A Call to Repentance

In the eighth month of the second year of (A)Darius, the word of the Lord came to (B)Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of (C)Iddo saying, “The Lord was very (D)angry with your fathers. Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “(E)Return to Me,” declares the Lord of armies, “[a]that I may return to you,” says the Lord of armies. “Do not be (F)like your fathers, to whom the (G)former prophets proclaimed, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “(H)Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.”’ But they did (I)not listen or pay attention to Me,” declares the Lord. “Your (J)fathers, where are they? And the (K)prophets, do they live forever? But did My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, not [b](L)overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, ‘(M)Just as the Lord of armies planned to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has dealt with us.’”’”

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Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 1:3 Or and I will
  2. Zechariah 1:6 Or reach

Israel Urged to Repent

In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah son of Iddo, saying:(A) “The Lord was very angry with your ancestors. Therefore say to them: Thus says the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.(B) Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or heed me, says the Lord.(C) Your ancestors, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your ancestors? So they repented and said, ‘The Lord of hosts has dealt with us according to our ways and deeds, just as he planned to do.’ ”(D)

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