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Zechariah 6-9
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Zechariah 6-9
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Eighth Vision: Four Chariots
6 Then I looked up again and saw four chariots coming from between two mountains. And the mountains were made of bronze. 2 The first chariot had red horses,(A) the second chariot black horses,(B) 3 the third chariot white horses,(C) and the fourth chariot dappled(D) horses—all strong horses. 4 So I inquired of the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these, my lord?”
5 The angel told me, “These are the four spirits[a](E) of heaven going out after presenting themselves to the Lord of the whole earth. 6 The one with the black horses is going to the land of the north, the white horses are going after them, but the dappled horses are going to the land of the south.” 7 As the strong horses went out, they wanted to go patrol the earth, and the Lord said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth. 8 Then He summoned me saying, “See, those going to the land of the north have pacified My Spirit in the northern land.”
Crowning of the Branch
9 The word of the Lord came to me:(F) 10 “Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon, and go that same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. 11 Take silver and gold, make crowns and place them on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 You are to tell him: This is what the Lord of Hosts says: Here is a man whose name is Branch;(G) He will branch out from His place and build the Lord’s temple. 13 Yes, He will build the Lord’s temple; He will be clothed in splendor(H) and will sit on His throne and rule. There will also be a priest on His throne, and there will be peaceful counsel between the two of them.(I) 14 The crown will reside in the Lord’s temple as a memorial to Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen[b] son of Zephaniah. 15 People who are far off will come and build the Lord’s temple, and you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent Me to you. This will happen when you fully obey the Lord your God.”(J)
Disobedience and Fasting
7 In the fourth year of King Darius,(K) the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. 2 Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer, Regem-melech, and their men to plead for the Lord’s favor(L) 3 by asking the priests who were at the house of the Lord of Hosts as well as the prophets, “Should we mourn and fast in the fifth month as we have done these many years?”
4 Then the word of the Lord of Hosts came to me: 5 “Ask all the people of the land and the priests: When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and in the seventh months for these 70 years, did you really fast for Me?(M) 6 When you eat and drink, don’t you eat and drink simply for yourselves?(N) 7 Aren’t these the words that the Lord proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem was inhabited and secure,[c] along with its surrounding cities, and when the southern region and the Judean foothills were inhabited?”
8 The word of the Lord came to Zechariah: 9 “The Lord of Hosts says this: Make fair decisions.(O) Show faithful love and compassion(P) to one another. 10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor,(Q) and do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.(R) 11 But they refused to pay attention(S) and turned a stubborn shoulder; they closed their ears so they could not hear.(T) 12 They made their hearts like a rock so as not to obey the law or the words that the Lord of Hosts had sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets.(U) Therefore great anger came from the Lord of Hosts. 13 Just as He had called, and they would not listen, so when they called, I would not listen,” says the Lord of Hosts. 14 “I scattered them with a windstorm over all the nations that had not known them, and the land was left desolate behind them, with no one coming or going. They turned a pleasant land into a desolation.”
Obedience and Feasting
8 The word of the Lord of Hosts came: 2 “The Lord of Hosts says this: I am extremely jealous(V) for Zion; I am jealous for her with great wrath.” 3 The Lord says this: “I will return to Zion and live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City,(W) the mountain of the Lord of Hosts, and the Holy Mountain.” 4 The Lord of Hosts says this: “Old men and women will again sit along the streets of Jerusalem, each with a staff in hand because of advanced age. 5 The streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in them.” 6 The Lord of Hosts says this: “Though it may seem incredible to the remnant of this people in those days, should it also seem incredible to Me?”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts. 7 The Lord of Hosts says this: “I will save My people from the land of the east and the land of the west. 8 I will bring them back(X) to live in Jerusalem. They will be My people, and I will be their faithful and righteous God.”(Y)
9 The Lord of Hosts says this: “Let your hands be strong, you who now hear these words that the prophets spoke when the foundations were laid for the rebuilding of the temple, the house of the Lord of Hosts. 10 For prior to those days neither man nor beast had wages. There was no safety from the enemy for anyone who came or went, for I turned everyone against his neighbor. 11 But now, I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts. 12 “For they will sow in peace: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce, and the skies will yield their dew. I will give the remnant of this people all these things as an inheritance.(Z) 13 As you have been a curse among the nations,(AA) house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing.(AB) Don’t be afraid; let your hands be strong.” 14 For the Lord of Hosts says this: “As I resolved to treat you badly when your fathers provoked Me to anger, and I did not relent,” says the Lord of Hosts, 15 “so I have resolved again in these days to do what is good to Jerusalem and the house of Judah.(AC) Don’t be afraid. 16 These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another; make true and sound decisions within your gates. 17 Do not plot evil(AD) in your hearts against your neighbor,(AE) and do not love perjury,(AF) for I hate all this”—this is the Lord’s declaration.
18 Then the word of the Lord of Hosts came to me: 19 “The Lord of Hosts says this: The fast of the fourth month,(AG) the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth(AH) will become times of joy, gladness, and cheerful festivals for the house of Judah. Therefore, love truth and peace.” 20 The Lord of Hosts says this: “Peoples will yet come, the residents of many cities; 21 the residents of one city will go to another, saying: Let’s go at once to plead for the Lord’s favor and to seek the Lord of Hosts. I am also going. 22 Many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem and to plead for the Lord’s favor.”(AI) 23 The Lord of Hosts says this: “In those days, 10 men from nations of every language will grab the robe of a Jewish man tightly, urging: Let us go with you,(AJ) for we have heard that God is with you.”
Judgment of Zion’s Enemies
9 An Oracle
The word of the Lord
is against the land of Hadrach,
and Damascus(AK) is its resting place—
for the eyes of men
and all the tribes of Israel
are on the Lord[d]—
2 and also against Hamath,(AL) which borders it,
as well as Tyre(AM) and Sidon,(AN)
though they are very shrewd.
3 Tyre has built herself a fortress;
she has heaped up silver like dust
and gold like the dirt of the streets.
4 Listen! The Lord will impoverish her
and cast her wealth into the sea;
she herself will be consumed by fire.(AO)
5 Ashkelon will see it and be afraid;
Gaza too, and will writhe in great pain,
as will Ekron, for her hope will fail.
There will cease to be a king in Gaza,
and Ashkelon will become uninhabited.
6 A mongrel people will live in Ashdod,
and I will destroy the pride of the Philistines.(AP)
7 I will remove the blood from their mouths
and the detestable things(AQ)
from between their teeth.
Then they too will become a remnant for our God;
they will become like a clan in Judah
and Ekron like the Jebusites.(AR)
8 I will set up camp at My house against an army,[e]
against those who march back and forth,
and no oppressor will march against them again,
for now I have seen with My own eyes.
The Coming of Zion’s King
9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem!
Look, your King is coming to you;
He is righteous and victorious,[f]
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.(AS)
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the horse from Jerusalem.
The bow of war will be removed,
and He will proclaim peace to the nations.
His dominion will extend from sea to sea,
from the Euphrates River
to the ends of the earth.(AT)
11 As for you,
because of the blood of your covenant,(AU)
I will release your prisoners
from the waterless cistern.(AV)
12 Return to a stronghold,
you prisoners who have hope;
today I declare that I will restore double to you.(AW)
13 For I will bend Judah as My bow;
I will fill that bow with Ephraim.
I will rouse your sons, Zion,
against your sons, Greece.[g](AX)
I will make you like a warrior’s sword.
14 Then the Lord will appear over them,
and His arrow will fly like lightning.
The Lord God will sound the trumpet
and advance with the southern storms.(AY)
15 The Lord of Hosts will defend them.
They will consume and conquer with slingstones;
they will drink and be rowdy as if with wine.(AZ)
They will be as full as the sprinkling basin,(BA)
like those at the corners of the altar.(BB)
16 The Lord their God will save them on that day
as the flock of His people;(BC)
for they are like jewels in a crown,(BD)
sparkling over His land.
17 How lovely and beautiful they will be!
Grain will make the young men flourish,
and new wine, the young women.
Footnotes
- Zechariah 6:5 Or winds
- Zechariah 6:14 Probably Josiah
- Zechariah 7:7 Or prosperous
- Zechariah 9:1 Or eyes of the Lord are on mankind—
- Zechariah 9:8 Or house as a guard
- Zechariah 9:9 Or and has salvation
- Zechariah 9:13 Lit Javan
Zechariah 6-9
New International Version
Zechariah 6-9
New International Version
Four Chariots
6 I looked up again, and there before me were four chariots(A) coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze. 2 The first chariot had red horses, the second black,(B) 3 the third white,(C) 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[a](D) of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world.(E) 6 The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west,[b] 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.(F) 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[c] rest(G) in the land of the north.”(H)
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.(I) Go the same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. 11 Take the silver and gold and make a crown,(J) and set it on the head of the high priest, Joshua(K) son of Jozadak.[d](L) 12 Tell him this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch,(M) and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the Lord.(N) 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[e] will be a priest(O) on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.’ 14 The crown will be given to Heldai,[f] Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen[g] son of Zephaniah as a memorial(P) in the temple of the Lord. 15 Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the Lord,(Q) and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.(R) This will happen if you diligently obey(S) 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(T) on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev.(U) 2 The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melek, together with their men, to entreat(V) the Lord(W) 3 by asking the priests of the house of the Lord Almighty and the prophets, “Should I mourn(X) and fast in the fifth(Y) 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(Z) and mourned in the fifth and seventh(AA) months for the past seventy years,(AB) was it really for me that you fasted? 6 And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?(AC) 7 Are these not the words the Lord proclaimed through the earlier prophets(AD) when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest(AE) and prosperous, and the Negev and the western foothills(AF) were settled?’”(AG)
8 And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: 9 “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice;(AH) show mercy and compassion to one another.(AI) 10 Do not oppress the widow(AJ) or the fatherless, the foreigner(AK) or the poor.(AL) Do not plot evil against each other.’(AM)
11 “But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly(AN) they turned their backs(AO) and covered their ears.(AP) 12 They made their hearts as hard as flint(AQ) and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets.(AR) So the Lord Almighty was very angry.(AS)
13 “‘When I called, they did not listen;(AT) so when they called, I would not listen,’(AU) says the Lord Almighty.(AV) 14 ‘I scattered(AW) them with a whirlwind(AX) among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land they left behind them was so desolate that no one traveled through it.(AY) This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.(AZ)’”
The Lord Promises to Bless Jerusalem
8 The word of the Lord Almighty came to me.
2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “I am very jealous(BA) for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her.”
3 This is what the Lord says: “I will return(BB) to Zion(BC) and dwell in Jerusalem.(BD) Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City,(BE) and the mountain(BF) of the Lord Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.(BG)”
4 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem,(BH) each of them with cane in hand because of their age. 5 The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there.(BI)”
6 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “It may seem marvelous to the remnant of this people at that time,(BJ) but will it seem marvelous to me?(BK)” declares the Lord Almighty.
7 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west.(BL) 8 I will bring them back(BM) to live(BN) in Jerusalem; they will be my people,(BO) and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God.(BP)”
9 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Now hear these words, ‘Let your hands be strong(BQ) so that the temple may be built.’ This is also what the prophets(BR) said who were present when the foundation(BS) was laid for the house of the Lord Almighty. 10 Before that time there were no wages(BT) for people or hire for animals. No one could go about their business safely(BU) because of their enemies, since I had turned everyone against their neighbor. 11 But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as I did in the past,”(BV) declares the Lord Almighty.
12 “The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit,(BW) the ground will produce its crops,(BX) and the heavens will drop their dew.(BY) I will give all these things as an inheritance(BZ) to the remnant of this people.(CA) 13 Just as you, Judah and Israel, have been a curse[h](CB) among the nations, so I will save(CC) you, and you will be a blessing.[i](CD) Do not be afraid,(CE) but let your hands be strong.(CF)”
14 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Just as I had determined to bring disaster(CG) on you and showed no pity when your ancestors angered me,” says the Lord Almighty, 15 “so now I have determined to do good(CH) again to Jerusalem and Judah.(CI) Do not be afraid. 16 These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth(CJ) to each other, and render true and sound judgment(CK) in your courts;(CL) 17 do not plot evil(CM) against each other, and do not love to swear falsely.(CN) I hate all this,” declares the Lord.
18 The word of the Lord Almighty came to me.
19 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “The fasts of the fourth,(CO) fifth,(CP) seventh(CQ) and tenth(CR) months will become joyful(CS) and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth(CT) and peace.”
20 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, 21 and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, ‘Let us go at once to entreat(CU) the Lord and seek(CV) the Lord Almighty. I myself am going.’ 22 And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to entreat him.”(CW)
23 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’”(CX)
Judgment on Israel’s Enemies
9 A prophecy:(CY)
The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrak
and will come to rest on Damascus(CZ)—
for the eyes of all people and all the tribes of Israel
are on the Lord—[j]
2 and on Hamath(DA) too, which borders on it,
and on Tyre(DB) and Sidon,(DC) though they are very skillful.
3 Tyre has built herself a stronghold;
she has heaped up silver like dust,
and gold like the dirt of the streets.(DD)
4 But the Lord will take away her possessions
and destroy(DE) her power on the sea,
and she will be consumed by fire.(DF)
5 Ashkelon(DG) will see it and fear;
Gaza will writhe in agony,
and Ekron too, for her hope will wither.
Gaza will lose her king
and Ashkelon will be deserted.
6 A mongrel people will occupy Ashdod,
and I will put an end(DH) to the pride of the Philistines.
7 I will take the blood from their mouths,
the forbidden food from between their teeth.
Those who are left will belong to our God(DI)
and become a clan in Judah,
and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.(DJ)
8 But I will encamp(DK) at my temple
to guard it against marauding forces.(DL)
Never again will an oppressor overrun my people,
for now I am keeping watch.(DM)
The Coming of Zion’s King
9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!(DN)
Shout,(DO) Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,(DP)
righteous and victorious,(DQ)
lowly and riding on a donkey,(DR)
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.(DS)
10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
and the warhorses from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow will be broken.(DT)
He will proclaim peace(DU) to the nations.
His rule will extend from sea to sea
and from the River[k] to the ends of the earth.(DV)
11 As for you, because of the blood of my covenant(DW) with you,
I will free your prisoners(DX) from the waterless pit.(DY)
12 Return to your fortress,(DZ) you prisoners of hope;
even now I announce that I will restore twice(EA) as much to you.
13 I will bend Judah as I bend my bow(EB)
and fill it with Ephraim.(EC)
I will rouse your sons, Zion,
against your sons, Greece,(ED)
and make you like a warrior’s sword.(EE)
The Lord Will Appear
14 Then the Lord will appear over them;(EF)
his arrow will flash like lightning.(EG)
The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet;(EH)
he will march in the storms(EI) of the south,
15 and the Lord Almighty will shield(EJ) them.
They will destroy
and overcome with slingstones.(EK)
They will drink and roar as with wine;(EL)
they will be full like a bowl(EM)
used for sprinkling[l] the corners(EN) of the altar.
16 The Lord their God will save his people on that day(EO)
as a shepherd saves his flock.
They will sparkle in his land
like jewels in a crown.(EP)
17 How attractive and beautiful they will be!
Grain will make the young men thrive,
and new wine the young women.
Footnotes
- Zechariah 6:5 Or winds
- Zechariah 6:6 Or horses after them
- Zechariah 6:8 Or spirit
- Zechariah 6:11 Hebrew Jehozadak, a variant of Jozadak
- Zechariah 6:13 Or there
- Zechariah 6:14 Syriac; Hebrew Helem
- Zechariah 6:14 Or and the gracious one, the
- Zechariah 8:13 That is, your name has been used in cursing (see Jer. 29:22); or, you have been regarded as under a curse.
- Zechariah 8:13 Or and your name will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or and you will be seen as blessed
- Zechariah 9:1 Or Damascus. / For the eye of the Lord is on all people, / as well as on the tribes of Israel,
- Zechariah 9:10 That is, the Euphrates
- Zechariah 9:15 Or bowl, / like
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