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Zechariah 6-9
English Standard Version
Zechariah 6-9
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.”
A Call for Justice and Mercy
7 (AJ)In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is (AK)Chislev. 2 Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men (AL)to entreat the favor of the Lord, 3 (AM)saying to the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts and (AN)the prophets, “Should I weep and (AO)abstain in (AP)the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?”
4 Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me: 5 “Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in (AQ)the fifth month and in (AR)the seventh, for these (AS)seventy years, (AT)was it (AU)for me that you fasted? 6 (AV)And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? 7 (AW)Were not these the words that the Lord proclaimed (AX)by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, (AY)with her cities around her, and the (AZ)South and the (BA)lowland were inhabited?’”
8 And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, (BB)Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, 10 (BC)do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, (BD)or the poor, and (BE)let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” 11 But (BF)they refused to pay attention (BG)and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear.[d] 12 (BH)They made their hearts diamond-hard (BI)lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent (BJ)by his Spirit through (BK)the former prophets. (BL)Therefore great anger came from the Lord of hosts. 13 (BM)“As I[e] called, and they would not hear, (BN)so they called, and I would not hear,” says the Lord of hosts, 14 (BO)“and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all (BP)the nations that they had not known. (BQ)Thus the land they left was desolate, (BR)so that no one went to and fro, (BS)and the pleasant land was made desolate.”
The Coming Peace and Prosperity of Zion
8 And the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: (BT)I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. 3 Thus says the Lord: (BU)I have returned to Zion and (BV)will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, (BW)and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, (BX)and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain. 4 Thus says the Lord of hosts: (BY)Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. 5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. 6 Thus says the Lord of hosts: (BZ)If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, (CA)should it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the Lord of hosts? 7 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, (CB)I will save my people (CC)from the east country and from the west country, 8 and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. (CD)And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, (CE)in faithfulness and in righteousness.”
9 Thus says the Lord of hosts: (CF)“Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of (CG)the prophets who were present on (CH)the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. 10 For before those days (CI)there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor. 11 But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, declares the Lord of hosts. 12 (CJ)For there shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, (CK)and the heavens shall give their dew. (CL)And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. 13 And as (CM)you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, (CN)so will I save you, and (CO)you shall be a blessing. (CP)Fear not, but (CQ)let your hands be strong.”
14 For thus says the Lord of hosts: (CR)“As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the Lord of hosts, 15 so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; (CS)fear not. 16 These are the things that you shall do: (CT)Speak the truth to one another; (CU)render in your gates judgments (CV)that are true and make for peace; 17 (CW)do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and (CX)love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord.”
18 And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 19 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: The fast of the (CY)fourth month and the fast of the (CZ)fifth and the fast of the (DA)seventh and the fast of the (DB)tenth shall be to the house of Judah (DC)seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love (DD)truth and peace.
20 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. 21 The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, (DE)‘Let us go at once (DF)to entreat the favor of the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts; I myself am going.’ 22 (DG)Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and (DH)to entreat the favor of the Lord. 23 Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days (DI)ten men (DJ)from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for (DK)we have heard that God is with you.’”
Judgment on Israel's Enemies
9 The oracle of the word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach
and (DL)Damascus is its resting place.
For the Lord has an eye on mankind
and on all the tribes of Israel,[f]
2 (DM)and on Hamath also, which borders on it,
(DN)Tyre and (DO)Sidon, though (DP)they are very wise.
3 Tyre has built herself (DQ)a rampart
and (DR)heaped up silver like dust,
and fine gold like the mud of the streets.
4 But behold, the Lord will strip her of her possessions
and strike down (DS)her power on the sea,
and (DT)she shall be devoured by fire.
5 (DU)Ashkelon shall see it, and be afraid;
Gaza too, and shall writhe in anguish;
Ekron also, because its hopes are confounded.
The king shall perish from Gaza;
Ashkelon shall be uninhabited;
6 (DV)a mixed people[g] shall dwell in Ashdod,
and I will cut off the pride of Philistia.
7 I will take away (DW)its blood from its mouth,
and (DX)its abominations from between its teeth;
(DY)it too shall be a remnant for our God;
it shall be like (DZ)a clan in Judah,
and Ekron shall be like the Jebusites.
8 Then (EA)I will encamp at my house as a guard,
(EB)so that none shall march to and fro;
(EC)no oppressor shall again march over them,
(ED)for now I see with my own eyes.
The Coming King of Zion
9 (EE)Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
(EF)Behold, (EG)your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
(EH)humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 (EI)I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and (EJ)the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
and (EK)he shall speak peace to the nations;
(EL)his rule shall be from sea to sea,
and from (EM)the River[h] to the ends of the earth.
11 As for you also, because of (EN)the blood of my covenant with you,
(EO)I will set your prisoners free from (EP)the waterless pit.
12 Return to your stronghold, O (EQ)prisoners of hope;
today I declare that (ER)I will restore to you double.
13 For (ES)I have bent Judah as my bow;
I have made Ephraim its arrow.
I will stir up your sons, O Zion,
against your sons, (ET)O Greece,
and wield you like a warrior's sword.
The Lord Will Save His People
14 Then the Lord will appear over them,
and (EU)his arrow will go forth like lightning;
(EV)the Lord God will sound the trumpet
and will march forth in (EW)the whirlwinds (EX)of the south.
15 The Lord of hosts (EY)will protect them,
and (EZ)they shall devour, (FA)and tread down the sling stones,
and (FB)they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine,
and be full like a bowl,
drenched (FC)like the corners of the altar.
16 On that day the Lord their God will save them,
as (FD)the flock of his people;
for (FE)like the jewels of a crown
they shall shine on his land.
17 (FF)For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty!
(FG)Grain shall make the young men flourish,
and new wine the young women.
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 7:11 Hebrew and made their ears too heavy to hear
- Zechariah 7:13 Hebrew he
- Zechariah 9:1 Or For the eye of mankind, especially of all the tribes of Israel, is toward the Lord
- Zechariah 9:6 Or a foreign people; Hebrew a bastard
- Zechariah 9:10 That is, the Euphrates
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
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.