Return to Me, Declares Yahweh

1 In the eighth month of the second year of ^(A)Darius, the word of ^[a]Yahweh came to ^(B)Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of ^(C)Iddo, saying, ² “Yahweh was very ^(D)wrathful against your fathers. ³ Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “^(E)Return to Me,” declares Yahweh of hosts, “that I may return to you,” says Yahweh of hosts. ⁴ “Do not be ^(F)like your fathers, to whom the ^(G)former prophets called out, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “^(H)Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.”’ But they did ^(I)not listen or give heed to Me,” declares Yahweh. ⁵ “Your ^(J)fathers, where are they? And the ^(K)prophets, do they live forever? ⁶ But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My slaves the prophets, ^(L)overtake your fathers? Then they ^[b]returned and said, ‘^(M)As Yahweh of hosts purposed to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has done with us.’”’”

A Man on a Red Horse

⁷ On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying, ⁸ I saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a ^(N)red horse, and he was standing among the ^(O)myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, sorrel, and ^(P)white horses behind him. ⁹ Then I said, “My ^(Q)lord, what are these?” And the ^(R)angel who was speaking with me said to me, “I will show you what these are.” ¹⁰ And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered and said, “These are those whom Yahweh has sent to ^[c](S)patrol the earth.” ¹¹ So they answered the angel of Yahweh who was ^(T)standing among the myrtle trees and said, “We have ^[d]patrolled the earth, and behold, ^(U)all the earth is sitting still and quiet.”

¹² Then the angel of Yahweh answered and said, “O Yahweh of hosts, ^(V)how long will You ^(W)have no compassion for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which You have been ^(X)indignant these ^(Y)seventy years?” ¹³ Yahweh answered the ^(Z)angel who was speaking with me with good words, ^(AA)comforting words. ¹⁴ So the angel who was speaking with me said to me, “^(AB)Call out, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “I am ^(AC)exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion. ¹⁵ But I am very ^(AD)wrathful with the nations who are ^(AE)at ease; for I was only a little wrathful, but they ^(AF)helped increase the calamity.” ¹⁶ Therefore thus says Yahweh, “I will ^(AG)return to Jerusalem with compassion; My ^(AH)house will be built in it,” declares Yahweh of hosts, “and a measuring ^(AI)line will be stretched over Jerusalem.”’ ¹⁷ Again, call out, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “My ^(AJ)cities will again overflow with good, and Yahweh will again ^(AK)comfort Zion and again ^(AL)choose Jerusalem.”’”

Four Horns and Craftsmen

^18 [e]Then I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, there were four horns. ¹⁹ So I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these?” And he said to me, “These are the ^(AM)horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” ²⁰ Then Yahweh showed me four ^(AN)craftsmen. ²¹ And I said, “What are these coming to do?” And he said, “These are the ^(AO)horns which have scattered Judah so that no man lifts up his head; but these craftsmen have come to cause them to tremble, to ^(AP)throw down the horns of the nations who have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah in order to scatter it.”