A Call to Return to the class="small-caps" >Lord

In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the class="small-caps" >Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo:

Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the class="small-caps" >Lord Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the class="small-caps" >Lord.

But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors? “Then they repented and said, ‘The class="small-caps" >Lord Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to do.’”

The Man Among the Myrtle Trees

On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the class="small-caps" >Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo.

During the night I had a vision, and there before me was a man mounted on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses.

Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They are the ones the class="small-caps" >Lord has sent to go throughout the earth.”

And they reported to the angel of the class="small-caps" >Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace.”

Then the angel of the class="small-caps" >Lord said, “class="small-caps" >Lord Almighty, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah, which you have been angry with these seventy years?”

So the class="small-caps" >Lord spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who talked with me.

and I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry, but they went too far with the punishment.’

“Therefore this is what the class="small-caps" >Lord says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,’ declares the class="small-caps" >Lord Almighty.

“Proclaim further: This is what the class="small-caps" >Lord Almighty says: ‘My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the class="small-caps" >Lord will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.’”

Four Horns and Four Craftsmen

Then I looked up, and there before me were four horns.

Then the class="small-caps" >Lord showed me four craftsmen.

I asked, “What are these coming to do?” He answered, “These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise their head, but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people.”

A Man With a Measuring Line

Then I looked up, and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand.

While the angel who was speaking to me was leaving, another angel came to meet him

and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of people and animals in it.

And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the class="small-caps" >Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.’

“Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the class="small-caps" >Lord, “for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven,” declares the class="small-caps" >Lord.

“Come, Zion! Escape, you who live in Daughter Babylon!”

For this is what the class="small-caps" >Lord Almighty says: “After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye—

“Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the class="small-caps" >Lord.

“Many nations will be joined with the class="small-caps" >Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the class="small-caps" >Lord Almighty has sent me to you.

The class="small-caps" >Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem.