呼唤人民归向耶和华

大流士王二年八月,耶和华对易多的孙子、比利迦的儿子撒迦利亚先知说: “耶和华曾对你们的祖先大发怒气。 因此,你要告诉百姓,万军之耶和华说,‘你们要归向我,我就回到你们那里。这是万军之耶和华说的。 不要像你们的祖先一样。以前的先知曾呼唤他们要听从万军之耶和华的话,改邪归正,停止作恶,他们却置若罔闻,不予理会。这是耶和华说的。 现在你们的祖先在哪里呢?那些先知能活到永远吗? 然而,我吩咐我仆人——众先知的训言和律例岂不应验在你们祖先的头上了吗?后来他们悔改了,说,万军之耶和华按着我们的所作所为报应了我们,正如祂所言。’”

有关骑士的异象

大流士王二年十一月,即细罢特月二十四日,耶和华的话传给了易多的孙子、比利迦的儿子撒迦利亚先知。 我在夜间看到异象,见有人骑着一匹红马,站在谷中的番石榴树林间,后面有红马、棕马和白马骑士。 我就问:“主啊,这是什么意思?”那位跟我说话的天使说:“我会告诉你这是什么意思。” 10 站在番石榴树林间的那位对我说:“这些是耶和华派来巡视大地的。” 11 其他骑士向站在番石榴树林间的那位耶和华的天使报告说:“我们已经巡视了大地,到处都安宁平静。”

12 耶和华的天使说:“万军之耶和华啊,你向耶路撒冷和犹大的城邑发怒已经七十年了,还要多久你才会怜悯他们呢?” 13 耶和华用仁慈、安慰的话回答那位与我说话的天使。

14 那位天使对我说:“你要宣告,万军之耶和华说,‘我对耶路撒冷,对锡安充满了火热的爱。 15 我对安逸的列国充满愤怒,因为我只是对我的子民稍微不满,列国却大肆祸害他们。’ 16 因此,耶和华说,‘我必怀着怜悯的心回到耶路撒冷,我的殿必在那里重建,必有准绳丈量耶路撒冷。这是万军之耶和华说的。’ 17 你还要宣告,万军之耶和华说,‘我的城邑必再次繁荣昌盛,耶和华必再次安慰锡安,拣选耶路撒冷。’”

有关角和工匠的异象

18 我又举目观看,见有四个角。 19 于是,我问与我说话的天使:“这是什么?”他回答说:“这些是驱散犹大、以色列和耶路撒冷的角。” 20 耶和华又让我看见四个工匠。 21 于是我问:“他们来做什么?”他说:“这些角驱散了犹大,以致无人能抬头,但这些工匠是来威吓列国,并打掉他们用来攻击和驱散犹大的角。”

Zechariah

He exhorteth the people to return to the Lord, and to eschew the wickedness of their fathers. 16 He signifieth the restitution of Jerusalem and the Temple.

In the eighth month of the second year of [a]Darius, came the word of the Lord unto [b]Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the Prophet, saying,

The Lord hath been [c]sore displeased with your fathers.

Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, [d]Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.

Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former (A)Prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Turn you now from your evil ways, and from your wicked works: but they would not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord.

Your fathers, where [e]are they? and do the Prophets live forever?

But did not my words and my statutes, which I commanded by my servants the Prophets, take hold of [f]your fathers? and [g]they returned, and said, As the Lord of hosts hath determined to do unto us according to our own ways, and according to our works, so hath he dealt with us.

Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month [h]Shebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the Prophet, saying,

I [i]saw by night, and behold [j]a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in a bottom, and behind him were there [k]red horses speckled and white.

Then said I, O my Lord, what are these? And the Angel that talked with me, said unto me, I will show thee what these be.

10 And the man that stood among the myrtle trees, answered and said, These are they whom the Lord hath sent to go through the world.

11 And they answered the Angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have gone through the world: and behold, all the world sitteth still and is at rest.

12 Then the [l]Angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou be unmerciful to Jerusalem, and to the cities of Judah, with whom thou hast been displeased now these threescore and ten years?

13 And the Lord answered the Angel that talked with me, with good words and comfortable words.

14 So the Angel that communed with me, said unto me, Cry thou, and speak, thus saith the Lord of hosts, I am [m]jealous over Jerusalem and Zion with a great zeal,

15 And am greatly angry against the careless heathen: for I was angry but [n]a little, and they helped forward the affliction.

16 Therefore thus saith the Lord, I will return unto Jerusalem with tender mercy: mine house shall be built in it, saith the Lord of hosts, and a line [o]shall be stretched upon Jerusalem.

17 Cry yet, and speak, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, My cities shall yet [p]be broken with plenty: the Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.

18 Then lifted I up mine eyes and saw, and behold, [q]four horns.

19 And I said unto the Angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

20 And the Lord showed me four [r]carpenters.

21 Then said I, What come these to do? And he answered, and said, These are the horns, which have scattered Judah, so that a man durst not lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, and to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 1:1 Who was the son of Histaspis.
  2. Zechariah 1:1 This was not that Zechariah, whereof is mentioned 2 Chron. 24:20, but had the same name, and is called the son of Berechiah, as he was, because he came of those progenitors, as of Joiada or Berechiah, and Iddo.
  3. Zechariah 1:2 He speaketh this to fear them with God’s judgments, that they should not provoke him as their fathers had done, whom he so grievously punished.
  4. Zechariah 1:3 Let your fruits declare that you are God’s people, and that he hath wrought in you by his Spirit, and mortified you: for else man hath no power to return to God, but God must convert him, as Jer. 31:18; Lam. 5:21; Isa. 21:8 and 31:6 and 45:21.
  5. Zechariah 1:5 Though your fathers be dead, yet God’s judgments in punishing them ought still to be before your eyes: and though the Prophets be dead, yet their doctrine remaineth forever, 2 Pet. 1:15.
  6. Zechariah 1:6 Seeing ye saw the force of my doctrine in punishing your fathers, why do ye not fear the threatenings contained in the same, and declared by my Prophets?
  7. Zechariah 1:6 As men astonished with my judgments, and not that they were touched with true repentance.
  8. Zechariah 1:7 Which containeth part of January and part of February.
  9. Zechariah 1:8 This vision signifieth the restoration of the Church: but as yet it should not appear to man’s eyes, which is here meant by the night, by the bottom, and by the myrrh trees which are black, and give a dark shadow, yet he compareth God to a King, who hath his posts and messengers abroad by whom he still worketh his purpose and bringeth his matters to pass.
  10. Zechariah 1:8 Who was the chief among the rest of the horsemen.
  11. Zechariah 1:8 These signified the divers offices of God’s Angels by whom God sometimes punisheth and sometimes comforteth and bringeth forth his works in divers sorts.
  12. Zechariah 1:12 That is, Christ the mediator prayed for the salvation of his Church, which was now troubled, when all the countries about them were at rest.
  13. Zechariah 1:14 Though for a time God defer his help and comfort from his Church, yet this declareth that he loveth them still most dearly, as a most merciful father his children, or an husband his wife, and when it is expedient for them, his help is ever ready.
  14. Zechariah 1:15 In destroying the reprobate, I showed myself but a little angry toward my church, but the enemy would have destroyed them also, and considered not the end of my chastisements.
  15. Zechariah 1:16 To measure out the buildings.
  16. Zechariah 1:17 The abundance shall be so great, that the places of store shall not be able to contain these blessings that God will send, but shall even break for fullness.
  17. Zechariah 1:18 Which signified all the enemies of the Church, East, West, North, South.
  18. Zechariah 1:20 These Carpenters or Smiths are God’s instruments, which with their mallets and hammers break these hard and strong horns which should overthrow the Church, and declare that none enemy’s horn is so strong, but God hath an hammer to break it in pieces.