Patrol of the Earth

⁷ On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, that is, the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, ^[a]as follows:

¹² Then the angel of the Lord said, “Lord of armies, ^(A)how long will You ^(B)take no pity on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which You have been ^(C)indignant for these ^(D)seventy years?”

¹⁶ Therefore the Lord says this: “I will ^(A)return to Jerusalem with compassion; My ^(B)house will be built in it,” declares the Lord of armies, “and a measuring ^(C)line will be stretched over Jerusalem.”’ ¹⁷ Again, proclaim, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “My ^(D)cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again ^(E)comfort Zion and again ^(F)choose Jerusalem.”’”

³ And behold, the ^(A)angel who had been speaking with me was going out, and another angel was going out to meet him. ⁴ And he said to him, “Run, speak to that ^(B)young man there, saying, ‘^(C)Jerusalem will be inhabited ^(D)as open country because of the ^(E)multitude of people and cattle within it. ⁵ But I,’ declares the Lord, ‘will be a ^(F)wall of fire to her on all sides, and I will be the ^(G)glory in her midst.’”

⁹ The ^(A)word of the Lord also came to me, saying, ¹⁰ “^(B)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 ^(C)crown, and set it on the head of ^(D)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 ^[a](E)Branch, for He will ^[b](F)branch out from where He is; and He will ^(G)build the temple of the Lord. ¹³ Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will ^(H)bear the majesty and sit and ^(I)rule on His throne. So He will be a ^(J)priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two ^[c]offices.”’ ¹⁴ Now the ^(K)crown will become a reminder in the temple of the Lord to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and ^[d]Hen the son of Zephaniah. ^15 (L)Those who are far away will come and ^[e]build the temple of the Lord.” Then you will ^(M)know that the Lord of armies has sent me to you. And it will take place if you completely ^(N)obey ^[f]the Lord your God.