Zechariah 6-7
New American Standard Bible
The Four Chariots
6 Now I raised my eyes again and looked, and behold, (A)four chariots were going out from between the two mountains; and the mountains were bronze mountains. 2 With the first chariot were (B)red horses, with the second chariot (C)black horses, 3 with the third chariot (D)white horses, and with the fourth chariot strong (E)spotted horses. 4 So I responded and said to the angel who was speaking with me, “(F)What are these, my lord?” 5 The angel replied to me, “These are the (G)four spirits of heaven, going out after taking their stand before the Lord of all the earth, 6 with one of which the black horses are going out to the (H)north country; and the white ones are to go out after them, while the spotted ones are to go out to the (I)south country.” 7 When the strong ones went out, they [a]were eager to go to [b](J)patrol the earth. And He said, “Go, [c]patrol the earth.” So they [d]patrolled the earth. 8 Then He called out to me and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who are going to the land of the north have [e](K)appeased My wrath in the land of the north.”
9 The (L)word of the Lord also came to me, saying, 10 “(M)Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah; and you shall go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have arrived from Babylon.
The Symbolic Crowns
11 Also take silver and gold, make an ornate (N)crown, and set it on the head of (O)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 Then say to him, ‘The Lord of armies says this: “Behold, there is a Man whose name is [f](P)Branch, for He will [g](Q)branch out from where He is; and He will (R)build the temple of the Lord. 13 Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will (S)bear the majesty and sit and (T)rule on His throne. So He will be a (U)priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two [h]offices.”’ 14 Now the (V)crown will become a reminder in the temple of the Lord to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and [i]Hen the son of Zephaniah. 15 (W)Those who are far away will come and [j]build the temple of the Lord.” Then you will (X)know that the Lord of armies has sent me to you. And it will take place if you completely (Y)obey [k]the Lord your God.
7 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 (Z)Chislev. 2 Now the town of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and [l]their men to [m](AA)seek the favor of the Lord, 3 speaking to the (AB)priests who belong to the house of the Lord of armies, and to the prophets, saying, “Shall I weep in the (AC)fifth month [n]and fast, as I have done these many years?” 4 Then the word of the Lord of armies came to me, saying, 5 “Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months [o]these (AD)seventy years, was it actually for (AE)Me that you fasted? 6 And when you eat and drink, [p]do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? 7 Are these not the words which the Lord (AF)proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and (AG)carefree along with its cities around it, and the [q](AH)Negev and the [r]foothills were inhabited?’”
8 Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “This is what the Lord of armies has said: ‘(AI)Dispense true justice and practice (AJ)kindness and compassion each to his brother; 10 and (AK)do not oppress the widow or the [s]orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do (AL)not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’ 11 But they (AM)refused to pay attention, and [t](AN)turned a stubborn shoulder and [u](AO)plugged their ears from hearing. 12 They also made their (AP)hearts as hard as (AQ)a diamond [v]so that they could not hear the Law and the (AR)words which the Lord of armies had sent by His Spirit through the (AS)former prophets; therefore great (AT)wrath came from the Lord of armies. 13 And just as (AU)He called and they would not listen, so (AV)they called and I would not listen,” says the Lord of armies; 14 “but I [w](AW)scattered them with a (AX)storm wind among all the nations whom they did not know. So the land was (AY)desolated behind them [x]so that (AZ)no one went back and forth, since they (BA)made the pleasant land desolate.”
Footnotes
- Zechariah 6:7 Lit sought to go
- Zechariah 6:7 Lit walk about through
- Zechariah 6:7 Lit walk about through
- Zechariah 6:7 Lit walked about through
- Zechariah 6:8 Lit pacified My spirit in
- Zechariah 6:12 Lit Sprout
- Zechariah 6:12 Lit sprout up
- Zechariah 6:13 Lit of them
- Zechariah 6:14 I.e., Josiah
- Zechariah 6:15 Lit build in
- Zechariah 6:15 Lit the voice of the Lord
- Zechariah 7:2 Lit his
- Zechariah 7:2 Lit soften the face of
- Zechariah 7:3 Lit to fast
- Zechariah 7:5 Lit and this
- Zechariah 7:6 Lit is it not you who eat and you who drink
- Zechariah 7:7 I.e., South country
- Zechariah 7:7 Heb Shephelah
- Zechariah 7:10 Or fatherless
- Zechariah 7:11 Lit gave
- Zechariah 7:11 Lit made their ears heavy
- Zechariah 7:12 Lit from hearing
- Zechariah 7:14 Lit stormed them away upon all
- Zechariah 7:14 Lit from passing and from returning
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