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Në muajin e tetë të vitit të dytë të Darit, fjala e Zotit iu drejtua Zakarias, birit të Berekiahut, bir i Idos, profet, duke thënë:

"Zoti ishte zemëruar shumë me etërit tuaj.

Prandaj u thuaj: Kështu thotë Zoti i ushtrive: Kthehuni tek unë, thotë Zoti i ushtrive, dhe unë do të kthehem te ju," thotë Zoti i ushtrive.

"Mos u bëni si etërit tuaj, të cilëve profetët e së kualuarës u kanë shpallur, duke thënë: "Kështu thotë Zoti i ushtrive: Konvertohuni nga rrugët tuaja të këqija dhe nga veprat tuaja të këqija". Por ata nuk dëgjuan dhe nuk më kushtuan vemendje," thotë Zoti.

"Etërit tuaj ku janë? Po profetët a rrojnë vallë përjetë?

Vallë fjalët e mia dhe statutet e mia që ua kisha besuar shërbëtorëve të mi, profetëve, nuk arritën te etërit tuaj? Kështu ata u konvertuan dhe thanë: "Ashtu si kishte vendosur të vepronte me ne Zoti i ushtrive, në bazë të rrugëve tona dhe të veprave tona, kështu veproi me ne"".

Më njëzet e katër të muajit të njëmbëdhjetë, që është muaji i Shebatit, në vitin e dytë të Darit, fjala e Zotit iu drejtua Zakarias, birit të Berekiahut, bir i Idos, profet, duke thënë:

Natën pata një vegim; dhe ja, një burrë, që i kishte hipur një kali të kuq, rrinte midis shkurreve të mërsinave në një gropë të thellë dhe prapa tij kishte kuaj të kuq, të kuqërremë dhe të bardhë.

Unë pyeta: "Imzot, çfarë kuptimi kanë këto gjëra?". Engjëlli që fliste me mua m’u përgjigj: "Unë do të të bëj të shohësh çfarë kuptimi kanë ato".

10 Atëherë burri që rrinte midis shkurreve të mërsinave nisi të thotë: Këta janë ata që i ka dërguar Zoti për të përshkuar dheunn".

11 Kështu iu përgjigjën ata engjëllit të Zotit i cili rrinte midis shkurreve të mërsinave: "Kemi përshkuar dheun dhe ja, gjithë dheu është në pushim dhe i qetë".

12 Atëherë engjëlli i Zotit nisi të thotë: "O Zoti i ushtrive, deri kur do të vazhdosh të mos kesh mëshirë për Jeruzalemin dhe për qytetet e Judës kundër të cilave ke qënë i zemëruar gjatë këtyre shtatëdhjetë vjetëve?".

13 Pastaj Zoti i tha disa fjalë të mira, fjalë inkurajimi, engjëllit që fliste me mua.

14 Kështu engjëlli që fliste me mua më tha: "Bërtit dhe thuaj: Kështu thotë Zoti i ushtrive: "Unë jam shumë xheloz për Jeruzalemin dhe për Sionin;

15 por jam zemëruar shumë me kombet që jetojnë në mirëqenie, sepse, kur isha zemëruar pak, ata luajtën rol për ta shtuar të keqen".

16 Prandaj kështu thotë Zoti: "Unë po i drejtohem përsëri Jeruzalemit me mëshirë; tempulli im do të rindërtohet aty, thotë Zoti i ushtrive, dhe litari do të nderet mbi Jeruzalem".

17 Bërtit akoma dhe thuaj: "Kështu thotë Zoti i ushtrive: Qytetet e mia do të jenë plot e përplot me pasuri; Zoti do të ngushëllojë akoma Sionin dhe do të zgjedhë akoma Jeruzalemin"".

18 Pastaj i çova sytë, shikova dhe ja, katër brirë.

19 Unë e pyeta engjëllin që fliste me mua: "Çfarë janë këta?". Ai m’u përgjigj: "Këta janë brirët që kanë shpërndarë Judën, Izraelin dhe Jeruzalemin".

20 Pastaj Zoti më bëri të shoh katër kovaçë.

21 Unë pyeta: "Pse kanë ardhur këta, çfarë do të bëjnë?". Ai u përgjigj dhe tha: "Këta janë brirët që kanë shpërndarë Judën, kështu që askush nuk mund të çonte kokën lart, por këta kovaçë vijnë për t’i trembur, për të rrëzuar brirët e kombeve që e kanë ngritur bririn e tyre kundër vendit të Judës për ta shpërndarë".

A Call to Return to the Lord

In the eighth month of the second year of Darius,(A) the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah(B) son of Berekiah,(C) the son of Iddo:(D)

“The Lord was very angry(E) with your ancestors. Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return(F) to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’(G) says the Lord Almighty. Do not be like your ancestors,(H) to whom the earlier prophets(I) proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways(J) and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me,(K) declares the Lord.(L) Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live forever? But did not my words(M) and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors?(N)

“Then they repented and said, ‘The Lord Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve,(O) just as he determined to do.’”(P)

The Man Among the Myrtle Trees

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 son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo.(Q)

During the night I had a vision, and there before me was a man mounted on a red(R) horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses.(S)

I asked, “What are these, my lord?”

The angel(T) who was talking with me answered, “I will show you what they are.”(U)

10 Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They are the ones the Lord has sent to go throughout the earth.”(V)

11 And they reported to the angel of the Lord(W) who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace.”(X)

12 Then the angel of the Lord said, “Lord Almighty, how long(Y) will you withhold mercy(Z) from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah,(AA) which you have been angry with these seventy(AB) years?” 13 So the Lord spoke(AC) kind and comforting words(AD) to the angel who talked with me.(AE)

14 Then the angel who was speaking to me said, “Proclaim this word: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I am very jealous(AF) for Jerusalem and Zion, 15 and I am very angry with the nations that feel secure.(AG) I was only a little angry,(AH) but they went too far with the punishment.’(AI)

16 “Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will return(AJ) to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line(AK) will be stretched out over Jerusalem,’ declares the Lord Almighty.(AL)

17 “Proclaim further: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort(AM) Zion and choose(AN) Jerusalem.’”(AO)

Four Horns and Four Craftsmen

18 Then I looked up, and there before me were four horns. 19 I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these?”

He answered me, “These are the horns(AP) that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.”

20 Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. 21 I asked, “What are these coming to do?”

He answered, “These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise their head, but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns(AQ) against the land of Judah to scatter its people.”[a](AR)

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 1:21 In Hebrew texts 1:18-21 is numbered 2:1-4.

In the eighth month, 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,

The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers.

Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; 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 prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord.

Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?

But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, 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 saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there 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 shew 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 walk to and fro through the earth.

11 And they answered the angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.

12 Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation 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, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.

15 And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.

16 Therefore thus saith the Lord; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.

17 Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.

18 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold 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 shewed me four carpenters.

21 Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.