A Plea for Repentance

1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius,^(A) the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah^(B) 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.^(C) 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.”^(D)

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.”^(E)

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?”^{(F) 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^(G) 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.”^(H)

Second Vision: Four Horns and Craftsmen

^18 [a]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 ^[b]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.”^{(I) 5} The declaration of the Lord: “I will be a wall^(J) of fire around it, and I will be the glory within it.”

⁶ “Get up! Leave the land of the north”^(K)—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^[c] for His glory against the nations who are plundering you, for anyone who touches you touches the pupil^[d] of His^[e] eye. ⁹ I will move against them with My^[f] power, and they will become plunder for their own servants.^(L) Then you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent Me.^[g]

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^[h] people.^(M) I will dwell among you, and you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent Me^[i] to you. ¹² The Lord will take possession of Judah as His portion in the Holy Land, and He will once again choose Jerusalem.^{(N) 13} Let all people be silent^(O) before the Lord, for He is coming from His holy dwelling.”

Fourth Vision: High Priest and Branch

3 Then he showed me Joshua^(P) the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord,^(Q) with Satan^[j](R) standing at his right side to accuse him. ² The Lord^[k] 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?”^(S)

³ Now Joshua was dressed with filthy^[l] clothes^(T) as he stood before the Angel.^{(U) 4} So the Angel of the Lord^[m] spoke to those^[n] standing before Him, “Take off his filthy clothes!” Then He said to him, “See, I have removed your guilt from you,^(V) and I will clothe you with splendid robes.”

⁵ Then I said, “Let them put a clean turban^(W) 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.^{(X) 9} Notice the stone^(Y) I have set before Joshua; on that one stone are seven eyes.^(Z) 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.”^(AA) 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^[o] 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,’^(AB) says the Lord of Hosts. ⁷ ‘What are you, great mountain?^(AC) Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain.^(AD) 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:^{(AE) 9} “Zerubbabel’s hands have laid the foundation of this house,^(AF) 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?^(AG) These seven eyes of the Lord, which scan throughout the whole earth, will rejoice when they see the plumb line^[p] in Zerubbabel’s hand.”^(AH)

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,”^[q](AI) he said, “who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”^(AJ)

The Law of Liberty

14 Accept^(A) anyone who is weak in faith,^[a](B) but don’t argue about doubtful issues. ² One person believes he may eat anything,^(C) but one who is weak eats only vegetables. ³ One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat,^(D) and one who does not eat must not criticize one who does,^(E) because God has accepted him.^{(F) 4} Who are you to criticize^(G) another’s household slave? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand. For the Lord is able^[b] to make him stand.

⁵ One person considers one day to be above another day.^(H) Someone else considers every day to be the same. Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind.^{(I) 6} Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord.^[c] Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God;^(J) and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, yet he thanks God. ⁷ For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.^{(K) 8} If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.^{(L) 9} Christ died and came to life^(M) for this: that He might rule over both the dead and the living.^{(N) 10} But you, why do you criticize your brother? Or you, why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before the tribunal of God.^{[d](O) 11} For it is written:

¹² So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.^(R)

The Law of Love

¹³ Therefore, let us no longer criticize one another.^(S) Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in your brother’s way.^{(T) 14} (I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself.^(U) Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean.^(V)) ¹⁵ For if your brother is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love.^(W) Do not destroy that one Christ died for by what you eat.^{(X) 16} Therefore, do not let your good be slandered,^{(Y) 17} for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking,^(Z) but righteousness, peace, and joy^(AA) in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ Whoever serves Christ^(AB) in this way is acceptable to God and approved by men.^(AC)

¹⁹ So then, we must pursue what promotes peace^(AD) and what builds up one another.^{(AE) 20} Do not tear down God’s work because of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong for a man to cause stumbling by what he eats.^{(AF) 21} It is a noble thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother stumble.^{[f] 22} Do you have a conviction?^[g] Keep it to yourself before God. The man who does not condemn himself by what he approves is blessed.^{(AG) 23} But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats,^(AH) because his eating is not from a conviction,^[h] and everything that is not from a conviction^[i] is sin.