Zechariah 6
English Standard Version
A Vision of Four Chariots
6 Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains. And the mountains were mountains of (A)bronze. 2 The first chariot had (B)red horses, the second (C)black horses, 3 the third (D)white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses—all of them strong.[a] 4 Then I answered and said to (E)the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 And the angel answered and said to me, (F)“These are going out to the four winds of heaven, after (G)presenting themselves before (H)the Lord of all the earth. 6 The chariot with the black horses goes toward (I)the north country, the white ones go after them, and the dappled ones go toward (J)the south country.” 7 When the strong horses came out, they were impatient to go and (K)patrol the earth. And he said, “Go, (L)patrol the earth.” (M)So they patrolled the earth. 8 Then he cried to me, “Behold, those who go toward (N)the north country have set my Spirit at rest in (O)the north country.”
The Crown and the Temple
9 And the word of the Lord came to me: 10 “Take from the exiles (P)Heldai, Tobijah, and (Q)Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon, and go the same day to the house of Josiah, the son of (R)Zephaniah. 11 Take from them silver and gold, and make a crown, (S)and set it on the head of (T)Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 And say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Behold, the man whose name is (U)the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and (V)he shall build the temple of the Lord. 13 (W)It is he who shall build the temple of the Lord (X)and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there[b] shall be a (Y)priest on his throne, (Z)and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”’ 14 And the crown shall be in the temple of the Lord as (AA)a reminder to (AB)Helem,[c] (AC)Tobijah, (AD)Jedaiah, and Hen (AE)the son of Zephaniah.
15 (AF)“And those who are far off shall come and (AG)help to build the temple of the Lord. (AH)And you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. (AI)And this shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.”
Footnotes
- Zechariah 6:3 Or and the fourth chariot strong dappled horses
- Zechariah 6:13 Or he
- Zechariah 6:14 An alternate spelling of Heldai (verse 10)
Zechariah 6
Common English Bible
Eighth night vision
6 I looked up again
and saw four chariots coming out from between two mountains;
the mountains were made of bronze.
2 The first chariot had red horses,
and the second chariot had black horses.
3 The third chariot had white horses,
and the fourth chariot had horses that were heavily spotted.
4 I responded and said to the messenger speaking with me,
“What are these, sir?”
5 The messenger answered and said to me,
“These are the four winds of heaven that are going out
after presenting themselves to the Lord of all the earth.
6 The one with the black horses is going to the north country;
the white ones are going to the west;[a]
and the spotted ones are going south.”
7 Then the powerful ones approached, intent on going to patrol the earth.
He said, “Go! Patrol the earth!”
So they patrolled the earth.
8 Then he called out and said to me,
“Look, the ones going north have provided rest for my spirit in the north.”
9 The Lord’s word came to me:
10 Take silver and gold[b] from the exiles who came from Babylon,
from Heldai, from Tobijah, and from Jedaiah.
As for you, go that same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah.
11 Take silver and gold and make a crown.[c]
Place it on the head of the high priest Joshua, Jehozadak’s son.
12 Say to him,
“The Lord of heavenly forces proclaims:
Here is a man.
His name is Branch, and he will branch out from his place;
he will build the Lord’s temple.
13 He will build the Lord’s temple.
He will be majestic;
he will sit and rule on his throne.
There will be a priest on his throne,
and the two of them will share a peaceable plan.
14 The crown will be a memorial in the Lord’s temple
for Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and for Hen, Zephaniah’s son.
15 People from far away will come and build the Lord’s temple
so you might know that the Lord of heavenly forces has sent me to you.
It will happen if you truly obey the voice of the Lord your God.”
Footnotes
- Zechariah 6:6 Or after them
- Zechariah 6:10 Heb lacks silver and gold; cf 6:11.
- Zechariah 6:11 LXX; Heb crowns, so also 6:14
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible