Zechariah

He exhorteth the people to return to the Lord, and to eschew the wickedness of their fathers. 16 He signifieth the restitution of Jerusalem and the Temple.

In the eighth month of the second year of [a]Darius, came the word of the Lord unto [b]Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the Prophet, saying,

The Lord hath been [c]sore displeased with your fathers.

Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, [d]Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.

Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former (A)Prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Turn you now from your evil ways, and from your wicked works: but they would not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord.

Your fathers, where [e]are they? and do the Prophets live forever?

But did not my words and my statutes, which I commanded by my servants the Prophets, take hold of [f]your fathers? and [g]they returned, and said, As the Lord of hosts hath determined to do unto us according to our own ways, and according to our works, so hath he dealt with us.

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Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 1:1 Who was the son of Histaspis.
  2. Zechariah 1:1 This was not that Zechariah, whereof is mentioned 2 Chron. 24:20, but had the same name, and is called the son of Berechiah, as he was, because he came of those progenitors, as of Joiada or Berechiah, and Iddo.
  3. Zechariah 1:2 He speaketh this to fear them with God’s judgments, that they should not provoke him as their fathers had done, whom he so grievously punished.
  4. Zechariah 1:3 Let your fruits declare that you are God’s people, and that he hath wrought in you by his Spirit, and mortified you: for else man hath no power to return to God, but God must convert him, as Jer. 31:18; Lam. 5:21; Isa. 21:8 and 31:6 and 45:21.
  5. Zechariah 1:5 Though your fathers be dead, yet God’s judgments in punishing them ought still to be before your eyes: and though the Prophets be dead, yet their doctrine remaineth forever, 2 Pet. 1:15.
  6. Zechariah 1:6 Seeing ye saw the force of my doctrine in punishing your fathers, why do ye not fear the threatenings contained in the same, and declared by my Prophets?
  7. Zechariah 1:6 As men astonished with my judgments, and not that they were touched with true repentance.

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