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Zechariah 1-7
New King James Version

A Call to Repentance(A)

1 In the eighth month (B)of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came (C)to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of (D)Iddo the prophet, saying, 2 “The Lord has been very angry with your fathers. 3 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Return (E)to Me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. 4 “Do not be like your fathers, (F)to whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: (G)“Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.” ’ But they did not hear nor heed Me,” says the Lord.

5 “Your fathers, where are they?
And the prophets, do they live forever?
6 Yet surely (H)My words and My statutes,
Which I commanded My servants the prophets,
Did they not overtake your fathers?

“So they returned and said:

(I)‘Just as the Lord of hosts determined to do to us,
According to our ways and according to our deeds,
So He has dealt with us.’ ” ’ ”

Vision of the Horses

7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet: 8 I saw by night, and behold, (J)a man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were (K)horses: red, sorrel, and white. 9 Then I said, (L)“My lord, what are these?” So the angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what they are.”

10 And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, (M)“These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth.”

11 (N)So they answered the Angel of the Lord, who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, “We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth is [a]resting quietly.”

The Lord Will Comfort Zion

12 Then the Angel of the Lord answered and said, “O Lord of hosts, (O)how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry (P)these seventy years?”

13 And the Lord answered the angel who talked to me, with (Q)good and comforting words. 14 So the angel who spoke with me said to me, [b]“Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts:

“I am (R)zealous[c] for Jerusalem
And for Zion with great [d]zeal.
15 I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease;
For (S)I was a little angry,
And they helped—but with evil intent.”

16 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord:

(T)“I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy;
My (U)house (V)shall be built in it,” says the Lord of hosts,
“And (W)a surveyor’s line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.” ’

17 “Again proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts:

“My cities shall again [e]spread out through prosperity;
(X)The Lord will again comfort Zion,
And (Y)will again choose Jerusalem.” ’ ”

Vision of the Horns

18 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were four (Z)horns. 19 And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these?”

So he answered me, (AA)“These are the [f]horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”

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

So he said, “These are the (AB)horns that scattered Judah, so that no one could lift up his head; but [g]the craftsmen are coming to terrify them, to cast out the horns of the nations that (AC)lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.”

Vision of the Measuring Line

2 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, (AD)a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 So I said, “Where are you going?”

And he said to me, (AE)“To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.”

3 And there was the angel who talked with me, going out; and another angel was coming out to meet him, 4 who said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying: (AF)‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it. 5 For I,’ says the Lord, ‘will be (AG)a wall of fire all around her, (AH)and I will be the glory in her midst.’ ”

Future Joy of Zion and Many Nations

6 “Up, up! Flee (AI)from the land of the north,” says the Lord; “for I have (AJ)spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven,” says the Lord. 7 “Up, Zion! (AK)Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.”

8 For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who (AL)touches you touches the [h]apple of His eye. 9 For surely I will (AM)shake My hand against them, and they shall become [i]spoil for their servants. Then (AN)you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me.

10 (AO)“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I (AP)will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord. 11 (AQ)“Many nations shall be joined to the Lord (AR)in that day, and they shall become (AS)My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then (AT)you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. 12 And the Lord will (AU)take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem. 13 (AV)Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused (AW)from His holy habitation!”

Vision of the High Priest

3 Then he showed me (AX)Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and (AY)Satan[j] standing at his right hand to oppose him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, (AZ)“The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who (BA)has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! (BB)Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”

3 Now Joshua was clothed with (BC)filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.

4 Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, (BD)and I will clothe you with rich robes.”

5 And I said, “Let them put a clean (BE)turban on his head.”

So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by.

The Coming Branch

6 Then the Angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying, 7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

‘If you will walk in My ways,
And if you will (BF)keep My command,
Then you shall also (BG)judge My house,
And likewise have charge of My courts;
I will give you places to walk
Among these who (BH)stand here.

8 ‘Hear, O Joshua, the high priest,
You and your companions who sit before you,
For they are (BI)a[k] wondrous sign;
For behold, I am bringing forth (BJ)My Servant the (BK)BRANCH.
9 For behold, the stone
That I have laid before Joshua:
(BL)Upon the stone are (BM)seven eyes.
Behold, I will engrave its inscription,’
Says the Lord of hosts,
‘And (BN)I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
10 (BO)In that day,’ says the Lord of hosts,
‘Everyone will invite his neighbor
(BP)Under his vine and under his fig tree.’ ”

Vision of the Lampstand and Olive Trees

4 Now (BQ)the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, (BR)as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?”

So I said, “I am looking, and there is (BS)a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, (BT)and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. 3 (BU)Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left.” 4 So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?”

5 Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?”

And I said, “No, my lord.”

6 So he answered and said to me:

“This is the word of the Lord to (BV)Zerubbabel:
(BW)‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’
Says the Lord of hosts.
7 ‘Who are you, (BX)O great mountain?
Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!
And he shall bring forth (BY)the capstone
(BZ)With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’ ”

8 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

9 “The hands of Zerubbabel
(CA)Have laid the foundation of this [l]temple;
His hands (CB)shall also finish it.
Then (CC)you will know
That the (CD)Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.
10 For who has despised the day of (CE)small things?
For these seven rejoice to see
The [m]plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
(CF)They are the eyes of the Lord,
Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”

11 Then I answered and said to him, “What are these (CG)two olive trees—at the right of the lampstand and at its left?” 12 And I further answered and said to him, “What are these two olive branches that drip [n]into the receptacles of the two gold pipes from which the golden oil drains?”

13 Then he answered me and said, “Do you not know what these are?”

And I said, “No, my lord.”

14 So he said, (CH)“These are the two [o]anointed ones, (CI)who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.”

Vision of the Flying Scroll

5 Then I turned and raised my eyes, and saw there a flying (CJ)scroll.

2 And he said to me, “What do you see?”

So I answered, “I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits.”

3 Then he said to me, “This is the (CK)curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth: ‘Every thief shall be expelled,’ according to this side of the scroll; and, ‘Every perjurer shall be expelled,’ according to that side of it.”

4 “I will send out the curse,” says the Lord of hosts;
“It shall enter the house of the (CL)thief
And the house of (CM)the one who swears falsely by My name.
It shall remain in the midst of his house
And consume (CN)it, with its timber and stones.”

Vision of the Woman in a Basket

5 Then the angel who talked with me came out and said to me, “Lift your eyes now, and see what this is that goes forth.”

6 So I asked, “What is it?” And he said, “It is a [p]basket that is going forth.”

He also said, “This is their resemblance throughout the earth: 7 Here is a lead disc lifted up, and this is a woman sitting inside the basket”; 8 then he said, “This is Wickedness!” And he thrust her down into the basket, and threw the lead [q]cover over its mouth. 9 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were two women, coming with the wind in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a (CO)stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven.

10 So I said to the (CP)angel who talked with me, “Where are they carrying the basket?”

11 And he said to me, “To (CQ)build a house for it in (CR)the land of [r]Shinar; when it is ready, the basket will be set there on its base.”

Vision of the Four Chariots

6 Then I turned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2 With the first chariot were (CS)red horses, with the second chariot (CT)black horses, 3 with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot dappled horses—strong steeds. 4 Then I answered (CU)and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”

5 And the angel answered and said to me, (CV)“These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their (CW)station before the Lord of all the earth. 6 [s]The one with the black horses is going to (CX)the north country, the white are going after them, and the dappled are going toward the south country.” 7 Then the strong steeds went out, eager to go, that they might (CY)walk to and fro throughout the earth. And He said, “Go, walk to and fro throughout the earth.” So they walked to and fro throughout the earth. 8 And He called to me, and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My (CZ)Spirit in the north country.”

The Command to Crown Joshua

9 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 10 “Receive the gift from the captives—from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have come from Babylon—and go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah. 11 Take the silver and gold, make (DA)an[t] elaborate crown, and set it on the head of (DB)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 Then speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying:

“Behold, (DC)the Man whose name is the (DD)BRANCH!
From His place He shall [u]branch out,
(DE)And He shall build the temple of the Lord;
13 Yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord.
He (DF)shall bear the glory,
And shall sit and rule on His throne;
So (DG)He shall be a priest on His throne,
And the counsel of peace shall be between [v]them both.” ’

14 “Now the [w]elaborate crown shall be (DH)for a memorial in the temple of the Lord [x]for Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah. 15 Even (DI)those from afar shall come and build the temple of the Lord. Then you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. And this shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.”

Obedience Better than Fasting

7 Now in the fourth year of King Darius it came to pass that the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Chislev, 2 when [y]the people sent [z]Sherezer, with Regem-Melech and his men, to [aa]the house of God, [ab]to pray before the Lord, 3 and to (DJ)ask the priests who were in the house of the Lord of hosts, and the prophets, saying, “Should I weep in (DK)the fifth month and [ac]fast as I have done for so many years?”

4 Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 5 “Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: ‘When you (DL)fasted and mourned in the fifth (DM)and seventh months (DN)during those seventy years, did you really fast (DO)for Me—for Me? 6 (DP)When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves? 7 Should you not have obeyed the words which the Lord proclaimed through the (DQ)former prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around it were inhabited and prosperous, and (DR)the [ad]South and the Lowland were inhabited?’ ”

Disobedience Resulted in Captivity

8 Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

(DS)‘Execute true justice,
Show [ae]mercy and compassion
Everyone to his brother.
10 (DT)Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless,
The alien or the poor.
(DU)Let none of you plan evil in his heart
Against his brother.’

11 “But they refused to heed, (DV)shrugged[af] their shoulders, and (DW)stopped[ag] their ears so that they could not hear. 12 Yes, they made their (DX)hearts like flint, (DY)refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. (DZ)Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. 13 Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so (EA)they called out and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts. 14 “But (EB)I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate.”

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 1:11 Lit. sitting and quiet
  2. Zechariah 1:14 Lit. Cry out
  3. Zechariah 1:14 Or jealous
  4. Zechariah 1:14 Or jealousy
  5. Zechariah 1:17 Or overflow with good
  6. Zechariah 1:19 Kingdoms or powers
  7. Zechariah 1:21 Lit. these
  8. Zechariah 2:8 Lit. pupil
  9. Zechariah 2:9 booty or plunder
  10. Zechariah 3:1 Lit. the Adversary
  11. Zechariah 3:8 Lit. men of a sign or wonder
  12. Zechariah 4:9 Lit. house
  13. Zechariah 4:10 Lit. plummet stone
  14. Zechariah 4:12 Lit. into the hands of
  15. Zechariah 4:14 Lit. sons of fresh oil
  16. Zechariah 5:6 Heb. ephah, a measuring container, and so elsewhere
  17. Zechariah 5:8 Lit. stone
  18. Zechariah 5:11 Babylon
  19. Zechariah 6:6 The chariot
  20. Zechariah 6:11 Lit. crowns
  21. Zechariah 6:12 Lit. sprout up
  22. Zechariah 6:13 Both offices
  23. Zechariah 6:14 Lit. crowns
  24. Zechariah 6:14 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; Syr. for Heldai (cf. v. 10); LXX for the patient ones
  25. Zechariah 7:2 Lit. they, cf. v. 5
  26. Zechariah 7:2 Or Sar-Ezer
  27. Zechariah 7:2 Heb. Bethel
  28. Zechariah 7:2 Or to entreat the favor of
  29. Zechariah 7:3 Lit. consecrate myself
  30. Zechariah 7:7 Heb. Negev
  31. Zechariah 7:9 Or lovingkindness
  32. Zechariah 7:11 Lit. gave a stubborn or rebellious shoulder
  33. Zechariah 7:11 Lit. made their ears heavy
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Zechariah 1-7
New International Version

A Call to Return to the Lord

1 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)

2 “The Lord was very angry(E) with your ancestors. 3 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. 4 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) 5 Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live forever? 6 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

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

8 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)

9 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)

A Man With a Measuring Line

2 [b]Then I looked up, and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 I asked, “Where are you going?”

He answered me, “To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is.”(AS)

3 While the angel who was speaking to me was leaving, another angel came to meet him 4 and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls(AT) because of the great number(AU) of people and animals in it.(AV) 5 And I myself will be a wall(AW) of fire(AX) around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory(AY) within.’(AZ)

6 “Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “for I have scattered(BA) you to the four winds of heaven,”(BB) declares the Lord.(BC)

7 “Come, Zion! Escape,(BD) you who live in Daughter Babylon!”(BE) 8 For this is what the Lord Almighty says: “After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye(BF)— 9 I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them.[c](BG) Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me.(BH)

10 “Shout(BI) and be glad, Daughter Zion.(BJ) For I am coming,(BK) and I will live among you,”(BL) declares the Lord.(BM) 11 “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people.(BN) I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.(BO) 12 The Lord will inherit(BP) Judah(BQ) as his portion in the holy land and will again choose(BR) Jerusalem. 13 Be still(BS) before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.(BT)”

Clean Garments for the High Priest

3 Then he showed me Joshua(BU) the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan[d](BV) standing at his right side to accuse him. 2 The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you,(BW) Satan! The Lord, who has chosen(BX) Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick(BY) snatched from the fire?”(BZ)

3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.”

Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin,(CA) and I will put fine garments(CB) on you.”

5 Then I said, “Put a clean turban(CC) on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by.

6 The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: 7 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements,(CD) then you will govern my house(CE) and have charge(CF) of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.(CG)

8 “‘Listen, High Priest(CH) Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic(CI) of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.(CJ) 9 See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua!(CK) There are seven eyes[e](CL) on that one stone,(CM) and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin(CN) of this land in a single day.

10 “‘In that day each of you will invite your neighbor to sit(CO) under your vine and fig tree,(CP)’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

The Gold Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees

4 Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke(CQ) me up, like someone awakened from sleep.(CR) 2 He asked me, “What do you see?”(CS)

I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand(CT) with a bowl at the top and seven lamps(CU) on it, with seven channels to the lamps. 3 Also there are two olive trees(CV) by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”

4 I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”

5 He answered, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I replied.(CW)

6 So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:(CX) ‘Not(CY) by might nor by power,(CZ) but by my Spirit,’(DA) says the Lord Almighty.

7 “What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground.(DB) Then he will bring out the capstone(DC) to shouts(DD) of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’”

8 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation(DE) of this temple; his hands will also complete it.(DF) Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me(DG) to you.

10 “Who dares despise the day(DH) of small things,(DI) since the seven eyes(DJ) of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone[f] in the hand of Zerubbabel?”(DK)

11 Then I asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees(DL) on the right and the left of the lampstand?”

12 Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?”

13 He replied, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I said.

14 So he said, “These are the two who are anointed(DM) to[g] serve the Lord of all the earth.”

The Flying Scroll

5 I looked again, and there before me was a flying scroll.(DN)

2 He asked me, “What do you see?”(DO)

I answered, “I see a flying scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.[h]”

3 And he said to me, “This is the curse(DP) that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief(DQ) will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely(DR) will be banished. 4 The Lord Almighty declares, ‘I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely(DS) by my name. It will remain in that house and destroy it completely, both its timbers and its stones.(DT)’”

The Woman in a Basket

5 Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, “Look up and see what is appearing.”

6 I asked, “What is it?”

He replied, “It is a basket.(DU)” And he added, “This is the iniquity[i] of the people throughout the land.”

7 Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! 8 He said, “This is wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed its lead cover down on it.(DV)

9 Then I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork,(DW) and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth.

10 “Where are they taking the basket?” I asked the angel who was speaking to me.

11 He replied, “To the country of Babylonia[j](DX) to build a house(DY) for it. When the house is ready, the basket will be set there in its place.”(DZ)

Four Chariots

6 I looked up again, and there before me were four chariots(EA) coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze. 2 The first chariot had red horses, the second black,(EB) 3 the third white,(EC) and the fourth dappled—all of them powerful. 4 I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these, my lord?”

5 The angel answered me, “These are the four spirits[k](ED) of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world.(EE) 6 The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west,[l] and the one with the dappled horses toward the south.”

7 When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earth.(EF) And he said, “Go throughout the earth!” So they went throughout the earth.

8 Then he called to me, “Look, those going toward the north country have given my Spirit[m] rest(EG) in the land of the north.”(EH)

A Crown for Joshua

9 The word of the Lord came to me: 10 “Take silver and gold from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon.(EI) Go the same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. 11 Take the silver and gold and make a crown,(EJ) and set it on the head of the high priest, Joshua(EK) son of Jozadak.[n](EL) 12 Tell him this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch,(EM) and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the Lord.(EN) 13 It is he who will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he[o] will be a priest(EO) on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.’ 14 The crown will be given to Heldai,[p] Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen[q] son of Zephaniah as a memorial(EP) in the temple of the Lord. 15 Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the Lord,(EQ) and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.(ER) This will happen if you diligently obey(ES) the Lord your God.”

Justice and Mercy, Not Fasting

7 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah(ET) on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev.(EU) 2 The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melek, together with their men, to entreat(EV) the Lord(EW) 3 by asking the priests of the house of the Lord Almighty and the prophets, “Should I mourn(EX) and fast in the fifth(EY) month, as I have done for so many years?”

4 Then the word of the Lord Almighty came to me: 5 “Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted(EZ) and mourned in the fifth and seventh(FA) months for the past seventy years,(FB) was it really for me that you fasted? 6 And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?(FC) 7 Are these not the words the Lord proclaimed through the earlier prophets(FD) when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest(FE) and prosperous, and the Negev and the western foothills(FF) were settled?’”(FG)

8 And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: 9 “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice;(FH) show mercy and compassion to one another.(FI) 10 Do not oppress the widow(FJ) or the fatherless, the foreigner(FK) or the poor.(FL) Do not plot evil against each other.’(FM)

11 “But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly(FN) they turned their backs(FO) and covered their ears.(FP) 12 They made their hearts as hard as flint(FQ) and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets.(FR) So the Lord Almighty was very angry.(FS)

13 “‘When I called, they did not listen;(FT) so when they called, I would not listen,’(FU) says the Lord Almighty.(FV) 14 ‘I scattered(FW) them with a whirlwind(FX) among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land they left behind them was so desolate that no one traveled through it.(FY) This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.(FZ)’”

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 1:21 In Hebrew texts 1:18-21 is numbered 2:1-4.
  2. Zechariah 2:1 In Hebrew texts 2:1-13 is numbered 2:5-17.
  3. Zechariah 2:9 Or says after … eye: 9 “I … plunder them.”
  4. Zechariah 3:1 Hebrew satan means adversary.
  5. Zechariah 3:9 Or facets
  6. Zechariah 4:10 Or the plumb line
  7. Zechariah 4:14 Or two who bring oil and
  8. Zechariah 5:2 That is, about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide or about 9 meters long and 4.5 meters wide
  9. Zechariah 5:6 Or appearance
  10. Zechariah 5:11 Hebrew Shinar
  11. Zechariah 6:5 Or winds
  12. Zechariah 6:6 Or horses after them
  13. Zechariah 6:8 Or spirit
  14. Zechariah 6:11 Hebrew Jehozadak, a variant of Jozadak
  15. Zechariah 6:13 Or there
  16. Zechariah 6:14 Syriac; Hebrew Helem
  17. Zechariah 6:14 Or and the gracious one, the
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