Beginning

1 In the chodesh hashmini (eighth month), in the shnat shtayim (second year) of Daryavesh, came the Devar Hashem unto Zecharyah ben Berechyah ben Iddo HaNavi, saying,

² Hashem hath been very angry with your avot.

³ Therefore, say thou unto them, Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os: Return ye unto Me, saith Hashem Tzva’os, and I will return to you, saith Hashem Tzva’os.

⁴ Do not be like your avot, unto whom the nevi’im harishonim preached, saying, Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os: Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings; but they did not hear, nor listen to Me, saith Hashem.

⁵ Your avot, where are they? And the nevi’im, do they live hal’olam (forever)?

⁶ But My devarim and My chukkim, which I commanded My avadim hanevi’im, did they not overtake your avot? And they made teshuvah and said, Just as Hashem Tzva’os determined to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath He dealt with us.

⁷ Upon the four and twentieth yom of the eleventh chodesh, which is the chodesh Shevat, in the shnat shtayim of Daryavesh, [519 B.C.E.] came the Devar Hashem unto Zecharyah, ben Berechyah ben Iddo, HaNavi, saying,

⁸ I had a vision by halailah, and, hinei, a man riding upon a sus adom (a red-brown horse), and he stood among the myrtles that were in the hollow; and behind him there were susim: red-brown, sorrel, and white.

⁹ Then said I, O adoni, what are these? And the malach that spoke with me said unto me, I will show thee what these are.

¹⁰ And the man that stood among the myrtles answered and said, These are they whom Hashem hath sent to patrol ha’aretz.

¹¹ And they reported to the Malach Hashem that stood among the myrtles, and said, We have patrolled ha’aretz, and, hinei, kol ha’aretz is quiet, and at peace.

¹² Then the Malach Hashem answered and said, O Hashem Tzva’os, until when wilt Thou withhold mercy on Yerushalayim and on the towns of Yehudah, against which Thou hast been angry these threescore and ten shanah?

¹³ And Hashem answered the Malach that spoke with me with devarim tovim and with comforting words.

¹⁴ So the malach that communed with me said unto me, Preach, saying, Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os; I have been jealous for Yerushalayim and for Tziyon with a kina gedolah (great jealousy).

¹⁵ And I am very angry with the Goyim that are [self] secure; for I was but a little angry, and they added to the ra’ah.

¹⁶ Therefore thus saith Hashem: I am returning to Yerushalayim with rachamim; My Beis [Hamikdash] shall be rebuilt in her [Yerushalayim], saith Hashem Tzva’os; and a measuring line shall be stretched forth upon Yerushalayim.

¹⁷ Preach also, saying, Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os; My towns will overflow with tov; and Hashem shall yet comfort Tziyon, and shall yet choose Yerushalayim.

^18 (2:1) Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and hinei four keranot (horns, powers, i.e., empires; see Dan chps 2 and 7)!

^19 (2:2) And I said unto the malach that spoke with me, What are these? And he answered me, These are the keranot which have scattered Yehudah, Yisroel, and Yerushalayim.

^20 (2:3) And Hashem showed me arba’ah charashim (four craftsmen).

^21 (2:4) Then said I, What come these to do? And he spoke, saying, These are the keranot which have scattered Yehudah, so that no man did lift up his head; but these [craftsmen] are come to terrify them, to throw down the karnot haGoyim, which lifted up their keren (horn) over Eretz Yehudah to scatter her.

2 ^1 (2:5) I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and, hinei, a man with a measuring line in his hand!

^2 (2:6) Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Yerushalayim, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.

^3 (2:7) And, hinei, the malach that spoke with me went forth, and another malach went out to meet him,

^4 (2:8) And said unto him, Run, speak to this na’ar (young man, i.e., see 2:1 [2:5]) saying, Yerushalayim shall be inhabited like unwalled cities because of the multitude of men and cattle therein;

^5 (2:9) For I, saith Hashem, will be unto her a chomat eish (wall of fire) round about, and will be the kavod in the midst of her.

^6 (2:10) Come, come, and flee out of the Eretz Tzafon, saith Hashem; for I have scattered you like the Arbah Ruchot HaShomayim, saith Hashem.

^7 (2:11) Come, save thyself, O Tziyon, thou that dwellest with the Bat Bavel.

^8 (2:12) For thus saith Hashem Tzva’os: After Kavod (Glory) sent me unto the Goyim who plundered you‖the one that toucheth you toucheth the apple of His eye.

^9 (2:13) Hineni, I will surely raise Mine hand against them, and they shall be plunder to their avadim; and ye shall know that Hashem Tzva’os hath sent me.

^10 (2:14) Sing and rejoice, O Bat Tziyon; for, hineni, I will come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith Hashem.

^11 (2:15) And Goyim rabbim shall be joined to Hashem in Yom HaHu (that day), and shall be Ami (My People): and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that Hashem Tzva’os hath sent me unto thee.

^12 (2:16) And Hashem shall inherit Yehudah as His chelek in the Admat HaKodesh (Holy Land), and shall choose Yerushalayim again.

^13 (2:17) Be silent, Kol Basar, before Hashem; for He has roused Himself from His Ma’on Kadosh (holy habitation).

3 And he [the malach] showed me Yehoshua the Kohen HaGadol standing before the Malach Hashem, and HaSatan standing at his right hand to accuse him.

² And Hashem said unto HaSatan, Hashem rebuke thee, O HaSatan; even Hashem that hath chosen Yerushalayim rebuke thee. Is not this a brand, a burning stick, snatched out of the eish?

³ Now Yehoshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the malach.

⁴ And he [the malach] answered and spoke unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, See, I have taken away thine avon (iniquity, guilt) from thee, and I will clothe thee with machalatzot (extra fine, white clothing).

⁵ And I said, Let them set a tzanif tahor (clean turban, mitznefet, Shemot 28:4) upon his head. So they set a tzanif tahor upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the Malach Hashem stood by.

⁶ And the Malach Hashem testified unto Yehoshua, saying,

⁷ Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os: If thou shalt walk in My ways, and if thou shalt keep My charge, then thou shalt also judge My Beis [Hamikdash], and shalt also keep My courts, and I will give thee ways to walk among these standing here.

⁸ Hear now, O Yehoshua the Kohen HaGadol, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee, for they are Anshei Mofet (men of portent); for, hinei, I will bring forth Avdi Tzemach [My Servant, the Branch i.e., Moshiach Ben Dovid Yehoshua, see Jer 23:5; 30:9; 33:15; Ezra 3:8; Zech 6:11-12; Mt 2:23; Isa 4:2; 9:2-7; 11:1-12; 53:2, 11; Moshiach the new "Joshua" Isa 49:8].

⁹ For hinei the even (stone) that I have set before Yehoshua; upon one even (stone) shall be shivah einayim (seven eyes); hineni, I will engrave the inscription thereof, saith Hashem Tzva’os, and I will remove the avon (iniquity, guilt) of that land in Yom Echad.

¹⁰ In Yom HaHu, saith Hashem Tzva’os, shall ye invite every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree.

4 And the malach that spoke with me returned, and awakened me, like a man that is wakened out of his sleep.

² And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and hinei a menorat zahav, solid gold, with an oil vessel upon the top of it, and shivah nerot (lamps) thereon, and shivah tubes to the shivah nerot (lamps), which are upon the top thereof:

³ And two zeytim (olive trees) by it, one upon the right side of the oil vessel, and the other upon the left side thereof.

⁴ So I answered and spoke to the malach that spoke with me, saying, What are these, adoni?

⁵ Then the malach that spoke with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, Lo (no), adoni.

⁶ Then he answered and spoke unto me, saying, This is the Devar Hashem unto Zerubavel, saying, Not by might, nor by ko’ach (power), but by My Ruach [Hakodesh], saith Hashem Tzva’os.

⁷ Who art thou, O har hagadol (great mountain), before Zerubavel? Thou shalt become a plain; and he shall bring forth the even haroshah (cornerstone) thereof with shoutings, crying, Chen, chen (Grace, grace) unto it.

⁸ Moreover the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

⁹ The hands of Zerubavel have laid the Yesod (foundation) of this Beis [HaMikdash]; his hands shall also finish it; then thou shalt know that Hashem Tzva’os hath sent me unto you.

¹⁰ For who hath despised the Yom Ketannot (day of small things)? For they shall have simcha, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubavel with these shivah; they are the eyes of Hashem, which run to and fro throughout kol ha’aretz.

¹¹ Then I replied by asking him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the menorah and upon the left side thereof?

¹² And I asked again, and said unto him, What are these two branches of the zeytim which through the two golden sprouts pour the gold-colored oil out of themselves?

¹³ And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, Lo (no), adoni.

¹⁴ Then said he, These are the two bnei hayitzhar (sons of oil), that stand by Adon Kol HaA’retz [T.N. See Malachi 3:1 where Moshiach is referred to similarly].

5 Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and hinei a megillah flying!

² And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered: I see a megillah flying; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.

³ Then said he unto me, This is ha’alah (the curse) that goeth forth over the face of kol ha’aretz; for every ganav that stealeth shall be purged out [i.e., banished] according to what it says on one side of the megillah; and every perjurer that sweareth falsely shall be purged out according to what it says on the other side. [Shemot 20:15,7]

⁴ I will send it [ha’alah, the curse] forth, saith Hashem Tzva’os, and it shall enter into the bais haganav, and into the bais of him that sweareth falsely biShmi (by My Name); and it [ha’alah] shall remain inside his bais, and shall destroy it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.

⁵ Then the malach that spoke with me came forward, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that cometh into view.

⁶ And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the eifah (measuring basket) going out. He said moreover, This is their [i.e., that of ganavim and perjurors] appearance throughout kol ha’aretz.

⁷ And, hinei, there was lifted up a lead cover; and there was an isha (woman) yoshevet (sitting) inside the eifah (measuring basket)!

⁸ And he said, This is HaRishah (The Wickedness). And he pushed her inside the eifah; and he pushed the lead cover over the mouth of the eifah.

⁹ Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, hinei, there came forth two nashim (women), and the ruach (wind) was in their kenafayim (wings); for they had kenafayim (wings) like the kenafayim of a stork: and they lifted up the eifah between ha’aretz and HaShomayim.

¹⁰ Then said I to the malach that spoke with me, Whither are these taking the eifah?

¹¹ And he said unto me, To build it a bais [i.e., ziggurat] in Eretz Shinar (Babylon); and it is shall be placed there and set upon its own base.

6 And I looked again, and lifted up mine eyes, and, hinei, there came arbah merkavot (four chariots) and they were coming out from between two harim (mountains); and the harim were harim of nechoshet (bronze).

² In the merkavah harishonah were red-brown susim; and in the merkavah hashenit susim shechorim (black horses);

³ And in the merkavah hashlishit susim levanim (white horses); and in the merkavah harevi’it speckled, powerful susim.

⁴ Then I answered and said unto the malach that spoke with me, What are these, adoni?

⁵ And the malach answered and said unto me, These are the arba ruchot HaShomayim, which go forth from standing before Adon Kol HaAretz [T.N. See Malachi 3:1 where Moshiach is referred to similarly].

⁶ The one with the susim shechorim (black horses) go forth toward the eretz tzafon (land of the north); and the levanim (white ones) go forth after them; and the speckled go forth toward the eretz hateyman (land of the south).

⁷ And the powerful ones went forth, and strained to go around to and fro throughout ha’aretz; and He said, Get you hence, go to and fro throughout ha’aretz. So they went to and fro throughout ha’aretz.

⁸ Then called He to me, and spoke unto me, saying, Look, these that go toward the eretz tzafon have given rest to My Ruach [HaKodesh] in the eretz tzafon.

⁹ And the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

¹⁰ Take of them of the Golus, even of Cheldai, of Toviyah, and of Yedayah, which have arrived from Babylon, and thou go into the bais of Yoshiyah ben Tzephanyah;

¹¹ Then take kesef and zahav, and make atarot (crowns), and set them upon the rosh Yehoshua ben Yehotzadak, the Kohen HaGadol

¹² And speak unto him, saying, Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os: Hinei Ish, TZEMACH Shmo ; [Yehoshua is said to be the namesake of the coming Moshiach Ben Dovid; see Ezra 3:8 for the Aramaic translation of Yehoshua’s name, Yeshua; see Jer 23:5; 30:9; 33:15; Ezra 3:8; Zech 3:8; Mt 2:23; Isa 4:2; 9:2-7; 11:1-12; 53:2, 11; Moshiach the new “Joshua” Isa 49:8].]; and out of his place yitzmach (he [Moshiach] shall sprout up, Yeshayah 53:2), and he shall build the Heikhal Hashem.

¹³ It is he who shall build the Heikhal Hashem; and he shall carry hod (majesty), and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a kohen [Tehillim 110:4] upon his throne; and the atzat shalom (counsel of peace) shall be between them both.

¹⁴ And the atarot (crowns) shall be to Chelem, and to Toviyah, and to Yedayah, and to Chen ben Tzephanyah, for a memorial in the Heikhal Hashem.

¹⁵ And they that are far off shall come and build the Heikhal Hashem, and ye shall know that Hashem Tzva’os hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the kol (voice) Hashem Eloheichem.

7 And it came to pass in the shnat arba of Daryavesh HaMelech, that the Devar Hashem came unto Zecharyah in the fourth of the chodesh hateshi’i (ninth month), even in Kislev;

² And Beth-El had sent Sar-Etzer and Regem-Melech, and their men, to make entreaty for favor before Hashem,

³ And to speak unto the kohanim which were in the Beis Hashem Tzva’os, and to the nevi’im, saying, Should I mourn in the fifth month, hinnazer (separating myself by fasting), as I have done these so many shanim?

⁴ Then came the Devar Hashem Tzva’os unto me, saying,

⁵ Speak unto kol Am Ha’Aretz, and to the kohanim, saying, When ye did a tzom and mourned in the fifth and seventh, even these past shivim shanah, did ye at all fast the tzom unto Me, even to Me?

⁶ And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?

⁷ Should ye not hear the devarim which Hashem hath preached by the nevi’im harishonim, when Yerushalayim was inhabited and at ease, and the towns thereof round about her, when men inhabited the Negev and the Shefelah?

⁸ And the Devar Hashem came unto Zecharyah, saying,

⁹ Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os, saying, Administer mishpat emes. And let every man show chesed and rachamim to his brother;

¹⁰ And oppress not the almanah, nor the yetomim, the ger, nor the aniyim; and let none of you imagine ra’ah against his brother in your lev.

¹¹ But they refused to heed, and stubbornly stiffened their shoulders, stopped up their oznayim, that they not hear.

¹² Yea, they made their hearts as shamir (diamond, i.e., hard as shamir), and would not yield in mishma’at (obedience) to the Torah and the devarim which Hashem Tzva’os hath sent by His Ruach [Hakodesh] through the hand of the nevi’im harishonim; therefore came a ketzef gadol (great wrath) from Hashem Tzva’os.

¹³ Therefore it is come to pass, that as He [Hashem] called, and they would not hear; so they called, and I would not hear, saith Hashem Tzva’os;

¹⁴ But I dispersed them with a whirlwind among kol HaGoyim which they had not known. Thus HaAretz was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned; for they laid the Eretz Chemdat [Yirmeyah 3:19] desolate.