Bible in 90 Days
Chapter 1
1 [a]This is the oracle that the prophet Habakkuk received in a vision.
Habakkuk’s Discussion with God
2 How long, O Lord, must I cry for help
while you do not listen?
I cry out to you, “Violence!”
but you refuse to intervene.
3 Why do you make me witness wrongdoing
and confront me with wickedness?
Destruction and violence confront me;
strife is everywhere, and discord abounds.
4 As a result, the law becomes ineffective
and justice never prevails.
The wicked hem in the righteous,
and judgment becomes perverted.
5 “Gaze upon the nations and see.
You will be amazed, even astounded.
You will not believe it when you are told
what I am doing in your days.
6 For I am stirring up the Chaldeans,
that savage and unruly people,
who march across the whole earth
to seize dwellings of other people.
7 They inspire fear and terror,
and they impose justice and judgment
according to their own standards.
8 Their horses are swifter than leopards
and more frightening than wolves at dusk.
Their horses gallop on,
with riders advancing from far away,
swooping like eagles to devour their prey.
9 They are all bent on violence,
a horde moving steadily forward like an east wind;
they scoop up captives like sand.
10 They scoff at kings,
they despise rulers.
They regard every fortress with contempt,
as they build earthen ramps to conquer it.
11 Then they sweep past like the wind and are gone,
as they ascribe their strength to their god.”
12 “O Lord, are you not from everlasting,
my holy God, you who are immortal?
You have marked them for judgment, O Lord;
you, O Rock, have designated them for punishment.
13 Your eyes are too pure to gaze upon evil,
and you cannot countenance wrongdoing.
Why then do you remain silent
as you gaze on the treachery of the wicked,
watching them while they devour
those who are more righteous?
14 You have made men like the fish of the sea,
like crawling creatures without a ruler.
15 The wicked haul all of them up with a hook
or catch them in a net.
They gather them up in a seine,
and then rejoice and exult.
16 Therefore, the wicked offer sacrifice to their net
and burn incense to their seine,
for, thanks to them, they live sumptuously
and enjoy elegant food.
17 Shall they then be allowed
to draw their sword unceasingly,
and to slaughter nations without mercy?
Chapter 2
1 I will stand at my post
and take up my position on the rampart,
and keep watch to see what he will say to me
and what answer he will offer to my complaints.”
2 Then the Lord answered me and said:
Write down the vision,
inscribe it clearly on tablets
so that it can be read easily.
3 For the vision is for the appointed time;
it will speak of the end,
and it will not lie.
If it delays in coming, wait for it,
for it will surely come before too long.
4 The proud man’s heart is not upright,
but the righteous man will live
because of his faith.[b]
Warning to the Arrogant
5 Moreover, wealth is treacherous;
those who are arrogant do not endure.
They open their throats as wide as Sheol
and are as unstable as death.
They gather to themselves all the nations
and make a harvest of all the peoples.
6 Everyone should taunt such people
and turn on them with mockery and say,
“Woe to you who store up
what is not your own.
Woe to you who enrich yourself
with goods taken in pledge.
7 Will not your creditors rise up suddenly?
Will not those who make you tremble wake up?
Will you not become a victim to them?
8 Since you have plundered many nations,
all the nations that survive will plunder you
because of the bloodshed and the violence
you have inflicted on cities
and all their inhabitants.
9 “Woe to the one who amasses
ill-gotten gains for his household
so as to set his nest on high
and thereby evade the reach of misfortune.
10 You have managed to bring shame upon your house
by cutting off many peoples;
you have placed your own life in jeopardy.
11 The very stones will cry out from the wall,
and the beam will respond from the woodwork.
12 “Woe to the man who builds a city
by means of bloodshed
and founds a town on the basis of iniquity.
13 Is it not in the eternal design
of the Lord of hosts
that what the people labor for
is destined for the flames,
and that everything the nations
exhaust themselves to achieve
will come to naught.
14 However, the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of the Lord’s glory
just as the waters cover the sea.
15 [c]“Woe to you who encourage your neighbors to drink,
pouring it abundantly until they are drunk,
so that you can gaze upon their nakedness.
16 You will be filled with shame instead of glory
as you stagger in your drunkenness.
The cup in the Lord’s right hand
will be passed on to you,
and shame will overshadow your glory.
17 For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,
and the massacre of the animals will terrify you,
all as a result of the bloodshed and violence you inflicted
on cities and all who dwell in them.
18 “Of what use is an idol
after its maker has shaped it?
It is only a presentation, a source of lies.
And why should its sculptor place his faith in it,
a dumb idol that he has made?
19 Woe to anyone who says,
‘Wake up!’ to a block of wood,
‘Rouse yourself!’ to a lifeless stone.
Can such a thing offer guidance?
It may be overlaid with gold and silver,
but there is no breath of life within it.
20 However, the Lord is in his holy temple.
Let all the earth be silent before him.”
Habakkuk’s Prayer
Chapter 3
Canticle
1 What follows is a prayer of the prophet Habakkuk, accompanied by a plaintive tune.
2 O Lord, I have heard of your renown;
your work, O Lord, fills me with awe.
Make it live once again in our own time;
in the course of the years make it known,
and in your wrath remember to have compassion on us.
3 God comes from Teman,
the Holy One from Mount Paran.
His radiance covers the heavens,
and with his glory the earth is filled.
4 His splendor is like that of the sunrise;
rays shine forth from his hand
where his power lies hidden.
5 Pestilence goes before him,
and plague follows close behind.
6 When he stands up, the earth trembles;
at his glance the nations panic.
The eternal mountains are shattered;
along his ancient pathways,
the age-old hills bow down.
7 The tents of the Ethiopians are in distress;
the dwellings of the land of Midian are trembling.
8 Are you angry with the rivers, O Lord?
Or is your wrath directed against the streams,
or your rage against the sea,
that your horses are mounted
and you drive your chariots to victory?
9 You uncover your bow
and fill your quiver with arrows;
into rivers you split the earth.
10 At the sight of you the mountains tremble;
a torrent of water rushes by
and the ocean thunders aloud.
11 At the glint of your flying arrows
and the gleam of your flashing spear,
the sun forgets to rise
and the moon remains motionless in the heavens.
12 In fury you stride across the earth;
in anger you trample the nations.
13 You go forth to deliver your people,
to save your anointed one.
You shatter the house of the wicked,
laying bare its foundations to the bedrock.
14 You pierced with your arrows
the leader of those warriors
who stormed toward us like a whirlwind,
ready to devour the wretched who were in hiding.
15 You trampled the sea with your horses,
churning the mighty abyss.
16 I hear, and my body trembles;
my lips quiver at the sound.
Decay afflicts my bones,
and my legs tremble beneath me.
I wait calmly for the day of disaster
that will dawn on the people who attack us.
17 Even though the fig tree does not blossom
and there is no fruit on the vines,
even though the olive crop will fail
and the orchards will yield no food,
even though the flock is cut off from the fold
and there is no herd in the stalls,
18 I will continue to rejoice in the Lord,
and exult in the God of my salvation.
19 The Lord God is my strength;
he makes my feet as swift as those of a deer
and enables me to tread on the heights.
Chapter 1
1 This is the word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days when Josiah, the son of Amon, was king of Judah.
I Extend My Hand over Judah
2 I will completely sweep away everything
from the face of the earth,
says the Lord.
3 I will sweep away both men and animals,
the birds of the air and the fish of the sea.
I will force the wicked to their knees
and wipe out all people from the face of the earth,
says the Lord.
4 I will stretch out my hand against Judah
and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
I will wipe out from this place every remnant of Baal,
the very name of his idolatrous priests:
5 those who bow down on the roofs
to worship the host of the heavens,
and those who prostrate themselves before the Lord
but swear by Milcom,
6 and those who have turned their backs on the Lord,
and those who do not seek him.
7 Keep silent in the presence of the Lord God,
for the day of the Lord is near.
The Lord has prepared a sacrifice;
he has consecrated his guests.
8 On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice,
I will punish the officials and the king’s sons,
and all those who clothe themselves in foreign apparel.
9 On that day I will punish
all who leap over the threshold[d]
and fill the house of their master
with violence and deceit.
10 [e]On that day, says the Lord,
crying will be heard from the Fish Gate,
wailing from the New Quarter,
a loud crash from the hills.
11 Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar,
for all the merchants will perish,
and all those who weigh out silver will be ruined.
12 At that time
I will search Jerusalem by lantern-light
and punish all those people
who have become complacent,
like wine thickening in its sediment,
and who say in their hearts,
“The Lord will do nothing,
either good or bad.”
13 As a result, their wealth will be plundered
and their houses will lie in ruins.
Though they build houses,
they will not dwell in them;
though they plant vineyards,
they will not drink their wine.
14 The great day of the Lord is near,
near and coming quickly.
The sound of the day of the Lord is bitter
when the warrior shouts his cry of war.
15 That day is a day of wrath,
a day of anguish and distress,
a day of ruin and devastation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and heavy darkness,
16 a day of trumpet blasts and battle cries
against the fortified cities
and against lofty battlements.
17 I will bring such dire distress on the people
that they will walk like the blind
because they have sinned against the Lord.
Their blood will be poured out like dust
and their entrails like dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold
will be able to save them
on the day of the Lord’s wrath,
when by the fire of his jealousy
the entire earth will be consumed.
For he will make a sudden and terrible end
of all who dwell on the earth.
Anger Will Strike at the Four Corners of the World
Chapter 2
1 Gather together, gather yourselves together,
O shameless nation,
2 before you are driven away
and disappear like chaff,
before you are forced to confront
the fierce anger of the Lord,
before you are overtaken
by the day of the Lord’s anger.
3 Seek the Lord,
all you humble of the land[f]
who obey his commands.
Seek righteousness, seek humility;
then perhaps you may find shelter
on the day of the Lord’s anger.
4 [g]For Gaza will be deserted
and Ashkelon will be reduced to ruins.
The people of Ashdod will be driven out at midday,
and Ekron will be uprooted.[h]
5 Woe to you inhabitants of the seacoast,
you nation of the Cherethites.
This is the word of the Lord against you:
“I will destroy you, land of the Philistines,
until not a single inhabitant remains.”
6 The coastland of the Cretans
will be reduced to pastures,
to grazing grounds for shepherds
and folds for flocks.
7 And the coastland will become the possession
of the remnant of the house of Judah.
They will pasture their flocks there,
and when evening arrives
they will lie down in the houses at Ashkelon.
For the Lord, their God, will be mindful of them
and restore their fortunes.
8 [i]“I have heard the insults of Moab
and the taunts of the Ammonites
when they reviled my people
and threatened their frontiers.
9 Therefore, as I live,” says the Lord of hosts,
the God of Israel,
“Moab will become like Sodom
and the Ammonites like Gomorrah:
a land filled with nettles and salt pits,
a wasteland forevermore.
The remnant of my people will plunder them,
and the survivors of my nation will dispossess them.”
10 This will be the price they pay for their pride,
inasmuch as they insulted and mocked
the people of the Lord of hosts.
11 The Lord will fill them with fear
when he causes all the gods of the earth
to waste away.
Then all the coasts and the islands of the nations[j]
shall worship him,
each from its own territory.
12 You also, O Ethiopians,
will be killed by the sword of the Lord.
13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north
and destroy Assyria.
He will make Nineveh a wasteland,
as arid as the desert.
14 Flocks and herds will lie down there,
creatures of every kind.
The desert owl and the screech owl
will roost on her columns;
will hoot at the window
while the raven croaks at the doorway.
15 Is this the exultant city
that once took pride in its security,
that said to itself,
“I am supreme, without an equal”?
And what now has it come to?
It is nothing but a desolate waste,
a lair for wild animals,
at which every passer-by
will hiss and shake his fist.
Woe to Jerusalem, the Rebel
Chapter 3
1 Woe to the city of tyrants,
rebellious and defiled.
2 It has not heeded any warning voice,
it has not accepted any correction.
It has not placed its trust in the Lord;
it has not drawn near to its God.
3 The officials within it
are roaring lions;
its judges are wolves of the wasteland
that leave nothing in reserve for the morning.
4 Its prophets are arrogant;
they are treacherous men.
Its priests have profaned what is holy
and done violence to the law.
5 The Lord within this city is just;
he does no wrong.
Morning after morning he renders judgment
unfailingly at dawn.
6 I have cut off nations;
their strongholds lie in ruins.
I have laid waste their streets
so that no one walks along them.
Their cities have been laid waste,
and now they are deserted,
without inhabitants.
7 I thought, “Surely you will now fear me
and be willing to accept correction.
You will not fail to realize
how I have inflicted punishments on you.”
However, they only seemed more eager
to make all their deeds corrupt.
8 Therefore, wait for me, says the Lord;
wait for the day when I stand up to accuse you.
For I am determined to gather nations
and assemble kingdoms
in order to pour forth my wrath upon them,
all the heat of my anger.
The entire earth will be consumed
by the fire of my jealousy.
Toward a Tomorrow of Exultance[k]
9 Then I will purify
the lips of my people,
so that all may call on
the name of the Lord
and serve him with one accord.
10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
my suppliants, my scattered ones,
will bring offerings to me.
11 On that day you will not be put to shame
as a result of all the deeds
by which you have rebelled against me.
For then I will remove from your midst
those who are proud and arrogant,
and then you will never again flaunt your pride
on my holy mountain.
12 For I will leave in your midst
those who are meek and humble;
they will seek refuge in the name of the Lord.
13 This remnant of Israel will do no wrong
and utter no lies.
Nor will a deceitful tongue
be found in their mouths.
They will eat and lie down,
and no one will cause them to be afraid.
14 Cry out with joy, daughter of Zion;
shout aloud, O Israel.
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter, Jerusalem.
15 The Lord has canceled the punishments against you;
he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
you need never again fear any harm.
16 On that day it will be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion;
do not let your hands grow weak.
17 The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
a warrior and a savior.
He will rejoice over you with gladness
and renew you through his love.
He will exult over you with shouts of joy
18 as on a day of festival.
I will remove your misfortune
so that you no longer will need to endure reproach.
19 At that time I will deal
with all those who oppress you.
I will rescue the lame
and gather the dispersed.
I will win for them praise and renown
throughout the whole world.
20 At that time I will gather you together
and bring you home.
For I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes, says the Lord.
Consider Your Situation[l]
Chapter 1
1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord was communicated by the prophet Haggai to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and to the high priest Joshua, the son of Jehozadak: 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘This people says that the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.’ ” 3 Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Is this a time for you to live in your paneled houses while this house lies in ruins?”
5 Now the Lord of hosts has this to say:
Reflect on your way of life.
6 You have sown much but harvested little;
you have eaten, but never enough to satisfy you.
You drink, but never enough to cheer you;
you are clothed, but never experience warmth.
And the one who earns wages
puts them into a bag with a hole in it.
7 Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts:
Consider carefully how you have fared.
8 Go up into the hill country,
collect timber, and build the house
so that I may take pleasure in it
and manifest my glory,
says the Lord.
9 You expected much,
but it proved to be little.
When you brought in the harvest,
I blew it away.
And why did I do this?
asks the Lord of hosts.
Because my house lies in ruins,
while each of you is concerned
only about your own house.
10 Therefore, the heavens have withheld their rain
and the earth has withheld its crops.
11 And I have called for a drought
to afflict the land and the mountains,
the grain, the new wine, and the oil,
and everything that the soil produces,
and to afflict, as well, men and animals,
and all the products of their labor.
12 Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and the high priest Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, and the entire remnant of the people listened to the voice of the Lord, their God, and to the words of the prophet Haggai that the Lord, their God, had sent him to deliver. As a result, the people were filled with fear because of the Lord.
13 Thereupon Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, proclaimed to the people the Lord’s message: “I am with you,” declares the Lord. 14 Then the Lord stirred up the spirit of the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and the spirit of the high priest Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.
Courage, I Am with You[m]
Chapter 2
In the second year of King Darius, 1 on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 2 Speak to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and to the high priest Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, and to the remnant of the people, and say:
3 Is there anyone left among you
who beheld this house in its former glory?
How does it appear to you now?
Does it not seem to you
as though it were not even there?
4 But now take courage, Zerubbabel,
says the Lord.
Take courage, Joshua, the high priest,
son of Jehozadak.
Take courage, all you people of the land,
says the Lord.
Begin the work,
for I am with you,
says the Lord of hosts.
5 This is the promise that I made to you
when you came out of Egypt.
My Spirit is present among you.
Do not be afraid.
6 For thus says the Lord of hosts:
In a little while from now
I will shake the heavens and the earth,
the sea and the dry land.
7 I will shake all the nations,
and the treasures of all the nations will flow in.
And I will fill this house with glory,
says the Lord of hosts.
8 Mine is the silver, mine is the gold,
says the Lord of hosts.
9 The glory of this new house
will surpass that of the former,
says the Lord of hosts.
And in this place I will grant peace,
says the Lord of hosts.
What They Offer Me Is Unclean[n]
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Haggai. 11 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Ask the priests to give a ruling on this. 12 If a man is carrying consecrated meat in the fold of his garment and he allows the fold to come in contact with bread or broth or wine or oil or food of any kind, will that also become consecrated? The priests answered, “No.”
13 Haggai then asked, “If anyone who has been defiled by contact with a corpse touches any of those, does that become unclean?” The priests replied, “It will become unclean.” 14 Then Haggai continued,
So it is with this people and this nation
in my view, says the Lord.
So also are all the works of their hands;
whatever they offer here is unclean.
15 But now, think back to recent times as you ponder the future. Before one stone was laid upon another in the temple of the Lord, how did you fare?
16 When you came to a heap
of twenty measures of grain,
you would find only ten.
When you came to a wine vat
to draw fifty measures,
you would find only twenty.
17 I struck you and all the products of your toil
with blight and mildew and hail.
Even so, you would not return to me,
says the Lord.
18 Now consider from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. From the day on which the foundations of the temple of the Lord was laid, consider:
19 Previously the seed had not sprouted,
and the vine and the fig tree,
the pomegranate and the olive tree,
had borne no fruit.
From this day forward
I intend to bless you.
Promise to the Descendants of David[o]
20 On the twenty-fourth day of the month, the word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai: 21 Tell this to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah:
I will shake the heavens and the earth;
22 I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms
and destroy the power of the kings of the nations.
I will overthrow the chariots and their riders;
both the horses and their riders will fall,
every one of them by the sword of a comrade.
23 On that day,
says the Lord of hosts,
I will take you, Zerubbabel,
my servant, son of Shealtiel, says the Lord,
and I will make you like a signet ring,
for I have chosen you,
says the Lord of hosts.
Rebuilding a People for God[p]
Chapter 1
Be Converted to Me.[q] 1 In the second year of Darius, in the eighth month, this word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo:
2 The Lord was greatly angered at your ancestors. 3 Therefore, say to the people: Thus says the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. 4 Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the prophets of that time proclaimed. Thus says the Lord of hosts: Forsake your evil ways and your evil deeds. But they refused to listen or to pay attention to me, says the Lord.
5 Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live forever? 6 As for my words and my decrees which I entrusted to my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your ancestors? As a result, they repented and said, “The Lord of hosts has treated us as he had determined to do, according to what our lives and our deeds deserve.”
Renewal of the Holy City[r]
The Four Horsemen.[s] 7 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, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo.
Zechariah related: 8 During the night I had a vision in which a man was riding a red horse among the myrtle trees in a glen. Behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses. 9 “What are these, sir?” I asked, and the angel who was conversing with me said, “I will show you what they are.”
10 The man standing among the myrtle trees said, “They are the ones whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.” 11 Then they in turn spoke to the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have been patrolling the earth, and the entire earth is tranquil and at peace.”
12 Then the angel of the Lord asked, “O Lord of hosts, how long will you withhold your mercy from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah who have been the object of your wrath for the last seventy years?” 13 Thereupon, the Lord replied with kind and comforting words to the angel who had talked with me.
14 The angel who was talking with me then said to me: Proclaim this message. Thus says the Lord of hosts: I feel very protective toward Jerusalem and Zion, 15 but I am deeply angry with the nations that feel complacent and secure. Previously I was angry only to a certain extent, but they added to the disaster.
16 Therefore, says the Lord, I will return to Jerusalem with compassion, and there is where my house will be rebuilt, says the Lord of hosts, and the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem. 17 Proclaim in addition: Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities will once again overflow with prosperity. The Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.
Chapter 2
Vision of the Four Horns and the Workers.[t] 1 I looked up and beheld four horns. 2 I inquired of the angel who was conversing with me what these were. He answered me, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
3 Then the Lord showed me four blacksmiths. And I said, “What are these coming to do?” 4 He replied, “Those horns scattered Judah so completely that no one dared to raise his head. However, those blacksmiths have come to terrify them and to strike down the horns of the nations that raised their horns against the land of Judah in order to scatter its people.”
The New Jerusalem.[u] 5 Following this, I raised my eyes and observed a man with a measuring line in his hand. 6 When I asked him, “Where are you going?” he replied, “To measure Jerusalem, to discover what is its width and what is its length.”
7 When the angel who was talking to me walked away, another angel came out to meet him 8 and said to him, “Run and tell that young man: Jerusalem will remain without walls because of the great multitude of men and animals dwelling there. 9 But I will be a wall of fire all around it, says the Lord. And I will be the glory within it.”
10 Up, up! Flee from the land of the north,
says the Lord.
For I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven,
says the Lord.
11 Away, away! Escape to Zion,
you who presently live in daughter Babylon.
12 For thus said the Lord of hosts
after he sent me forth,
in regard to the nations that plundered you:
Whoever touches you
touches the apple of my eye.
13 Behold, I will wave my hand over them,
and they will be plunder
for those they have enslaved.
Thus you will know
that the Lord of hosts has sent me.
14 Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion.
For I am coming to dwell in your midst,
says the Lord.
15 On that day
many nations will be converted to the Lord.
Yes, they will become his people,
and he will dwell among you.
Then you will know that the Lord of hosts
has sent me to you.
16 The Lord will claim Judah
as his portion in the holy land,
and once again he will choose Jerusalem.
17 Let all people be silent
in the presence of the Lord.
For he has roused himself
from his holy dwelling.
The Leaders of the Holy City[v]
Chapter 3[w]
Joshua the High Priest. 1 Then he showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord, with Satan standing at his right to accuse him. 2 And the angel of the Lord said to Satan, “May God rebuke you, Satan! May the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this man a brand snatched from the fire?”
3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4 The angel then said to those who were standing before him, “Remove his filthy garments and clothe him in fine vestments.” 5 He also said, “Place a clean miter on his head.” Therefore, they put a clean miter on his head and clothed him in clean garments, while the angel of the Lord stood by and said, “Behold, I have removed your guilt.”
6 The angel of the Lord then declared to Joshua: 7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you walk in my ways and observe my ordinances, you will rule over my house and be in charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access to all those who are standing here.
8 “Therefore listen, Joshua, high priest, you and your colleagues who are seated here in attendance before you. For they are an omen of things to come. I will now bring in my servant, the Branch. 9 Gaze upon the stone that I have set before Joshua, a single stone with seven facets. I will engrave its inscription, says the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the guilt of this land in a single day. 10 On that day, says the Lord of hosts, you will invite each other to come under your vines and your fig trees.”
Chapter 4[x]
Vision of the Lampstand and Olives. 1 Then the angel who had talked with me returned and roused me, as though awakening someone who was asleep. 2 He asked me, “What do you see?” I replied, “I see a lampstand of solid gold, with a bowl at the top. There are seven lamps on it, with seven openings to hold the lamps. 3 Alongside it are two olive trees, one to the right and the other to the left.”
4 I then said to the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these things, my lord?” 5 The angel who was speaking to me replied, “Do you not know what they are?” “No, my lord,” I answered. 6 Then he said to me, “This is the Lord’s message to Zerubbabel: Not by force, nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. 7 What are you, O great mountain? Compared with Zerubbabel, you are nothing more than a plain. He will bring out the capstone amid shouts of acclamation.”
8 This word of the Lord was then addressed to me as follows: 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of the house, and his hands will complete the work. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. 10 For those who spoke disparagingly on that day of small beginnings will rejoice to see the chosen stone in the hands of Zerubbabel. These seven facets are the eyes of the Lord that range throughout the entire earth.”
11 Then I asked the angel, “What is the significance of those two olive trees to the left and the right of the lampstand?” 12 And I asked him further, “What is the meaning of the two olive branches that pour forth the oil through the two golden channels?”
13 “Do you not know what these are?” he said to me. “No, my lord,” I replied. 14 He answered, “These are the two anointed ones who stand in attendance on the Lord of the entire earth.”
The People of the Holy City[y]
Chapter 5
Vision of the Scroll that Flies.[z] 1 Again I looked up, and I beheld a flying scroll. 2 The angel said to me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll. It is twenty cubits in length and ten cubits in width.”
3 Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes forth over the entire earth. According to the writing on one side, every thief will be swept away, and according to the writing on the other side, everyone who commits perjury in my name will be banished. 4 I have sent it forth, says the Lord of hosts, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who commits perjury in my name. It will lodge inside such a house and consume it, both timber and stones.”
Vision of the Bushel Coming Forth.[aa] 5 Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said, “Raise your eyes and see what this is that is coming forth.” 6 I asked, “What is it?” The angel replied, “This is a bushel basket coming forth.” And he added, “This is their guilt throughout the land.”
7 Then a leaden cover was lifted up, and there was a woman sitting inside the bushel basket. 8 “This is Wickedness,” the angel said. He immediately pushed her back into the basket and pressed the leaden cover into the opening.
9 Then I raised my eyes and beheld two women coming forward, with the wind in their wings which were like those of a stork. As they lifted up the bushel basket into the air, 10 I asked the angel who had been conversing with me, “Where are they taking the bushel basket?” 11 He replied, “To the land of Shinar, to build a house for it. When the house is completed, they will set down the bushel basket on a pedestal designed for it.”
Chapter 6
Vision of the Four Chariots. 1 Again I raised my eyes and beheld four chariots coming out between two mountains—and the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2 The first chariot had red horses, the second chariot had black horses, 3 the third chariot had white horses, and the fourth chariot had spotted horses.
4 I asked the angel who was conversing with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 The angel replied, “These are the four winds of heaven which are now ready to depart after presenting themselves for review by the Lord of all the earth. 6 The chariot with the black horses is departing for the land of the north, the red and the white horses will follow after them, and the chariot with the spotted horses will leave for the land of the south.”
7 As these horses emerged, eager to set off and patrol the earth, he said to them, “Go forth and patrol the earth,” and they did so. 8 Then he called to me and said, “Those who are going forth to the land of the north have allowed my Spirit to rest on the land of the north.”
The Present, a Promise for the Future[ab]
The Coronation.[ac] 9 The word of the Lord came to me: 10 Collect silver and gold from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, and go on the very same day to the house of Josiah, the son of Zephaniah. 11 Take the silver and the gold and make a crown, and set it upon the head of the high priest Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, 12 and say this to him: Thus says the Lord of hosts: Here is a man whose name is Branch. He will branch out from where he is, and he will build the temple of the Lord.
13 Yes, he will build the temple of the Lord, and, wearing the royal insignia, he will sit on his throne and govern. There will be a priest at his right hand, and peaceful harmony will exist between the two of them. 14 The crown will serve as a memorial in the temple of the Lord for Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Josiah, the son of Zephaniah. 15 And those who are now far off will come and work on the building of the temple of the Lord. Then you will realize that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. All this will happen if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord, your God.
Chapter 7[ad]
Must I Continue to Do Penance? 1 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev. 2 [ae]Bethel-sarezer sent Regem-melech and his men to entreat the favor of the Lord 3 [af]and to ask the priests in the house of the Lord, and the prophets, “Should I continue to mourn and to fast in the fifth month, as I have been doing for these many years?”
4 Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me: 5 Say to all the people of the country and to the priests: When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and the seventh month during these seventy years, was it truly for my sake that you fasted? 6 And when you were eating and drinking, were you not eating and drinking for yourselves? 7 Were not these the words that the Lord proclaimed through the prophets in the past, when Jerusalem was inhabited and enjoying peace, as were her surrounding towns, and when the Negeb and the foothills were inhabited?
8 This word of the Lord came to Zechariah: 9 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render fair judgments, and show kindness and compassion to one another. 10 Do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor. Do not plot evil in your heart against one another. 11 But they refused to listen; they defiantly turned their backs and stopped their ears so that they would not hear. 12 They were adamant in their refusal to accept the teaching and the law that the Lord of hosts had transmitted by his Spirit through the former prophets.
Therefore, the wrath of the Lord of hosts was aroused. 13 Since they refused to listen when he called to them, he in turn would not listen when they cried out to the Lord of hosts. 14 Rather, he scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations where they were strangers. Therefore, the land they left was desolate after their departure, and no one came or went. They had turned their pleasant land into a desert.
Chapter 8
Behold, I Will Save My People. 1 This word of the Lord of hosts came to me:
2 Thus says the Lord of hosts:
I am intensely jealous for Zion,
and I am filled with jealous wrath for her.
3 Thus says the Lord:
I will return to Zion,
and I will dwell in the heart of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem will be called the faithful city,
and the mountain of the Lord of hosts
will be called the holy mountain.
4 The Lord of hosts says this:
Old men and old women once again will sit
in the squares of Jerusalem,
each one leaning on a stick
because of old age.
5 And her streets will be filled
with boys and girls at play.
6 The Lord of hosts says this:
Even if this seems impossible
to the remnant of this people in those days,
will it also seem impossible to me?
says the Lord.
7 The Lord of hosts says this:
I will rescue my people
from the countries of the east
and from the countries of the west.
8 I will bring them back
to dwell in Jerusalem.
They will be my people,
and I will be their God,
a God of faithfulness and justice.
9 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Take heart, all you who today hear the promises from the words spoken by the prophets who were present when the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid for the rebuilding of the temple. 10 Before that time, men were not paid their wages, nor was any recompense offered for the work of the animals. In addition, those who went out or came in were provided with no protection from the enemy, for I had set every man against his neighbor.
11 However, now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as I did in former days, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Now they will sow in peace. The vine will bring forth its fruit, the soil will yield its produce, and the heavens will provide their moisture. All these things I will endow to the remnant of this people. 13 Just as you once were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so now I will save you, and you will be regarded as a blessing. Do not be afraid. Do not lose heart.
14 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Whereas I resolved to bring disaster upon you when your ancestors provoked me to wrath, says the Lord of hosts, and I did not relent, 15 so now I have resolved in these days to show favor to Jerusalem and the house of Judah. Do not be afraid.
16 These are the things I require you to do: speak truthfully to one another, render judgments at your gates that reflect honesty and peace, 17 and do not plot evil against another in your heart, or love perjury. For all these are practices that I hate, says the Lord.
18 The Saving Fast. The word of the Lord came to me: 19 Thus says the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth month, and the fasts of the fifth, the seventh, and the tenth months, shall be periods of joy and gladness and of cheerful festivals for the house of Judah. Therefore, love truth and peace.[ag]
20 Thus says the Lord of hosts: In the future, peoples will come, the inhabitants of many cities. 21 Those who dwell in one city will approach those of another and say, “Come, let us go to entreat the favor of the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts; I myself will go.” 22 Many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord.
23 Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days, ten men from nations of every language will grasp a Jew by the edge of his garment and say, “Permit us to go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”
The New People of God[ah][ai]
Chapter 9
The New Land
1 [aj]An oracle:
The word of the Lord
is against the land of Hadrach,
and it will come to rest upon Damascus.
For the cities of Aaron belong to the Lord,
as do all the tribes of Israel,
2 as well as Hamath also,
which borders on it,
and on Tyre and Sidon,
even though they are very wise.
3 Tyre has built a stronghold for itself
and heaped up silver like dust
and gold like the dirt of the streets.
4 But the Lord will strip it of its possessions
and destroy its power on the sea,
and the city itself will be consumed by fire.
5 Ashkelon will witness this and be terrified,
as will Gaza who will writhe in anguish;
the same will be true of Ekron
whose hopes will come to naught.
The king will vanish from Gaza,
and Ashkelon will be uninhabited.
6 Foreigners will settle in Ashdod,
and I will demolish the pride of the Philistines.
7 I will snatch the bloody meat from their mouths
and their abominations from between their teeth.
They, too, will be a remnant belonging to our God;
they will be like a clan in Judah,
and Ekron will become like the Jebusites.[ak]
8 I will stand guard at my house
so that no one may pass by unchallenged.
No oppressor will ever again overrun them,
for now I am determined to protect them.
Behold, Your King Comes to You[al]
9 Rejoice with all your heart, O daughter Zion.
Shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem.
See, your king is coming to you,
triumphant and victorious,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 He will banish the chariot from Ephraim
and the horses of war from Jerusalem.
The warrior’s bow will be banished,
and he will proclaim peace to the nations.
His dominion will be from sea to sea,
and from the river to the ends of the earth.
The Reestablishment of Israel
11 As for you,
because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will set free your prisoners
from the waterless dungeon.
12 Return to the fortress,
you prisoners who have waited in hope.
This very day I promise
that I will reward you twofold.
13 For I have strung Judah as my bow
and made Ephraim its arrow.
I have roused your sons, O Zion,
and have made you like a warrior’s sword
against your sons, O Javan.
14 Then the Lord will appear over them,
and his arrow will flash forth like lightning.
The Lord God will sound the trumpet
and march forth in the stormwinds of the south.
15 The Lord of hosts will protect them,
and they will overcome
as they trample underfoot the slingstones.
They will drink blood like wine,
filled to the brim like a bowl,
drenched like the corners of the altar.
16 The Lord, their God, will save them on that day,
for they are his flock, his own people.
Like the precious stones of a crown
they will sparkle throughout his land.
17 What wealth and what beauty will be theirs,
with grain to make the young men flourish
and with new wine for the maidens!
Chapter 10
Be Faithful to the Lord
1 Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime.
It is the Lord who makes the storm clouds.
He will send forth the showers of rain
and grass in the fields for everyone.
2 For the household gods utter nonsense,
and diviners are misled by false signs.
The dreams they relate are deceitful,
offering empty consolation.
That is why the people
wander about like sheep;
they are in distress
for lack of a shepherd.
I Will Reunite and Save
3 My anger has been set ablaze by the shepherds,
and I will punish the leaders of the flock.
For the Lord of hosts cares for his flock,
the house of Judah,
and will make it his royal warhorse.
4 From Judah will emerge the cornerstone,
from it the tent peg,
from it the bow ready for battle,
from it all the commanders.
5 Together they will be like warriors
trampling the mud of the streets in battle.
They will fight because the Lord is with them,
and they will rout even those on horseback.
6 I will strengthen the house of Judah,
and I will save the house of Joseph.
I will bring them back
because I have taken pity on them,
and they will be
as though I had never cast them off;
for I am the Lord, their God,
and I will answer them.
7 Then the people of Ephraim will be like warriors,
and their hearts will be cheered as if by wine.
Their children will see it and rejoice;
their hearts will rejoice in the Lord.
8 I will signal them to gather together,
for I have redeemed them;
they will be as numerous
as they were before.
9 I scattered them among the nations,
yet in far-off countries they will remember me;
they will rear their children and return.
10 I will bring them home from the land of Egypt
and gather them from Assyria.
I will lead them into Gilead and into Lebanon,
until there is no more room to accommodate them.
11 They will pass through the Sea of Egypt,
and the waves of the sea will be subdued,
while the depths of the Nile will be dried up.
The pride of Assyria will be cast down,
and the scepter of Egypt will be taken away.
12 I will make them strong in the Lord,
and they will march in my name,
says the Lord.
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