Beginning
1 In the eighth month, during the second year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, son of Berekiah, son of Iddo, saying:
A Call to Repentance
2 The Lord was very angry with your fathers, 3 so you will say to them, Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Return to Me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Hosts. 4 Do not be like your fathers to whom the former prophets cried, “Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Turn away from your evil ways and deeds!” But they did not listen or pay attention to Me, says the Lord. 5 So where are your fathers, and do the prophets live forever? 6 Surely My words and statutes that I commanded to My servants, the prophets, did they not persuade your fathers?
They turned back and said, “Whatever the Lord of Hosts planned to do to us according to our ways and deeds, so He has done to us.”
Vision of the Horsemen
7 On the twenty-fourth day, in the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, during the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, son of Berekiah, son of Iddo:
8 I saw during the night a man riding on a red horse. But he was standing among the myrtle trees that were in the ravine, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses.
9 And I said, “What are these, my lord?”
Then the angel who was speaking with me said, “I will show you what these are.”
10 Then the man who was standing among the myrtle trees responded and said, “These are the ones whom the Lord has sent out to walk to and fro on the earth.”
11 They answered and said to the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have gone to and fro on the earth, and all the earth is resting and peaceful.”
12 Then the angel of the Lord said, “How much longer, O Lord of Hosts, will You withhold mercy from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah with which You have been angry these seventy years?” 13 And the Lord answered the angel speaking to me with good and comforting words.
14 So the angel who spoke with me said, Cry out, saying: Thus says the Lord of Hosts: I have a great jealousy for Jerusalem and Zion. 15 And I have a great anger for those nations who are at ease, for while I was angry but a little, they helped to increase evil.
16 Therefore thus says the Lord: I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy, and My house will be built in it, says the Lord of Hosts, and a measuring line will be stretched over Jerusalem.
17 Cry out again, saying, Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Yet again My cities will overflow with goodness, and again the Lord will comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.
The Vision of the Horns and Craftsmen
18 And I then lifted up my eyes, and I saw four horns. 19 And I said to the angel speaking to me, “What are these?”
And he answered, “These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
20 Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. 21 And I said, “What are these coming to do?”
And he said, “These are the horns that scattered Judah after which no one could raise his head; and these four craftsmen have come to terrify and throw down the horns of the nations who lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.”
The Vision of the Man With the Measuring Line
2 And I lifted up my eyes, and I saw a man with a measuring cord in his hand. 2 And I said, “Where are you going?”
And he responded, “To measure Jerusalem and to note what is its width and length.”
3 Then the angel who was speaking with me went out, and then another angel came out to meet him, 4 and said to him, “Run, say to this young man: Jerusalem will be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of men and animals in her. 5 And I will be like a wall of fire all around her, says the Lord, and I will be as glory in her midst.”
Interlude: An Appeal to the Exiles
6 Up, up, flee from the northern land, says the Lord, for I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven, says the Lord.
7 Deliver yourself, O Zion, you who live with the daughter of Babylon. 8 For thus says the Lord of Hosts: He has sent Me after glory to the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. 9 For I will swing My hand against them, and they will become plunder for their servants. Then you will know well that the Lord of Hosts has sent Me.
10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for I am coming and will dwell in your midst, says the Lord. 11 And many nations will join themselves with the Lord in that day, and they will be My people. And I will reside in your midst, and you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent Me to you. 12 And the Lord will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and He will again choose Jerusalem. 13 Be still, all flesh before the Lord, for He is stirred from His holy habitation.
The Vision of Joshua the High Priest
3 Then he showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebukes you! Is this not a burning brand taken out of the fire?”
3 Now Joshua had on filthy garments and was standing before the angel. 4 And he said to those standing before him, “Take off his filthy garments.”
Then he said, “See that I have removed from you your iniquity, and I will clothe you with rich robes.”
5 And I said, “Let them place a pure turban on his head.” So they put a pure turban on his head and garments on him. And the angel of the Lord was standing by.
6 And the angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying, 7 “Thus says the Lord of Hosts: If you walk in My ways and keep My charge, then you will judge My house and guard My courts, and I will give to you access to these who are standing here.
8 “Hear this, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends sitting before you, for these men are a sign. I am bringing My servant, the Branch. 9 The stone that I have set before Joshua, on that single stone is seven eyes. And I will engrave an inscription, says the Lord of Hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in one day.
10 “On that day, says the Lord of Hosts, each of you will invite your companion to come and sit under the vine and under the fig tree.”
The Vision of the Gold Lampstand
4 And the angel who was speaking with me returned and woke me up like a man who is roused from his sleep. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?”
And I responded, “I see a completely gold lampstand and a bowl at its top, with seven lights on it, and seven pipes on it for each lamp in order to light them. 3 And there are two olive trees next to it, one on the right of the bowl and one on the left.”
4 So I answered and I asked the angel speaking with me, “What are these, my lord?”
5 Then the angel speaking with me responded, “Do you really not know what these are?”
And I said, “No, my lord.”
6 And he said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts.
7 “Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will be made level ground, and he will bring out the top stone amidst shouting of ‘Grace! Grace to the stone!’ ”
8 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have established the foundation of this house, and they will even complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent Me to all of you.
10 “For who has despised the day of small things? These seven will rejoice and see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. These are the eyes of the Lord, which survey to and fro throughout the earth.”
11 Then I answered and I asked, “What are these two olives trees on the right and left of the lampstand?”
12 And I asked a second time, “What are these two branches of the olive trees that are next to the two golden pipes from which they pour out the gold oil?”
13 And he asked me, “Do you not know what these are?”
I responded, “No, my lord.”
14 He answered, “These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of all the earth.”
The Vision of the Flying Scroll
5 Then I turned and lifted up my eyes and saw a flying scroll.
2 He asked me, “What do you see?”
And I responded, “I see a flying scroll with its length as twenty cubits and its width as ten cubits.”[a]
3 He said to me, “This is the curse going out over the surface of all the land. Everyone who steals will be purged according to the writing on one side, and everyone who swears falsely will be purged according to the writing on the other side. 4 I will send it out, says the Lord of Hosts, and it will enter the house of the thief, and the house of him who swears falsely by My name. It will remain in his house and consume it, with its timber and stones.”
The Vision of the Woman in the Basket
5 Then the angel who was speaking with me came out, saying, “Now lift up your eyes and see what this is that is going forth.”
6 And I asked, “What is it?”
He said, “This is the ephah basket going forth. This represents their iniquity throughout all the land.”
7 The lead cover was lifted, and there was a woman sitting in the ephah basket. 8 And he said, “This is wickedness.” And he threw her back into the basket and then thrust back the lead stone over its opening.
9 Then I lifted my eyes and saw coming forward two women. There was wind in their wings, and the wings were like those of a stork, and they lifted up and carried the ephah basket between heaven and earth.
10 Then I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “Where are they carrying the basket?”
11 He responded, “To build a house for it in the land of Shinar. And when the house is established, the basket will be set there on a pedestal.”
The Vision of the Four Chariots
6 And I turned around and lifted my eyes, and I saw four chariots coming out from between two mountains, which were bronze mountains. 2 The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses, 3 the third white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses—all of them strong. 4 Then I answered the angel speaking with me, “What are these, my lord?”
5 The angel responded, “These are the four winds of heaven going out after standing before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the white ones are going after them, while the dappled ones are going toward the south country.”
7 When the strong horses went out, they were seeking to go to and fro throughout the earth. And he said, “Go out to and fro throughout the earth.” And they went out to walk to and fro throughout the earth.
8 Then he cried out to me, “Look, the ones going out to the northern land have given rest to my Spirit in the north.”
The Coronation of Joshua
9 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 10 Take from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah who have come from Babylon, and go on that day to the house of Josiah, the son of Zephaniah. 11 Take the silver and gold and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 And say to him: Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Here is a man whose name is Branch; for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord. 13 It is he who shall build the temple of the Lord; he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on his throne. He shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. 14 And the crown shall be for a memorial to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah, in the temple of the Lord. 15 And those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the Lord; and you all shall know that the Lord of Hosts has sent me to you. This shall happen if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.
A Call for Justice and Mercy
7 And in the fourth year of King Darius, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Kislev, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah. 2 Those in Bethel sent Sharezer and Regem-Melek and their men to entreat the graces of the Lord, 3 saying to the priests and prophets of the house of the Lord of Hosts, “Should I weep and dedicate myself during the fifth month as I have done in these many years?”
4 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 5 Say to all the people in the land and to the priests: When you fasted and lamented during the fifth and seventh months for these seventy years, did you really fast for Me? 6 And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves? 7 Were these not the very words that the former prophets proclaimed when Jerusalem dwelled with ease along with her surrounding cities, and when the Negev and the Lowland were inhabited?
Punishment for Rejecting God’s Demands
8 And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying: 9 Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Execute true justice, show mercy and compassion, every man to his brother. 10 Do not oppress the widow, orphan, sojourner, or poor. And let none of you contemplate evil deeds in your hearts against his brother.
11 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears so that they should not hear. 12 They made their hearts hard like a diamond so as not to hear the instruction and words that the Lord of Hosts sent by His Spirit through the former prophets, and there was great anger from the Lord of Hosts.
13 Therefore it happened that as I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear, says the Lord of Hosts. 14 So I scattered them about among all the nations whom they did not know, so the land was left desolate behind them with no one coming or going. And they made a desirable land desolate.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.