Him.
7 Be silent in the presence of the Lord God,(BS)
for the Day of the Lord is near.(BT)
Indeed, the Lord has prepared a sacrifice;(BU)
He has consecrated His guests.(BV)
8 On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice
I will punish the officials, the king’s sons,
and all who are dressed in foreign clothing.
9 On that day(BW) I will punish
all who skip over the threshold,[af](BX)
who fill their master’s house
with violence and deceit.
10 On that day—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
there will be an outcry from the Fish Gate,(BY)
a wailing from the Second District,(BZ)
and a loud crashing from the hills.
11 Wail, you residents of the Hollow,[ag]
for all the merchants[ah] will be silenced;
all those loaded with silver will be cut off.
12 And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps
and punish the men who settle down comfortably,[ai](CA)
who say to themselves:
The Lord will not do good or evil.
13 Their wealth will become plunder
and their houses a ruin.
They will build houses but never live in them,
plant vineyards but never drink their wine.(CB)
14 The great Day of the Lord is near,(CC)
near and rapidly approaching.
Listen, the Day of the Lord—
then the warrior’s cry is bitter.
15 That day is a day of wrath,
a day of trouble and distress,
a day of destruction and desolation,
a day of darkness(CD) and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness,(CE)
16 a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities,
and against the high corner towers.
17 I will bring distress on mankind,
and they will walk like the blind(CF)
because they have sinned against the Lord.
Their blood will be poured out like dust
and their flesh like dung.
18 Their silver and their gold
will not be able to rescue them
on the day of the Lord’s wrath.(CG)
The whole earth will be consumed
by the fire of His jealousy.(CH)
For He will make a complete,
yes, a horrifying end
of all the inhabitants of the earth.
A Call to Repentance
2 Gather yourselves together;
gather together, undesirable[aj] nation,
2 before the decree(CI) takes effect
and the day passes like chaff,
before the burning of the Lord’s anger overtakes you,
before the day of the Lord’s anger overtakes you.
3 Seek the Lord,(CJ) all you humble(CK) of the earth,
who carry out what He commands.
Seek righteousness, seek humility;
perhaps you will be concealed(CL)
on the day of the Lord’s anger.
Judgment against the Nations
4 For Gaza will be abandoned,
and Ashkelon will become a ruin.
Ashdod will be driven out at noon,
and Ekron will be uprooted.(CM)
5 Woe, inhabitants of the seacoast,
nation of the Cherethites
The word of the Lord is against you,
Canaan, land of the Philistines:
I will destroy you until there is no one left.
6 The seacoast will become pasturelands
with caves for shepherds and folds for sheep.
7 The coastland will belong
to the remnant of the house of Judah;
they will find pasture there.
They will lie down in the evening
among the houses of Ashkelon,
for the Lord their God will return to them
and restore their fortunes.
8 I have heard the taunting of Moab
and the insults of the Ammonites,(CO)
who have taunted My people
and threatened their territory.
9 Therefore, as I live—
this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts,
the God of Israel—
Moab will be like Sodom
and the Ammonites like Gomorrah(CP)—
a place overgrown with weeds,
a salt pit, and a perpetual wasteland.
The remnant of My people will plunder them;
the remainder of My nation will dispossess them.
10 This is what they get for their pride,
because they have taunted and acted arrogantly(CQ)
against the people of the Lord of Hosts.
11 The Lord will be terrifying to them
when He starves all the gods of the earth.
Then all the distant coastlands of the nations
will bow in worship to Him,
each in its own place.
12 You Cushites will also be slain by My sword.(CR)
13 He will also stretch out His hand against the north
and destroy Assyria;
He will make Nineveh a desolate ruin,(CS)
dry as the desert.
14 Herds will lie down in the middle of it,
every kind of wild animal.[al]
Both the desert owl[am] and the screech owl[an]
will roost in the capitals of its pillars.
Their calls will sound[ao] from the window,
but devastation[ap] will be on the threshold,
for He will expose the cedar work.[aq]
15 This is the self-assured(CT) city
that lives in security,
that thinks to herself:
I exist, and there is no one else.
What a desolation she has become,
a place for wild animals to lie down!
Everyone who passes by her
jeers[ar] and shakes his fist.
Woe to Oppressive Jerusalem
3 Woe to the city that is rebellious[as](CU) and defiled,(CV)
the oppressive city!
2 She has not obeyed;(CW)
she has not accepted discipline.(CX)
She has not trusted(CY) in Yahweh;
she has not drawn near to her God.
3 The[at] princes within her are roaring lions;(CZ)
her judges are wolves of the night,(DA)
which leave nothing for[au] the morning.
4 Her prophets are reckless(DB)—
treacherous men.
Her priests profane the sanctuary;
they do violence to instruction.(DC)
5 The righteous Lord is in her;(DD)
He does no wrong.(DE)
He applies His justice morning by morning;
He does not fail at dawn,
yet the one who does wrong knows no shame.(DF)
6 I have cut off nations;
their corner towers(DG) are destroyed.
I have laid waste their streets,
with no one to pass through.
Their cities lie devastated,
without a person, without an inhabitant.(DH)
7 I thought: You will certainly fear Me
and accept correction.
Then her dwelling place[av]
would not be cut off
based on all that I had allocated to her.
However, they became more corrupt
in all their actions.
8 Therefore, wait for Me(DI)—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
until the day I rise up for plunder.[aw]
For My decision is to gather nations,
to assemble kingdoms,
in order to pour out My indignation(DJ) on them,
all My burning anger;
for the whole earth will be consumed
by the fire of My jealousy.(DK)
Final Restoration Promised
9 For I will then restore
pure(DL) speech to the peoples
so that all of them may call
on the name of Yahweh
and serve Him with a single purpose.[ax]
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush(DM)
My supplicants, My dispersed people,
will bring an offering to Me.
11 On that day you[ay] will not be put to shame(DN)
because of everything you have done
in rebelling(DO) against Me.
For then I will remove
your proud,(DP) arrogant people from among you,
and you will never again be haughty
on My holy mountain.(DQ)
12 I will leave
a meek and humble people(DR) among you,
and they will take refuge in the name of Yahweh.
13 The remnant(DS) of Israel will no longer
do wrong or tell lies;
a deceitful tongue will not be found
in their mouths.
But they will pasture and lie down,
with nothing to make them afraid.(DT)
14 Sing for joy, Daughter Zion;
shout loudly, Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
Daughter Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has removed your punishment;
He has turned back your enemy.
The King of Israel, Yahweh, is among you;
you need no longer fear harm.
16 On that day it will be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not fear;
Zion, do not let your hands grow weak.(DU)
17 Yahweh your God is among you,
a warrior(DV) who saves.
He will rejoice over you(DW) with gladness.
He will bring you quietness[az] with His love.
He will delight in you with shouts of joy.”(DX)
18 I will gather those who have been driven(DY)
from the appointed festivals;
they will be a tribute from you[ba]
and a reproach on her.[bb]
19 Yes, at that time
I will deal with all who afflict you.
I will save the lame(DZ) and gather the scattered;(EA)
I will make those who were disgraced
throughout the earth
receive praise and fame.
20 At that time I will bring you[bc] back,
yes, at the time I will gather you.
I will give you fame and praise
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes(EB) before your eyes.
Yahweh has spoken.
Command to Rebuild the Temple
1 In the second year of King Darius,[bd](EC) on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through Haggai(ED) the prophet to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,(EE) the governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest:(EF)
2 “The Lord of Hosts says this: These people say: The time has not come for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.”(EG)
3 The word of the Lord came through Haggai the prophet: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses,(EH) while this house[be] lies in ruins?” 5 Now, the Lord of Hosts says this: “Think carefully(EI) about[bf] your ways:
6 You have planted much
but harvested little.
You eat
but never have enough to be satisfied.
You drink
but never have enough to become drunk.
You put on clothes
but never have enough to get warm.
The wage earner puts his wages
into a bag with a hole in it.”(EJ)
7 The Lord of Hosts says this: “Think carefully about[bg] your ways. 8 Go up into the hills, bring down lumber, and build the house. Then I will be pleased with it and be glorified,” says the Lord. 9 “You expected much, but then it amounted to little. When you brought the harvest to your house, I ruined[bh] it. Why?” This is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts. “Because My house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house.
10 So on your account,[bi]
the skies have withheld the dew
and the land its crops.(EK)
11 I have summoned a drought
on the fields and the hills,
on the grain, new wine, olive oil,
and whatever the ground yields,
on man and beast,
and on all that your hands produce.”
The People’s Response
12 Then Zerubbabel(EL) son of Shealtiel, the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the entire remnant of the people(EM) obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. So the people feared the Lord.(EN)
13 Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, delivered the Lord’s message to the people, “I am with you”(EO)—this is the Lord’s declaration.
14 The Lord stirred up the spirit(EP) of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, the spirit of the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. They began work on the house of Yahweh of Hosts, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius.
Encouragement and Promise
2 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month,(EQ) the word of the Lord came through Haggai the prophet: 2 “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and to the remnant of the people: 3 Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Doesn’t it seem like nothing to you?[bj](ER) 4 Even so, be strong, Zerubbabel”—this is the Lord’s declaration.(ES) “Be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “Work! For I am with you”(ET)—the declaration of the Lord of Hosts. 5 “This is the promise I made to you when you came out of Egypt,(EU) and My Spirit is present among you; don’t be afraid.”
6 For the Lord of Hosts says this: “Once more, in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth,(EV) the sea and the dry land.(EW) 7 I will shake all the nations so that the treasures of all the nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,”(EX) says the Lord of Hosts. 8 “The silver and gold belong to Me”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts. 9 “The final glory of this house[bk] will be greater than the first,”(EY) says the Lord of Hosts. “I will provide peace in this place”(EZ)—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts.
From Deprivation to Blessing
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet: 11 “This is what the Lord of Hosts says: Ask the priests for a ruling.(FA) 12 If a man is carrying consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and it touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other food, does it become holy?”(FB)
The priests answered, “No.”
13 Then Haggai asked, “If someone defiled by contact with a corpse touches any of these, does it become defiled?”(FC)
The priests answered, “It becomes defiled.”
14 Then Haggai replied, “So is this people, and so is this nation before Me”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “And so is every work of their hands; even what they offer there is defiled.
15 “Now, reflect back from this day: Before one stone was placed on another in the Lord’s temple, 16 what state were you in?[bl] When someone came to a grain heap of 20 measures, it only amounted to 10; when one came to the winepress to dip 50 measures from the vat, it only amounted to 20. 17 I struck you—all the work of your hands—with blight, mildew,(FD) and hail,(FE) but you didn’t turn to Me”—this is the Lord’s declaration. 18 “Consider carefully(FF) from this day forward; from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid; consider it carefully. 19 Is there still seed left in the granary? The vine, the fig, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yet produced. But from this day on I will bless you.”(FG)
Promise to Zerubbabel
20 The word of the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah: I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.(FH) 22 I will overturn royal thrones and destroy the power of the Gentile kingdoms.(FI) I will overturn chariots and their riders. Horses and their riders will fall, each by his brother’s sword. 23 On that day”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts—“I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, My servant”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and make you like My signet ring,(FJ) for I have chosen you.”(FK) This is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts.
A Plea for Repentance
1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius,(FL) the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah(FM) son of Berechiah, son of Iddo: 2 “The Lord was extremely angry with your ancestors. 3 So tell the people: This is what the Lord of Hosts says: Return to Me”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts—“and I will return to you, says the Lord of Hosts. 4 Do not be like your ancestors; the earlier prophets proclaimed to them: This is what the Lord of Hosts says: Turn from your evil ways and your evil deeds.(FN) But they did not listen or pay attention to Me”—this is the Lord’s declaration. 5 “Where are your ancestors now? And do the prophets live forever? 6 But didn’t My words and My statutes that I commanded My servants the prophets overtake your ancestors? They repented and said: As the Lord of Hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so He has dealt with us.”(FO)
The Night Visions
7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, son of Iddo:
First Vision: Horsemen
8 I looked out in the night and saw a man riding on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in the valley. Behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses. 9 I asked, “What are these, my lord?”
The angel who was talking to me replied, “I will show you what they are.”
10 Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They are the ones the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.”
11 They reported to the Angel of the Lord standing among the myrtle trees, “We have patrolled the earth, and right now the whole earth is calm and quiet.”(FP)
12 Then the Angel of the Lord responded, “How long, Lord of Hosts, will You withhold mercy from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah that You have been angry with these 70 years?”(FQ) 13 The Lord replied with kind and comforting words to the angel who was speaking with me.
14 So the angel who was speaking with me said, “Proclaim: The Lord of Hosts says: I am extremely jealous(FR) for Jerusalem and Zion. 15 I am fiercely angry with the nations that are at ease, for I was a little angry, but they made it worse. 16 Therefore, this is what the Lord says: In mercy, I have returned to Jerusalem; My house will be rebuilt within it”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts—“and a measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.
17 “Proclaim further: This is what the Lord of Hosts says: My cities will again overflow with prosperity; the Lord will once more comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.”(FS)
Second Vision: Four Horns and Craftsmen
18 [bm]Then I looked up and saw four horns. 19 So I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these?”
And he said to me, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
20 Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. 21 I asked, “What are they coming to do?”
He replied, “These are the horns that scattered Judah so no one could raise his head. These craftsmen have come to terrify them, to cut off the horns of the nations that raised their horns against the land of Judah to scatter it.”
Third Vision: Surveyor
2 [bn]I looked up and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 I asked, “Where are you going?”
He answered me, “To measure Jerusalem to determine its width and length.”
3 Then the angel who was speaking with me went out, and another angel went out to meet him. 4 He said to him, “Run and tell this young man: Jerusalem will be inhabited without walls because of the number of people and livestock in it.”(FT) 5 The declaration of the Lord: “I will be a wall(FU) of fire around it, and I will be the glory within it.”
6 “Get up! Leave the land of the north”(FV)—this is the Lord’s declaration—“for I have scattered you like the four winds of heaven”—this is the Lord’s declaration. 7 “Go, Zion! Escape, you who are living with Daughter Babylon.” 8 For the Lord of Hosts says this: “He has sent Me[bo] for His glory against the nations who are plundering you, for anyone who touches you touches the pupil[bp] of His[bq] eye. 9 I will move against them with My[br] power, and they will become plunder for their own servants.(FW) Then you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent Me.[bs]
10 “Daughter Zion, shout for joy and be glad, for I am coming to dwell among you”—this is the Lord’s declaration. 11 “Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day and become My[bt] people.(FX) I will dwell among you, and you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent Me[bu] to you. 12 The Lord will take possession of Judah as His portion in the Holy Land, and He will once again choose Jerusalem.(FY) 13 Let all people be silent(FZ) before the Lord, for He is coming from His holy dwelling.”
Fourth Vision: High Priest and Branch
3 Then he showed me Joshua(GA) the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord,(GB) with Satan[bv](GC) standing at his right side to accuse him. 2 The Lord[bw] said to Satan: “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! May the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Isn’t this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”(GD)
3 Now Joshua was dressed with filthy[bx] clothes(GE) as he stood before the Angel.(GF) 4 So the Angel of the Lord[by] spoke to those[bz] standing before Him, “Take off his filthy clothes!” Then He said to him, “See, I have removed your guilt from you,(GG) and I will clothe you with splendid robes.”
5 Then I said, “Let them put a clean turban(GH) on his head.” So a clean turban was placed on his head, and they clothed him in garments while the Angel of the Lord was standing nearby.
6 Then the Angel of the Lord charged Joshua: 7 “This is what the Lord of Hosts says: If you walk in My ways and keep My instructions, you will both rule My house and take care of My courts; I will also grant you access among these who are standing here.
8 “Listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your colleagues sitting before you; indeed, these men are a sign that I am about to bring My servant, the Branch.(GI) 9 Notice the stone(GJ) I have set before Joshua; on that one stone are seven eyes.(GK) I will engrave an inscription on it”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts—“and I will take away the guilt of this land in a single day. 10 On that day, each of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and fig tree.”(GL) This is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts.
Fifth Vision: Gold Lampstand
4 The angel who was speaking with me then returned and roused me as one awakened out of sleep. 2 He asked me, “What do you see?”
I replied, “I see a solid gold lampstand there with a bowl on its top. It has seven lamps on it and seven channels for each of[ca] the lamps on its top. 3 There are also two olive trees beside it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”
4 Then I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these, my lord?”
5 “Don’t you know what they are?” replied the angel who was speaking with me.
I said, “No, my lord.”
6 So he answered me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by strength or by might, but by My Spirit,’(GM) says the Lord of Hosts. 7 ‘What are you, great mountain?(GN) Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain.(GO) And he will bring out the capstone accompanied by shouts of: Grace, grace to it!’”
8 Then the word of the Lord came to me:(GP) 9 “Zerubbabel’s hands have laid the foundation of this house,(GQ) and his hands will complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent me to you. 10 For who scorns the day of small things?(GR) These seven eyes of the Lord, which scan throughout the whole earth, will rejoice when they see the plumb line[cb] in Zerubbabel’s hand.”(GS)
11 I asked him, “What are the two olive trees on the right and left of the lampstand?” 12 And I questioned him further, “What are the two olive branches beside the two gold conduits, from which golden oil pours out?”
13 Then he inquired of me, “Don’t you know what these are?”
“No, my lord,” I replied.
14 “These are the two anointed ones,”[cc](GT) he said, “who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”(GU)
Sixth Vision: Flying Scroll
5 I looked up again and saw a flying scroll.(GV) 2 “What do you see?” he asked me.
“I see a flying scroll,” I replied, “30 feet[cd] long and 15 feet[ce] wide.”(GW)
3 Then he said to me, “This is the curse(GX) that is going out over the whole land, for every thief will be removed according to what is written on one side, and everyone who swears falsely will be removed according to what is written on the other side. 4 I will send it out,”(GY)—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts—“and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name. It will stay inside his house and destroy it along with its timbers and stones.”(GZ)
Seventh Vision: Woman in the Basket
5 Then the angel who was speaking with me came forward and told me, “Look up and see what this is that is approaching.”
6 So I asked, “What is it?”
He responded, “It’s a measuring basket[cf] that is approaching.” And he continued, “This is their iniquity[cg] in all the land.” 7 Then a lead cover was lifted, and there was a woman(HA) sitting inside the basket.(HB) 8 “This is Wickedness,” he said. He shoved her down into the basket and pushed the lead weight over its opening. 9 Then I looked up and saw two women approaching with the wind in their wings. Their wings were like those of a stork,(HC) and they lifted up the basket between earth and sky.
10 So I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “Where are they taking the basket?”
11 “To build a shrine for it in the land of Shinar,”(HD) he told me. “When that is ready, the basket will be placed there on its pedestal.”
Eighth Vision: Four Chariots
6 Then I looked up again and saw four chariots coming from between two mountains. And the mountains were made of bronze. 2 The first chariot had red horses,(HE) the second chariot black horses,(HF) 3 the third chariot white horses,(HG) and the fourth chariot dappled(HH) horses—all strong horses. 4 So I inquired of the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these, my lord?”
5 The angel told me, “These are the four spirits[ch](HI) of heaven going out after presenting themselves to the Lord of the whole earth. 6 The one with the black horses is going to the land of the north, the white horses are going after them, but the dappled horses are going to the land of the south.” 7 As the strong horses went out, they wanted to go patrol the earth, and the Lord said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth. 8 Then He summoned me saying, “See, those going to the land of the north have pacified My Spirit in the northern land.”
Crowning of the Branch
9 The word of the Lord came to me:(HJ) 10 “Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon, and go that same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. 11 Take silver and gold, make crowns and place them on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 You are to tell him: This is what the Lord of Hosts says: Here is a man whose name is Branch;(HK) He will branch out from His place and build the Lord’s temple. 13 Yes, He will build the Lord’s temple; He will be clothed in splendor(HL) and will sit on His throne and rule. There will also be a priest on His throne, and there will be peaceful counsel between the two of them.(HM) 14 The crown will reside in the Lord’s temple as a memorial to Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen[ci] son of Zephaniah. 15 People who are far off will come and build the Lord’s temple, and you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent Me to you. This will happen when you fully obey the Lord your God.”(HN)
Disobedience and Fasting
7 In the fourth year of King Darius,(HO) the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. 2 Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer, Regem-melech, and their men to plead for the Lord’s favor(HP) 3 by asking the priests who were at the house of the Lord of Hosts as well as the prophets, “Should we mourn and fast in the fifth month as we have done these many years?”
4 Then the word of the Lord of Hosts came to me: 5 “Ask all the people of the land and the priests: When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and in the seventh months for these 70 years, did you really fast for Me?(HQ) 6 When you eat and drink, don’t you eat and drink simply for yourselves?(HR) 7 Aren’t these the words that the Lord proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem was inhabited and secure,[cj] along with its surrounding cities, and when the southern region and the Judean foothills were inhabited?”
8 The word of the Lord came to Zechariah: 9 “The Lord of Hosts says this: Make fair decisions.(HS) Show faithful love and compassion(HT) to one another. 10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor,(HU) and do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.(HV) 11 But they refused to pay attention(HW) and turned a stubborn shoulder; they closed their ears so they could not hear.(HX) 12 They made their hearts like a rock so as not to obey the law or the words that the Lord of Hosts had sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets.(HY) Therefore great anger came from the Lord of Hosts. 13 Just as He had called, and they would not listen, so when they called, I would not listen,” says the Lord of Hosts. 14 “I scattered them with a windstorm over all the nations that had not known them, and the land was left desolate behind them, with no one coming or going. They turned a pleasant land into a desolation.”
Obedience and Feasting
8 The word of the Lord of Hosts came: 2 “The Lord of Hosts says this: I am extremely jealous(HZ) for Zion; I am jealous for her with great wrath.” 3 The Lord says this: “I will return to Zion and live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City,(IA) the mountain of the Lord of Hosts, and the Holy Mountain.” 4 The Lord of Hosts says this: “Old men and women will again sit along the streets of Jerusalem, each with a staff in hand because of advanced age. 5 The streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in them.” 6 The Lord of Hosts says this: “Though it may seem incredible to the remnant of this people in those days, should it also seem incredible to Me?”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts. 7 The Lord of Hosts says this: “I will save My people from the land of the east and the land of the west. 8 I will bring them back(IB) to live in Jerusalem. They will be My people, and I will be their faithful and righteous God.”(IC)
9 The Lord of Hosts says this: “Let your hands be strong, you who now hear these words that the prophets spoke when the foundations were laid for the rebuilding of the temple, the house of the Lord of Hosts. 10 For prior to those days neither man nor beast had wages. There was no safety from the enemy for anyone who came or went, for I turned everyone against his neighbor. 11 But now, I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts. 12 “For they will sow in peace: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce, and the skies will yield their dew. I will give the remnant of this people all these things as an inheritance.(ID) 13 As you have been a curse among the nations,(IE) house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing.(IF) Don’t be afraid; let your hands be strong.” 14 For the Lord of Hosts says this: “As I resolved to treat you badly when your fathers provoked Me to anger, and I did not relent,” says the Lord of Hosts, 15 “so I have resolved again in these days to do what is good to Jerusalem and the house of Judah.(IG) Don’t be afraid. 16 These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another; make true and sound decisions within your gates. 17 Do not plot evil(IH) in your hearts against your neighbor,(II) and do not love perjury,(IJ) for I hate all this”—this is the Lord’s declaration.
18 Then the word of the Lord of Hosts came to me: 19 “The Lord of Hosts says this: The fast of the fourth month,(IK) the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth(IL) will become times of joy, gladness, and cheerful festivals for the house of Judah. Therefore, love truth and peace.” 20 The Lord of Hosts says this: “Peoples will yet come, the residents of many cities; 21 the residents of one city will go to another, saying: Let’s go at once to plead for the Lord’s favor and to seek the Lord of Hosts. I am also going. 22 Many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem and to plead for the Lord’s favor.”(IM) 23 The Lord of Hosts says this: “In those days, 10 men from nations of every language will grab the robe of a Jewish man tightly, urging: Let us go with you,(IN) for we have heard that God is with you.”
Judgment of Zion’s Enemies
9 An Oracle
The word of the Lord
is against the land of Hadrach,
and Damascus(IO) is its resting place—
for the eyes of men
and all the tribes of Israel
are on the Lord[ck]—
2 and also against Hamath,(IP) which borders it,
as well as Tyre(IQ) and Sidon,(IR)
though they are very shrewd.
3 Tyre has built herself a fortress;
she has heaped up silver like dust
and gold like the dirt of the streets.
4 Listen! The Lord will impoverish her
and cast her wealth into the sea;
she herself will be consumed by fire.(IS)
5 Ashkelon will see it and be afraid;
Gaza too, and will writhe in great pain,
as will Ekron, for her hope will fail.
There will cease to be a king in Gaza,
and Ashkelon will become uninhabited.
6 A mongrel people will live in Ashdod,
and I will destroy the pride of the Philistines.(IT)
7 I will remove the blood from their mouths
and the detestable things(IU)
from between their teeth.
Then they too will become a remnant for our God;
they will become like a clan in Judah
and Ekron like the Jebusites.(IV)
8 I will set up camp at My house against an army,[cl]
against those who march back and forth,
and no oppressor will march against them again,
for now I have seen with My own eyes.
The Coming of Zion’s King
9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem!
Look, your King is coming to you;
He is righteous and victorious,[cm]
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.(IW)
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the horse from Jerusalem.
The bow of war will be removed,
and He will proclaim peace to the nations.
His dominion will extend from sea to sea,
from the Euphrates River
to the ends of the earth.(IX)
11 As for you,
because of the blood of your covenant,(IY)
I will release your prisoners
from the waterless cistern.(IZ)
12 Return to a stronghold,
you prisoners who have hope;
today I declare that I will restore double to you.(JA)
13 For I will bend Judah as My bow;
I will fill that bow with Ephraim.
I will rouse your sons, Zion,
against your sons, Greece.[cn](JB)
I will make you like a warrior’s sword.
14 Then the Lord will appear over them,
and His arrow will fly like lightning.
The Lord God will sound the trumpet
and advance with the southern storms.(JC)
15 The Lord of Hosts will defend them.
They will consume and conquer with slingstones;
they will drink and be rowdy as if with wine.(JD)
They will be as full as the sprinkling basin,(JE)
like those at the corners of the altar.(JF)
16 The Lord their God will save them on that day
as the flock of His people;(JG)
for they are like jewels in a crown,(JH)
sparkling over His land.
17 How lovely and beautiful they will be!
Grain will make the young men flourish,
and new wine, the young women.
The Lord Restores His People
10 Ask the Lord for rain
in the season of spring rain.
The Lord makes the rain clouds,
and He will give them showers of rain
and crops in the field for everyone.(JI)
2 For the idols speak falsehood,
and the diviners(JJ) see illusions;
they relate empty dreams
and offer empty comfort.
Therefore the people wander like sheep;
they suffer affliction because there is no shepherd.
3 My anger burns against the shepherds,
so I will punish the leaders.[co]
For the Lord of Hosts has tended His flock,
the house of Judah;
He will make them like His majestic steed in battle.
4 The cornerstone(JK) will come from Judah.[cp]
The tent peg(JL) will come from them
and also the battle bow(JM) and every[cq] ruler.
Together 5 they will be like warriors in battle
trampling down the mud of the streets.
They will fight because the Lord is with them,
and they will put horsemen to shame.
6 I will strengthen the house of Judah
and deliver the house of Joseph.[cr]
I will restore[cs] them
because I have compassion on them,
and they will be
as though I had never rejected them.(JN)
For I am Yahweh their God,
and I will answer them.
7 Ephraim(JO) will be like a warrior,
and their hearts will be glad as if with wine.
Their children will see it and be glad;(JP)
their hearts will rejoice in Yahweh.
8 I will whistle(JQ) and gather them
because I have redeemed(JR) them;
they will be as numerous as they once were.
9 Though I sow(JS) them among the nations,
they will remember(JT) Me in the distant lands;
they and their children will live and return.
10 I will bring them back from the land of Egypt
and gather them from Assyria.
I will bring them to the land of Gilead(JU)
and to Lebanon,
but it will not be enough for them.
11 Yahweh[ct] will pass through the sea of distress
and strike the waves of the sea;
all the depths of the Nile will dry up.(JV)
The pride of Assyria will be brought down,
and the scepter of Egypt will come to an end.
12 I will strengthen(JW) them in Yahweh,
and they will march(JX) in His name—
this is Yahweh’s declaration.
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