Bible in 90 Days
Chaldeans Used to Punish Judah
1 The [a](A)oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw.
2 (B)How long, O Lord, will I call for help,
And You will not hear?
I cry out to You, “Violence!”
Yet You do (C)not save.
3 Why do You make me (D)see iniquity,
And cause me to look on wickedness?
Yes, (E)destruction and violence are before me;
(F)Strife exists and contention arises.
4 Therefore the (G)law is [b]ignored
And justice [c]is never upheld.
For the wicked (H)surround the righteous;
Therefore justice comes out (I)perverted.
5 “(J)Look among the nations! Observe!
Be astonished! (K)Wonder!
Because I am doing (L)something in your days—
You would not believe if [d]you were told.
6 “For behold, I am (M)raising up the Chaldeans,
That [e]fierce and impetuous people
Who march [f]throughout the earth
To [g](N)seize dwelling places which are not theirs.
7 “They are dreaded and (O)feared;
Their (P)justice and [h]authority [i]originate with themselves.
8 “Their (Q)horses are swifter than leopards
And [j]keener than (R)wolves in the evening.
Their [k]horsemen come galloping,
Their horsemen come from afar;
They fly like an (S)eagle swooping down to devour.
9 “All of them come for violence.
[l]Their horde of (T)faces moves forward.
They collect captives like sand.
10 “They (U)mock at kings
And rulers are a laughing matter to them.
They (V)laugh at every fortress
And (W)heap up rubble to capture it.
11 “Then they will sweep through like the (X)wind and pass on.
But they will be held (Y)guilty,
They whose (Z)strength is their god.”
12 Are You not from (AA)everlasting,
O Lord, my God, my Holy One?
We will not die.
You, O Lord, have (AB)appointed them to judge;
And You, O (AC)Rock, have established them to correct.
13 Your eyes are too (AD)pure to [m]approve evil,
And You can not look on wickedness with favor.
Why do You (AE)look with favor
On those who deal (AF)treacherously?
Why are You (AG)silent when the wicked (AH)swallow up
Those more righteous than they?
14 Why have You made men like the fish of the sea,
Like creeping things without a ruler over them?
15 The Chaldeans (AI)bring all of them up with a hook,
(AJ)Drag them away with their net,
And gather them together in their fishing net.
Therefore they rejoice and are glad.
16 Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net
And [n]burn incense to their fishing net;
Because through (AK)these things their [o]catch is [p]large,
And their food is [q]plentiful.
17 Will they therefore empty their (AL)net
And continually (AM)slay nations without sparing?
God Answers the Prophet
2 I will (AN)stand on my guard post
And station myself on the rampart;
And I will (AO)keep watch to see (AP)what He will speak to me,
And how I may reply [r]when I am reproved.
2 Then the Lord answered me and said,
“(AQ)Record the vision
And inscribe it on tablets,
That [s]the one who [t]reads it may run.
3 “For the vision is yet for the (AR)appointed time;
It [u]hastens toward the goal and it will not [v]fail.
Though it tarries, (AS)wait for it;
For it will certainly come, it (AT)will not delay.
4 “Behold, as for the (AU)proud one,
His soul is not right within him;
But the (AV)righteous will live by his [w]faith.
5 “Furthermore, (AW)wine betrays the (AX)haughty man,
So that he does not (AY)stay at home.
He (AZ)enlarges his appetite like Sheol,
And he is like death, never satisfied.
He also gathers to himself all nations
And collects to himself all peoples.
6 “Will not all of these (BA)take up a taunt-song against him,
Even mockery and insinuations against him
And say, ‘(BB)Woe to him who increases what is not his—
For how long—
And makes himself [x]rich with loans?’
7 “Will not [y]your creditors (BC)rise up suddenly,
And those who [z]collect from you awaken?
Indeed, you will become plunder for them.
8 “Because you have (BD)looted many nations,
All the remainder of the peoples will loot you—
Because of human bloodshed and violence [aa]done to the land,
To the town and all its inhabitants.
9 “Woe to him who gets (BE)evil gain for his house
To (BF)put his nest on high,
To be delivered from the hand of calamity!
10 “You have devised a (BG)shameful thing for your house
By cutting off many peoples;
So you are (BH)sinning against yourself.
11 “Surely the (BI)stone will cry out from the wall,
And the rafter will answer it from the [ab]framework.
12 “Woe to him who (BJ)builds a city with bloodshed
And founds a town with [ac]violence!
13 “Is it not indeed from the Lord of hosts
That peoples (BK)toil for fire,
And nations grow weary for nothing?
14 “For the earth will be (BL)filled
With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
As the waters cover the sea.
15 “Woe to you who make [ad]your neighbors drink,
Who mix in your venom even to make them drunk
So as to look on their nakedness!
16 “You will be filled with disgrace rather than honor.
Now you yourself (BM)drink and [ae]expose your own nakedness.
The (BN)cup in the Lord’s right hand will come around to you,
And (BO)utter disgrace will come upon your glory.
17 “For the (BP)violence [af]done to Lebanon will [ag]overwhelm you,
And the devastation of its beasts [ah]by which you terrified them,
(BQ)Because of human bloodshed and (BR)violence [ai]done to the land,
To the town and all its inhabitants.
18 “What (BS)profit is the [aj]idol when its maker has carved it,
Or [ak]an image, a (BT)teacher of falsehood?
For its maker (BU)trusts in his own handiwork
When he fashions speechless idols.
19 “Woe to him who (BV)says to a piece of wood, ‘(BW)Awake!’
To a mute stone, ‘Arise!’
And that is your teacher?
Behold, it is overlaid with (BX)gold and silver,
And there is (BY)no breath at all inside it.
20 “But the (BZ)Lord is in His holy temple.
[al]Let all the earth (CA)be silent before Him.”
God’s Deliverance of His People
3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to [am]Shigionoth.
2 Lord, I have (CB)heard [an]the report about You and [ao]I (CC)fear.
O Lord, (CD)revive (CE)Your work in the midst of the years,
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember [ap](CF)mercy.
3 God comes from (CG)Teman,
And the Holy One from Mount (CH)Paran. Selah.
His (CI)splendor covers the heavens,
And the (CJ)earth is full of His praise.
4 His (CK)radiance is like the sunlight;
He has rays flashing from His hand,
And there is the hiding of His (CL)power.
5 Before Him goes (CM)pestilence,
And (CN)plague comes [aq]after Him.
6 He stood and surveyed the earth;
He looked and (CO)startled the nations.
Yes, the perpetual mountains were shattered,
The ancient hills [ar]collapsed.
His ways are (CP)everlasting.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan under (CQ)distress,
The tent curtains of the land of (CR)Midian were trembling.
8 Did the Lord rage against the (CS)rivers,
Or was Your anger against the rivers,
Or was Your wrath against the (CT)sea,
That You (CU)rode on Your horses,
On Your (CV)chariots of salvation?
9 Your (CW)bow was made bare,
The rods of [as]chastisement were sworn. Selah.
You (CX)cleaved the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw You and quaked;
The downpour of waters swept by.
The deep (CY)uttered forth its voice,
It lifted high its hands.
11 (CZ)Sun and moon stood in their places;
They went away at the (DA)light of Your arrows,
At the radiance of Your gleaming spear.
12 In indignation You (DB)marched through the earth;
In anger You [at](DC)trampled the nations.
13 You went forth for the (DD)salvation of Your people,
For the salvation of Your (DE)anointed.
You struck the (DF)head of the house of the evil
To lay him open from [au]thigh to neck. Selah.
14 You pierced with his (DG)own [av]spears
The head of his [aw]throngs.
They (DH)stormed in to scatter [ax]us;
Their exultation was like those
Who (DI)devour the oppressed in secret.
15 You (DJ)trampled on the sea with Your horses,
On the (DK)surge of many waters.
16 I heard and my [ay]inward parts (DL)trembled,
At the sound my lips quivered.
Decay enters my (DM)bones,
And in my place I tremble.
Because I must (DN)wait quietly for the day of distress,
[az]For the (DO)people to arise who will invade us.
17 Though the (DP)fig tree should not blossom
And there be no [ba]fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the (DQ)olive should fail
And the fields produce no food,
Though the (DR)flock should be cut off from the fold
And there be (DS)no cattle in the stalls,
18 Yet I will (DT)exult in the Lord,
I will (DU)rejoice in the (DV)God of my salvation.
19 The Lord [bb]God is my (DW)strength,
And (DX)He has made my feet like hinds’ feet,
And makes me walk on my (DY)high places.
For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.
Day of Judgment on Judah
1 The word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of (DZ)Josiah son of (EA)Amon, king of Judah:
2 “I will completely (EB)remove all things
From the face of the [bc]earth,” declares the Lord.
3 “I will remove (EC)man and beast;
I will remove the (ED)birds of the sky
And the fish of the sea,
And the [bd](EE)ruins along with the wicked;
And I will cut off man from the face of the [be]earth,” declares the Lord.
4 “So I will (EF)stretch out My hand against Judah
And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
And I will (EG)cut off the remnant of Baal from this place,
And the names of the (EH)idolatrous priests along with the priests.
5 “And those who bow down on the (EI)housetops to the host of heaven,
And those who bow down and (EJ)swear to the Lord and yet swear by [bf](EK)Milcom,
6 And those who have (EL)turned back from following the Lord,
And those who have (EM)not sought the Lord or inquired of Him.”
7 [bg](EN)Be silent before the Lord [bh]God!
For the (EO)day of the Lord is near,
For the Lord has prepared a (EP)sacrifice,
He has (EQ)consecrated His guests.
8 “Then it will come about on the day of the Lord’s sacrifice
That I will (ER)punish the princes, the king’s sons
And all who clothe themselves with (ES)foreign garments.
9 “And I will punish on that day all who leap on the temple threshold,
Who fill the house of their [bi]lord with (ET)violence and deceit.
10 “On that day,” declares the Lord,
“There will be the sound of a cry from the (EU)Fish Gate,
A wail from the [bj](EV)Second Quarter,
And a loud crash from the (EW)hills.
11 “Wail, O inhabitants of the [bk]Mortar,
For all the [bl]people of (EX)Canaan will be silenced;
All who weigh out (EY)silver will be cut off.
12 “It will come about at that time
That I will (EZ)search Jerusalem with lamps,
And I will punish the men
Who are [bm](FA)stagnant in spirit,
Who say in their hearts,
‘The Lord will (FB)not do good or evil!’
13 “Moreover, their wealth will become (FC)plunder
And their houses desolate;
Yes, (FD)they will build houses but not inhabit them,
And plant vineyards but not drink their wine.”
14 Near is the (FE)great (FF)day of the Lord,
Near and coming very quickly;
Listen, the day of the Lord!
[bn]In it the warrior (FG)cries out bitterly.
15 A day of wrath is that day,
A day of (FH)trouble and distress,
A day of destruction and desolation,
A day of (FI)darkness and gloom,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 A day of (FJ)trumpet and battle cry
Against the (FK)fortified cities
And the high corner towers.
17 I will bring (FL)distress on men
So that they will walk (FM)like the blind,
Because they have sinned against the Lord;
And their (FN)blood will be poured out like dust
And their (FO)flesh like dung.
18 Neither their (FP)silver nor their gold
Will be able to deliver them
On the day of the Lord’s wrath;
And (FQ)all the earth will be devoured
In the fire of His jealousy,
For He will (FR)make a complete end,
Indeed a terrifying one,
Of all the inhabitants of the earth.
Judgments on Judah’s Enemies
2 Gather yourselves together, yes, (FS)gather,
O nation (FT)without [bo]shame,
2 Before the decree [bp]takes effect—
The day passes (FU)like the chaff—
Before the (FV)burning anger of the Lord comes upon you,
Before the (FW)day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you.
3 (FX)Seek the Lord,
All you (FY)humble of the [bq]earth
Who have carried out His [br]ordinances;
(FZ)Seek righteousness, seek humility.
Perhaps you will be (GA)hidden
In the day of the Lord’s anger.
4 For (GB)Gaza will be abandoned
And Ashkelon a desolation;
(GC)Ashdod will be driven out at noon
And (GD)Ekron will be uprooted.
5 Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast,
The nation of the [bs](GE)Cherethites!
The word of the Lord is (GF)against you,
O (GG)Canaan, land of the Philistines;
And I will (GH)destroy you
So that there will be (GI)no inhabitant.
6 So the seacoast will be (GJ)pastures,
With [bt]caves for shepherds and folds for flocks.
7 And the coast will be
For the (GK)remnant of the house of Judah,
They will (GL)pasture on it.
In the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down at evening;
For the Lord their God will (GM)care for them
And (GN)restore their fortune.
8 “I have heard the [bu](GO)taunting of Moab
And the (GP)revilings of the sons of Ammon,
With which they have [bv]taunted My people
And [bw](GQ)become arrogant against their territory.
9 “Therefore, as I live,” declares the Lord of hosts,
The God of Israel,
“Surely (GR)Moab will be like (GS)Sodom
And the sons of (GT)Ammon like (GU)Gomorrah—
A place possessed by nettles and salt pits,
And a perpetual desolation.
The remnant of My people will (GV)plunder them
And the remainder of My nation will inherit them.”
10 This they will have in return for their (GW)pride, because they have [bx](GX)taunted and [by]become arrogant against the people of the Lord of hosts. 11 The Lord will be (GY)terrifying to them, for He will [bz]starve (GZ)all the gods of the earth; and all the (HA)coastlands of the nations will (HB)bow down to Him, everyone from his own place.
12 “You also, O (HC)Ethiopians, will be slain by My sword.”
13 And He will (HD)stretch out His hand against the north
And destroy (HE)Assyria,
And He will make (HF)Nineveh a desolation,
Parched like the wilderness.
14 Flocks will lie down in her midst,
[ca]All beasts which range in herds;
Both the [cb](HG)pelican and the hedgehog
Will lodge in [cc]the tops of her pillars;
[cd]Birds will sing in the window,
Desolation will be on the threshold;
For He has laid bare the cedar work.
15 This is the (HH)exultant city
Which (HI)dwells securely,
Who says in her heart,
“(HJ)I am, and there is no one besides me.”
How she has become a (HK)desolation,
A resting place for beasts!
(HL)Everyone who passes by her will hiss
And wave his hand in contempt.
Woe to Jerusalem and the Nations
3 Woe to her who is (HM)rebellious and (HN)defiled,
The (HO)tyrannical city!
2 She (HP)heeded no voice,
She (HQ)accepted no instruction.
She did not (HR)trust in the Lord,
She did not (HS)draw near to her God.
3 Her (HT)princes within her are roaring lions,
Her judges are (HU)wolves at evening;
They leave nothing for the morning.
4 Her prophets are (HV)reckless, treacherous men;
Her (HW)priests have profaned the sanctuary.
They have done violence to the law.
5 The Lord is (HX)righteous (HY)within her;
He will (HZ)do no injustice.
(IA)Every morning He brings His justice to light;
He does not fail.
But the unjust (IB)knows no shame.
6 “I have cut off nations;
Their corner towers are in ruins.
I have made their streets (IC)desolate,
With no one passing by;
Their (ID)cities are laid waste,
Without a man, (IE)without an inhabitant.
7 “I said, ‘Surely you will revere Me,
(IF)Accept instruction.’
So her dwelling will (IG)not be cut off
According to all that I have appointed concerning her.
But they were eager to (IH)corrupt all their deeds.
8 “Therefore (II)wait for Me,” declares the Lord,
“For the day when I rise up as a witness.
Indeed, My decision is to (IJ)gather nations,
To assemble kingdoms,
To pour out on them My indignation,
All My burning anger;
For (IK)all the earth will be devoured
By the fire of My zeal.
9 “For then I will [ce]give to the peoples (IL)purified lips,
That all of them may (IM)call on the name of the Lord,
To serve Him [cf]shoulder to shoulder.
10 “From beyond the rivers of (IN)Ethiopia
My [cg]worshipers, [ch]My dispersed ones,
Will (IO)bring My offerings.
11 “In that day you will (IP)feel no shame
Because of all your deeds
By which you have rebelled against Me;
For then I will remove from your midst
Your (IQ)proud, exulting ones,
And you will never again be haughty
On My (IR)holy mountain.
A Remnant of Israel
12 “But I will leave among you
A (IS)humble and lowly people,
And they will (IT)take refuge in the name of the Lord.
13 “The (IU)remnant of Israel will (IV)do no wrong
And (IW)tell no lies,
Nor will a deceitful tongue
Be found in their mouths;
For they will (IX)feed and lie down
With no one to make them tremble.”
14 Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion!
(IY)Shout in triumph, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away (IZ)His judgments against you,
He has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is (JA)in your midst;
You will (JB)fear disaster no more.
16 (JC)In that day it will be said to Jerusalem:
“(JD)Do not be afraid, O Zion;
(JE)Do not let your hands fall limp.
17 “The Lord your God is (JF)in your midst,
A [ci](JG)victorious warrior.
He will (JH)exult over you with joy,
He will [cj]be quiet in His love,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.
18 “I will gather those who (JI)grieve about the appointed feasts—
They [ck]came from you, O Zion;
The reproach of exile is a burden on [cl]them.
19 “Behold, I am going to deal at that time
With all your (JJ)oppressors,
I will save the (JK)lame
And gather the outcast,
And I will turn their (JL)shame into (JM)praise and renown
In all the earth.
20 “At that time I will (JN)bring you in,
Even at the time when I gather you together;
Indeed, I will give you (JO)renown and praise
Among all the peoples of the earth,
When I (JP)restore your fortunes before your eyes,”
Says the Lord.
Haggai Begins Temple Building
1 In the (JQ)second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet (JR)Haggai to (JS)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, (JT)governor of Judah, and to (JU)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, 2 “Thus says the Lord of [cm]hosts, ‘This people says, “The time has not come, even the time for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.”’” 3 Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house (JV)lies desolate?” 5 Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, “[cn]Consider your ways! 6 You have (JW)sown much, but [co]harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is [cp]not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes.”
7 Thus says the Lord of hosts, “[cq]Consider your ways! 8 Go up to the [cr]mountains, bring wood and (JX)rebuild the [cs]temple, that I may be (JY)pleased with it and be (JZ)glorified,” says the Lord. 9 “(KA)You look for much, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I (KB)blow it away. Why?” declares the Lord of hosts, “Because of My house which (KC)lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the (KD)sky has withheld [ct]its dew and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 I called for a (KE)drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on (KF)men, on cattle, and on (KG)all the labor of [cu]your hands.”
12 Then (KH)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and (KI)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, (KJ)obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people [cv](KK)showed reverence for the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the (KL)messenger of the Lord, spoke [cw]by the commission of the Lord to the people saying, “‘(KM)I am with you,’ declares the Lord.” 14 So the Lord stirred up the spirit of (KN)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, (KO)governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the (KP)remnant of the people; and they came and (KQ)worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of Darius the king.
The Builders Encouraged
2 On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came by (KR)Haggai the prophet saying, 2 “Speak now to (KS)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, (KT)governor of Judah, and to (KU)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the (KV)remnant of the people saying, 3 ‘Who is (KW)left among you who saw this [cx]temple in its (KX)former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not [cy]seem to you like nothing [cz]in comparison? 4 But now [da](KY)take courage, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord, ‘take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work; for (KZ)I am with you,’ declares the Lord of hosts. 5 ‘As for the [db](LA)promise which I [dc]made you when you came out of Egypt, [dd]My (LB)Spirit is abiding in your midst; (LC)do not fear!’ 6 For thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘(LD)Once more [de]in a (LE)little while, I am going to (LF)shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. 7 I will shake (LG)all the nations; and [df]they will come with the (LH)wealth of all nations, and I will (LI)fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts. 8 ‘The (LJ)silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord of hosts. 9 ‘The latter (LK)glory of this house will be greater than the (LL)former,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and in this place I will give (LM)peace,’ declares the Lord of hosts.”
10 On the (LN)twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet, saying, 11 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘(LO)Ask now the priests for a [dg]ruling: 12 If a man carries (LP)holy meat in the [dh]fold of his garment, and touches bread with [di]this fold, or cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?’” And the priests answered, “No.” 13 Then Haggai said, “(LQ)If one who is unclean from a [dj]corpse touches any of these, will the latter become unclean?” And the priests answered, “It will become unclean.” 14 Then Haggai said, “‘(LR)So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean. 15 But now, do [dk](LS)consider from this day [dl]onward: before one (LT)stone was placed on another in the temple of the Lord, 16 [dm]from that time when one came to a grain heap of twenty measures, there would be only ten; and when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty [dn]measures, there would be only twenty. 17 I smote you and every work of your hands with (LU)blasting wind, mildew and hail; [do]yet you did not come back to Me,’ declares the Lord. 18 ‘Do [dp](LV)consider from this day [dq]onward, from the (LW)twenty-fourth day of the ninth month; from the day when the temple of the Lord was (LX)founded, [dr]consider: 19 Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree, it has not borne fruit. Yet from this day on I will (LY)bless you.’”
20 Then the word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the (LZ)twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, 21 “Speak to (MA)Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, ‘I am going to (MB)shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will (MC)overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the (MD)power of the kingdoms of the [ds]nations; and I will (ME)overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the (MF)horses and their riders will go down, (MG)everyone by the sword of another.’ 23 ‘On that day,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like a [dt](MH)signet ring, for (MI)I have chosen you,’” declares the Lord of hosts.
A Call to Repentance
1 In the eighth month of the second year of (MJ)Darius, the word of the Lord came to (MK)Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of (ML)Iddo saying, 2 “The Lord was very (MM)angry with your fathers. 3 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “(MN)Return to Me,” declares the Lord of hosts, “that I may return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. 4 “Do not be (MO)like your fathers, to whom the (MP)former prophets proclaimed, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “(MQ)Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.”’ But they did (MR)not listen or give heed to Me,” declares the Lord. 5 “Your (MS)fathers, where are they? And the (MT)prophets, do they live forever? 6 But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, (MU)overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, ‘(MV)As the Lord of hosts purposed to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has dealt with us.’”’”
Patrol of the Earth
7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, as follows: 8 I saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a (MW)red horse, and he was standing among the (MX)myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, sorrel and (MY)white horses behind him. 9 Then I said, “My (MZ)lord, what are these?” And the (NA)angel who was speaking with me said to me, “I will show you what these are.” 10 And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered and said, “These are those whom the Lord has sent to [du](NB)patrol the earth.” 11 So they answered the angel of the Lord who was (NC)standing among the myrtle trees and said, “We have [dv]patrolled the earth, and behold, (ND)all the earth is [dw]peaceful and quiet.”
12 Then the angel of the Lord said, “O Lord of hosts, (NE)how long will You (NF)have no compassion for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which You have been (NG)indignant these (NH)seventy years?” 13 The Lord answered the (NI)angel who was speaking with me with [dx]gracious words, (NJ)comforting words. 14 So the angel who was speaking with me said to me, “(NK)Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “I am (NL)exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion. 15 But I am very (NM)angry with the nations who are (NN)at ease; for while I was only a little angry, they [dy](NO)furthered the disaster.” 16 Therefore thus says the Lord, “I will (NP)return to Jerusalem with compassion; My (NQ)house will be built in it,” declares the Lord of hosts, “and a measuring (NR)line will be stretched over Jerusalem.”’ 17 Again, proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “My (NS)cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again (NT)comfort Zion and again (NU)choose Jerusalem.”’”
18 [dz]Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, there were four horns. 19 So I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these?” And he answered me, “These are the (NV)horns which have scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.” 20 Then the Lord showed me four (NW)craftsmen. 21 I said, “What are these coming to do?” And he said, “These are the (NX)horns which have scattered Judah so that no man lifts up his head; but these craftsmen have come to terrify them, to (NY)throw down the horns of the nations who have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah in order to scatter it.”
God’s Favor to Zion
2 [ea]Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man with a (NZ)measuring line in his hand. 2 So I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To (OA)measure Jerusalem, to see how wide it is and how long it is.” 3 And behold, the (OB)angel who was speaking with me was going out, and another angel was coming out to meet him, 4 and said to him, “Run, speak to that (OC)young man, saying, ‘(OD)Jerusalem will be inhabited [eb](OE)without walls because of the (OF)multitude of men and cattle within it. 5 For I,’ declares the Lord, ‘will be a (OG)wall of fire [ec]around her, and I will be the (OH)glory in her midst.’”
6 “[ed]Ho there! (OI)Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “for I have (OJ)dispersed you as the four winds of the heavens,” declares the Lord. 7 “Ho, Zion! (OK)Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon.” 8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, “After [ee](OL)glory He has sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the [ef](OM)apple of His eye. 9 For behold, I will (ON)wave My hand over them so that they will be (OO)plunder for their slaves. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me. 10 (OP)Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will (OQ)dwell in your midst,” declares the Lord. 11 “(OR)Many nations will join themselves to the Lord in that day and will become My people. Then I will (OS)dwell in your midst, and you will (OT)know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. 12 The Lord will [eg](OU)possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again (OV)choose Jerusalem.
13 “[eh](OW)Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord; for He is (OX)aroused from His holy habitation.”
Joshua, the High Priest
3 Then he showed me (OY)Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and [ei](OZ)Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 The Lord said to Satan, “(PA)The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has (PB)chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a (PC)brand plucked from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was clothed with (PD)filthy garments and standing before the angel. 4 He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “(PE)Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have (PF)taken your iniquity away from you and [ej]will (PG)clothe you with festal robes.” 5 Then I said, “Let them put a clean (PH)turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while 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 will (PI)walk in My ways and if you will perform My service, then you will also (PJ)govern My house and also have charge of My (PK)courts, and I will grant you [ek]free access among these who are standing here.
The Branch
8 Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you—indeed they are men who are a (PL)symbol, for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the [el](PM)Branch. 9 For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are (PN)seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘and I will (PO)remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 10 ‘In that day,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘every one of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his (PP)vine and under his fig tree.’”
The Golden Lampstand and Olive Trees
4 Then (PQ)the angel who was speaking with me returned and (PR)roused me, as a man who is awakened from his sleep. 2 He said to me, “(PS)What do you see?” And I said, “I see, and behold, a (PT)lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its (PU)seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it; 3 also (PV)two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side.” 4 Then I said to the angel who was speaking with me saying, “What are these, (PW)my lord?” 5 So (PX)the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, “(PY)Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” 6 Then he [em]said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to (PZ)Zerubbabel saying, ‘(QA)Not by might nor by power, but by My (QB)Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts. 7 ‘What are you, O great (QC)mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with (QD)shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”’”
8 Also the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have (QE)laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will (QF)finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to [en]you. 10 For who has despised the day of (QG)small things? [eo]But these (QH)seven will be glad when they see the [ep](QI)plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel—these are the (QJ)eyes of the Lord which (QK)range to and fro throughout the earth.”
11 Then I said to him, “What are these (QL)two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?” 12 And I answered the second time and said to him, “What are the two olive [eq]branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden oil from themselves?” 13 So he answered me, saying, “(QM)Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, (QN)my lord.” 14 Then he said, “These are the two [er](QO)anointed ones who are (QP)standing by the (QQ)Lord of the whole earth.”
The Flying Scroll
5 Then I lifted up my eyes again and looked, and behold, there was a flying (QR)scroll. 2 And he said to me, “(QS)What do you see?” And I answered, “I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty [es]cubits and its width ten cubits.” 3 Then he said to me, “This is the (QT)curse that is going forth over the face of the whole [et]land; surely everyone who (QU)steals will be purged away according to [eu]the writing on one side, and everyone who (QV)swears will be purged away according to [ev]the writing on the other side. 4 I will (QW)make it go forth,” declares the Lord of hosts, “and it will (QX)enter the house of the (QY)thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name; and it will spend the night within that house and (QZ)consume it with its timber and stones.”
5 Then (RA)the angel who was speaking with me went out and said to me, “Lift up now your eyes and see what this is going forth.” 6 I said, “What is it?” And he said, “This is the [ew](RB)ephah going forth.” Again he said, “This is their [ex]appearance in all the [ey]land 7 (and behold, a lead cover was lifted up); and this is a woman sitting inside the ephah.” 8 Then he said, “This is (RC)Wickedness!” And he threw her down into the middle of the ephah and cast the lead weight on its [ez]opening. 9 Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and there two women were coming out with the wind in their wings; and they had wings like the wings of a (RD)stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens. 10 I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “Where are they taking the ephah?” 11 Then he said to me, “To build a [fa]temple for her in the land of (RE)Shinar; and when it is prepared, she will be set there on her own pedestal.”
The Four Chariots
6 Now I lifted up my eyes again and looked, and behold, (RF)four chariots were coming forth from between the two mountains; and the mountains were bronze mountains. 2 With the first chariot were (RG)red horses, with the second chariot (RH)black horses, 3 with the third chariot (RI)white horses, and with the fourth chariot strong (RJ)dappled horses. 4 Then I spoke and said to the angel who was speaking with me, “(RK)What are these, my lord?” 5 The angel replied to me, “These are the (RL)four spirits of heaven, going forth after standing before the Lord of all the earth, 6 with one of which the black horses are going forth to the (RM)north country; and the white ones go forth after them, while the dappled ones go forth to the (RN)south country. 7 When the strong ones went out, they [fb]were eager to go to [fc](RO)patrol the earth.” And He said, “Go, [fd]patrol the earth.” So they [fe]patrolled the earth. 8 Then He cried out to me and spoke to me saying, “See, those who are going to the land of the north have [ff](RP)appeased My wrath in the land of the north.”
9 The (RQ)word of the Lord also came to me, saying, 10 “(RR)Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah; and you go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have arrived from Babylon.
The Symbolic Crowns
11 Take silver and gold, make an ornate (RS)crown and set it on the head of (RT)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 Then say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Behold, a man whose name is [fg](RU)Branch, for He will [fh](RV)branch out from where He is; and He will (RW)build the temple of the Lord. 13 Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will (RX)bear the honor and sit and (RY)rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a (RZ)priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two [fi]offices.”’ 14 Now the (SA)crown will become a reminder in the temple of the Lord to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah and [fj]Hen the son of Zephaniah. 15 (SB)Those who are far off will come and [fk]build the temple of the Lord.” Then you will (SC)know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. And it will take place if you completely (SD)obey the Lord your God.
Hearts like Flint
7 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is (SE)Chislev. 2 Now the town of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and [fl]their men to [fm](SF)seek the favor of the Lord, 3 speaking to the (SG)priests who belong to the house of the Lord of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, “Shall I weep in the (SH)fifth month [fn]and abstain, as I have done these many years?” 4 Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 5 “Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months [fo]these (SI)seventy years, was it actually for (SJ)Me that you fasted? 6 When you eat and drink, [fp]do you not eat for yourselves and do you not drink for yourselves? 7 Are not these the words which the Lord (SK)proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and [fq](SL)prosperous along with its cities around it, and the [fr](SM)Negev and the [fs]foothills were inhabited?’”
8 Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah saying, 9 “Thus has the Lord of hosts said, ‘(SN)Dispense true justice and practice (SO)kindness and compassion each to his brother; 10 and (SP)do not oppress the widow or the [ft]orphan, the [fu]stranger or the poor; and do (SQ)not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’ 11 But they (SR)refused to pay attention and [fv](SS)turned a stubborn shoulder and [fw](ST)stopped their ears from hearing. 12 They made their (SU)hearts like [fx](SV)flint [fy]so that they could not hear the law and the (SW)words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the (SX)former prophets; therefore great (SY)wrath came from the Lord of hosts. 13 And just as (SZ)He called and they would not listen, so (TA)they called and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts; 14 “but I [fz](TB)scattered them with a (TC)storm wind among all the nations whom they have not known. Thus the land is (TD)desolated behind them [ga]so that (TE)no one went back and forth, for they (TF)made the pleasant land desolate.”
The Coming Peace and Prosperity of Zion
8 Then the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I am (TG)exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.’ 3 Thus says the Lord, ‘I will return to Zion and will (TH)dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of (TI)Truth, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.’ 4 Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘(TJ)Old men and old women will again sit in the [gb]streets of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand because of [gc]age. 5 And the [gd]streets of the city will be filled with (TK)boys and girls playing in its [ge]streets.’ 6 Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘If it is [gf](TL)too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be [gg](TM)too difficult in My sight?’ declares the Lord of hosts. 7 Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the [gh](TN)east and from the land of the [gi]west; 8 and I will (TO)bring them back and they will (TP)live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be (TQ)My people, and I will be their God in [gj]truth and righteousness.’
9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Let your hands be (TR)strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the (TS)prophets, those who spoke in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, to the end that the temple might be built. 10 For before those days there was (TT)no wage for man or any wage for animal; and for him who went out or came in there was no [gk](TU)peace because of [gl]his enemies, and I (TV)set all men one against another. 11 But now I will (TW)not [gm]treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ declares the Lord of hosts. 12 ‘For there will be (TX)peace for the seed: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce and the heavens will give their (TY)dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit (TZ)all these things. 13 It will come about that just as you were a (UA)curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a (UB)blessing. Do not fear; let your (UC)hands be strong.’
14 “For thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Just as I (UD)purposed to do harm to you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and I have not (UE)relented, 15 so I have again purposed in these days to (UF)do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. (UG)Do not fear! 16 These are the things which you should do: speak the (UH)truth to one another; (UI)judge with truth and judgment for peace in your [gn]gates. 17 Also let none of you (UJ)devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love [go](UK)perjury; for all these are what I (UL)hate,’ declares the Lord.”
18 Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 19 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘The fast of the (UM)fourth, the fast of the (UN)fifth, the fast of the (UO)seventh and the fast of the (UP)tenth months will become (UQ)joy, gladness, and [gp]cheerful feasts for the house of Judah; so (UR)love truth and peace.’
20 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘It will yet be that (US)peoples will come, even the inhabitants of many cities. 21 The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, “Let us go at once to (UT)entreat the favor of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts; [gq]I will also go.” 22 So (UU)many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to (UV)entreat the favor of the Lord.’ 23 Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all the [gr]nations will [gs](UW)grasp the [gt]garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”
Prophecies against Neighboring Nations
9 The [gu]burden of the word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach, with (UX)Damascus as its resting place (for the eyes of men, especially of all the tribes of Israel, are toward the Lord),
2 And (UY)Hamath also, which borders on it;
(UZ)Tyre and (VA)Sidon, [gv]though [gw]they are (VB)very wise.
3 For Tyre built herself a (VC)fortress
And (VD)piled up silver like dust,
And (VE)gold like the mire of the streets.
4 Behold, the Lord will (VF)dispossess her
And cast her wealth into the sea;
And she will be (VG)consumed with fire.
5 Ashkelon will see it and be afraid.
Gaza too will writhe in great pain;
Also Ekron, for her expectation has been confounded.
Moreover, the king will perish from Gaza,
And Ashkelon will not be inhabited.
6 And a [gx]mongrel race will dwell in (VH)Ashdod,
And I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.
7 And I will remove their blood from their mouth
And their detestable things from between their teeth.
Then they also will be a remnant for our God,
And be like a [gy]clan in Judah,
And Ekron like a Jebusite.
8 But I will camp around My house [gz]because of an army,
Because of (VI)him who passes by and returns;
And (VJ)no oppressor will pass over them anymore,
For now I have seen with My eyes.
9 (VK)Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your (VL)king is coming to you;
He is [ha](VM)just and (VN)endowed with salvation,
(VO)Humble, and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a (VP)colt, the [hb]foal of a donkey.
10 I will (VQ)cut off the chariot from Ephraim
And the (VR)horse from Jerusalem;
And the (VS)bow of war will be cut off.
And He will speak (VT)peace to the nations;
And His (VU)dominion will be from sea to sea,
And from the [hc]River to the ends of the earth.
Deliverance of Judah and Ephraim
11 As for you also, because of the (VV)blood of My covenant with you,
I have set your (VW)prisoners free from the [hd]waterless pit.
12 Return to the [he](VX)stronghold, O prisoners [hf]who have the (VY)hope;
This very day I am declaring that I will restore (VZ)double to you.
13 For I will (WA)bend Judah [hg]as My bow,
I will fill the bow with Ephraim.
And I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O (WB)Greece;
And I will make you like a (WC)warrior’s sword.
14 Then the Lord will appear (WD)over them,
And His (WE)arrow will go forth like lightning;
And the Lord [hh]God will blow the (WF)trumpet,
And will march in the (WG)storm winds of the south.
15 (WH)The Lord of hosts will defend them.
And they will (WI)devour and trample on the (WJ)sling stones;
And they will drink and be (WK)boisterous as with wine;
And they will be filled like a sacrificial basin,
Drenched like the (WL)corners of the altar.
16 And the Lord their God will (WM)save them in that day
As the flock of His people;
For they are as the stones of a (WN)crown,
[hi]Sparkling in His land.
17 For what [hj](WO)comeliness and (WP)beauty will be [hk]theirs!
Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine the virgins.
God Will Bless Judah and Ephraim
10 Ask (WQ)rain from the Lord at the time of the spring rain—
The Lord who (WR)makes the [hl]storm clouds;
And He will give them (WS)showers of rain, vegetation in the field to each man.
2 For the (WT)teraphim speak [hm]iniquity,
And the (WU)diviners see [hn]lying visions
And tell (WV)false dreams;
They comfort in vain.
Therefore the people [ho]wander like (WW)sheep,
They are afflicted, because there is no shepherd.
3 “My (WX)anger is kindled against the shepherds,
And I will punish the [hp]male goats;
For the Lord of hosts has (WY)visited His flock, the house of Judah,
And will make them like His majestic horse in battle.
4 “From [hq]them will come the (WZ)cornerstone,
From [hr]them the tent peg,
From [hs]them the bow of (XA)battle,
From [ht]them every [hu]ruler, all of them together.
5 “They will be as mighty men,
(XB)Treading down the enemy in the mire of the streets in battle;
And they will fight, for the Lord will be with them;
And the (XC)riders on horses will be put to shame.
6 “I will (XD)strengthen the house of Judah,
And I will (XE)save the house of Joseph,
And I will [hv](XF)bring them back,
Because I have had (XG)compassion on them;
And they will be as though I had (XH)not rejected them,
For I am the Lord their God and I will (XI)answer them.
7 “Ephraim will be like a mighty man,
And their heart will be glad as if from wine;
Indeed, their (XJ)children will see it and be glad,
[hw]Their heart will rejoice in the Lord.
8 “I will (XK)whistle for them to gather them together,
For I have redeemed them;
And they will be as (XL)numerous as they [hx](XM)were before.
9 “When I [hy]scatter them among the peoples,
They will (XN)remember Me in far countries,
And they with their children will live and come back.
10 “I will (XO)bring them back from the land of Egypt
And gather them from Assyria;
And I will bring them into the land of (XP)Gilead and Lebanon
[hz]Until (XQ)no room can be found for them.
11 “And they will pass through the (XR)sea of distress
And He will strike the waves in the sea,
So that all the depths of the (XS)Nile will dry up;
And the pride of (XT)Assyria will be brought down
And the scepter of (XU)Egypt will depart.
12 “And I will (XV)strengthen them in the Lord,
And in His name (XW)they will walk,” declares the Lord.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.