Bible in 90 Days
The Prophet Questions God’s Judgments
1 The [a]burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw.
The Prophet’s Question
2 O Lord, how long shall I cry,
(A)And You will not hear?
Even cry out to You, (B)“Violence!”
And You will (C)not save.
3 Why do You show me iniquity,
And cause me to see [b]trouble?
For plundering and violence are before me;
There is strife, and contention arises.
4 Therefore the law is powerless,
And justice never goes forth.
For the (D)wicked surround the righteous;
Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.
The Lord’s Reply
5 “Look(E) among the nations and watch—
Be utterly astounded!
For I will work a work in your days
Which you would not believe, though it were told you.
6 For indeed I am (F)raising up the Chaldeans,
A bitter and hasty (G)nation
Which marches through the breadth of the earth,
To possess dwelling places that are not theirs.
7 They are terrible and dreadful;
Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves.
8 Their horses also are (H)swifter than leopards,
And more fierce than evening wolves.
Their [c]chargers [d]charge ahead;
Their cavalry comes from afar;
They fly as the (I)eagle that hastens to eat.
9 “They all come for violence;
Their faces are set like the east wind.
They gather captives like sand.
10 They scoff at kings,
And princes are scorned by them.
They deride every stronghold,
For they heap up earthen mounds and seize it.
11 Then his [e]mind changes, and he transgresses;
He commits offense,
(J)Ascribing this power to his god.”
The Prophet’s Second Question
12 Are You not (K)from everlasting,
O Lord my God, my Holy One?
We shall not die.
O Lord, (L)You have appointed them for judgment;
O Rock, You have marked them for (M)correction.
13 You are of purer eyes than to behold evil,
And cannot look on wickedness.
Why do You look on those who deal treacherously,
And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours
A person more righteous than he?
14 Why do You make men like fish of the sea,
Like creeping things that have no ruler over them?
15 They take up all of them with a hook,
They catch them in their net,
And gather them in their dragnet.
Therefore they rejoice and are glad.
16 Therefore (N)they sacrifice to their net,
And burn incense to their dragnet;
Because by them their share is [f]sumptuous
And their food plentiful.
17 Shall they therefore empty their net,
And continue to slay nations without pity?
The Just Shall Live by Faith
2 I will (O)stand my watch
And set myself on the rampart,
And watch to see what He will say to me,
And what I will answer when I am corrected.
The Just Live by Faith
2 Then the Lord answered me and said:
(P)“Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
3 For (Q)the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will (R)not lie.
Though it tarries, (S)wait for it;
Because it will (T)surely come,
It will not tarry.
4 “Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the (U)just shall live by his faith.
Woe to the Wicked
5 “Indeed, because he transgresses by wine,
He is a proud man,
And he does not stay at home.
Because he (V)enlarges his desire as [g]hell,
And he is like death, and cannot be satisfied,
He gathers to himself all nations
And heaps up for himself all peoples.
6 “Will not all these (W)take up a proverb against him,
And a taunting riddle against him, and say,
‘Woe to him who increases
What is not his—how long?
And to him who loads himself with [h]many pledges’?
7 Will not [i]your creditors rise up suddenly?
Will they not awaken who oppress you?
And you will become their booty.
8 (X)Because you have plundered many nations,
All the remnant of the people shall plunder you,
Because of men’s [j]blood
And the violence of the land and the city,
And of all who dwell in it.
9 “Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house,
That he may (Y)set his nest on high,
That he may be delivered from the [k]power of disaster!
10 You give shameful counsel to your house,
Cutting off many peoples,
And sin against your soul.
11 For the stone will cry out from the wall,
And the beam from the timbers will answer it.
12 “Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed,
Who establishes a city by iniquity!
13 Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts
That the peoples labor [l]to feed the fire,
And nations weary themselves in vain?
14 For the earth will be filled
With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
As the waters cover the sea.
15 “Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor,
[m]Pressing him to your (Z)bottle,
Even to make him drunk,
That you may look on [n]his nakedness!
16 You are filled with shame instead of glory.
You also—drink!
And [o]be exposed as uncircumcised!
The cup of the Lord’s right hand will be turned against you,
And utter shame will be on your glory.
17 For the violence done to Lebanon will cover you,
And the plunder of beasts which made them afraid,
Because of men’s blood
And the violence of the land and the city,
And of all who dwell in it.
18 “What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it,
The molded image, a teacher of lies,
That the maker of its mold should trust in it,
To make mute idols?
19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’
To silent stone, ‘Arise! It shall teach!’
Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver,
Yet in it there is no breath at all.
20 “But(AA) the Lord is in His holy temple.
Let all the earth keep silence before Him.”
The Prophet’s Prayer
3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, on [p]Shigionoth.
2 O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid;
O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years!
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember mercy.
3 God came from Teman,
The Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah
His glory covered the heavens,
And the earth was full of His praise.
4 His brightness was like the light;
He had rays flashing from His hand,
And there His power was hidden.
5 Before Him went pestilence,
And fever followed at His feet.
6 He stood and measured the earth;
He looked and startled the nations.
(AB)And the everlasting mountains were scattered,
The perpetual hills bowed.
His ways are everlasting.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction;
The curtains of the land of Midian trembled.
8 O Lord, were You displeased with the rivers,
Was Your anger against the rivers,
Was Your wrath against the sea,
That You rode on Your horses,
Your chariots of salvation?
9 Your bow was made quite ready;
Oaths were sworn over Your [q]arrows. Selah
You divided the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw You and trembled;
The overflowing of the water passed by.
The deep uttered its voice,
And (AC)lifted its hands on high.
11 The (AD)sun and moon stood still in their habitation;
At the light of Your arrows they went,
At the shining of Your glittering spear.
12 You marched through the land in indignation;
You [r]trampled the nations in anger.
13 You went forth for the salvation of Your people,
For salvation with Your Anointed.
You struck the head from the house of the wicked,
By laying bare from foundation to neck. Selah
14 You thrust through with his own arrows
The head of his villages.
They came out like a whirlwind to scatter me;
Their rejoicing was like feasting on the poor in secret.
15 (AE)You walked through the sea with Your horses,
Through the heap of great waters.
16 When I heard, (AF)my body trembled;
My lips quivered at the voice;
Rottenness entered my bones;
And I trembled in myself,
That I might rest in the day of trouble.
When he comes up to the people,
He will invade them with his troops.
A Hymn of Faith
17 Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls—
18 Yet I will (AG)rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19 [s]The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like (AH)deer’s feet,
And He will make me (AI)walk on my high hills.
To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.
The Great Day of the Lord(AJ)
1 The word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of (AK)Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.
The Great Day of the Lord
2 “I will [t]utterly consume everything
From the face of the land,”
Says the Lord;
3 “I(AL) will consume man and beast;
I will consume the birds of the heavens,
The fish of the sea,
And the [u]stumbling blocks along with the wicked.
I will cut off man from the face of the [v]land,”
Says the Lord.
4 “I will stretch out My hand against Judah,
And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
[w]I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place,
The names of the (AM)idolatrous[x] priests with the pagan priests—
5 Those (AN)who worship the host of heaven on the housetops;
Those who worship and swear oaths by the Lord,
But who also swear (AO)by [y]Milcom;
6 (AP)Those who have turned back from following the Lord,
And (AQ)have not sought the Lord, nor inquired of Him.”
7 (AR)Be silent in the presence of the Lord God;
(AS)For the day of the Lord is at hand,
For (AT)the Lord has prepared a sacrifice;
He has [z]invited His guests.
8 “And it shall be,
In the day of the Lord’s sacrifice,
That I will punish (AU)the princes and the king’s children,
And all such as are clothed with foreign apparel.
9 In the same day I will punish
All those who (AV)leap over the threshold,
Who fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.
10 “And there shall be on that day,” says the Lord,
“The sound of a mournful cry from (AW)the Fish Gate,
A wailing from the Second Quarter,
And a loud crashing from the hills.
11 (AX)Wail, you inhabitants of [aa]Maktesh!
For all the merchant people are cut down;
All those who handle money are cut off.
12 “And it shall come to pass at that time
That I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
And punish the men
Who are (AY)settled[ab] in complacency,
(AZ)Who say in their heart,
‘The Lord will not do good,
Nor will He do evil.’
13 Therefore their goods shall become booty,
And their houses a desolation;
They shall build houses, but not inhabit them;
They shall plant vineyards, but (BA)not drink their wine.”
14 (BB)The great day of the Lord is near;
It is near and hastens quickly.
The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter;
There the mighty men shall cry out.
15 (BC)That day is a day of wrath,
A day of trouble and distress,
A day of devastation and desolation,
A day of darkness and gloominess,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 A day of (BD)trumpet and alarm
Against the fortified cities
And against the high towers.
17 “I will bring distress upon men,
And they shall (BE)walk like blind men,
Because they have sinned against the Lord;
Their blood shall be poured out like dust,
And their flesh like refuse.”
18 (BF)Neither their silver nor their gold
Shall be able to deliver them
In the day of the Lord’s wrath;
But the whole land shall be devoured
By the fire of His jealousy,
For He will make speedy riddance
Of all those who dwell in the land.
A Call to Repentance
2 Gather(BG) yourselves together, yes, gather together,
O [ac]undesirable nation,
2 Before the decree is issued,
Or the day passes like chaff,
Before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you,
Before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you!
3 (BH)Seek the Lord, (BI)all you meek of the earth,
Who have upheld His justice.
Seek righteousness, seek humility.
(BJ)It may be that you will be hidden
In the day of the Lord’s anger.
Judgment on Nations
4 For (BK)Gaza shall be forsaken,
And Ashkelon desolate;
They shall drive out Ashdod (BL)at noonday,
And Ekron shall be uprooted.
5 Woe to the inhabitants of (BM)the seacoast,
The nation of the Cherethites!
The word of the Lord is against you,
O (BN)Canaan, land of the Philistines:
“I will destroy you;
So there shall be no inhabitant.”
6 The seacoast shall be pastures,
With [ad]shelters for shepherds (BO)and folds for flocks.
7 The coast shall be for (BP)the remnant of the house of Judah;
They shall feed their flocks there;
In the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening.
For the Lord their God will (BQ)intervene[ae] for them,
And (BR)return their captives.
8 “I(BS) have heard the reproach of Moab,
And (BT)the insults of the people of Ammon,
With which they have reproached My people,
And (BU)made arrogant threats against their borders.
9 Therefore, as I live,”
Says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel,
“Surely (BV)Moab shall be like Sodom,
And (BW)the people of Ammon like Gomorrah—
(BX)Overrun[af] with weeds and saltpits,
And a [ag]perpetual desolation.
The residue of My people shall plunder them,
And the remnant of My people shall possess them.”
10 This they shall have (BY)for their pride,
Because they have reproached and made arrogant threats
Against the people of the Lord of hosts.
11 The Lord will be awesome to them,
For He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth;
(BZ)People shall worship Him,
Each one from his place,
Indeed all (CA)the shores of the nations.
13 And He will stretch out His hand against the north,
(CD)Destroy Assyria,
And make Nineveh a desolation,
As dry as the wilderness.
14 The herds shall lie down in her midst,
(CE)Every beast of the nation.
Both the (CF)pelican and the bittern
Shall lodge on the capitals of her pillars;
Their voice shall sing in the windows;
Desolation shall be at the threshold;
For He will lay bare the (CG)cedar work.
15 This is the rejoicing city
(CH)That dwelt securely,
(CI)That said in her heart,
“I am it, and there is none besides me.”
How has she become a desolation,
A place for beasts to lie down!
Everyone who passes by her
(CJ)Shall hiss and (CK)shake his fist.
The Wickedness of Jerusalem
3 Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted,
To the oppressing city!
2 She has not obeyed His voice,
She has not received correction;
She has not trusted in the Lord,
She has not drawn near to her God.
3 (CL)Her princes in her midst are roaring lions;
Her judges are (CM)evening wolves
That leave not a bone till morning.
4 Her (CN)prophets are insolent, treacherous people;
Her priests have [ah]polluted the sanctuary,
They have done (CO)violence to the law.
5 The Lord is righteous in her midst,
He will do no unrighteousness.
[ai]Every morning He brings His justice to light;
He never fails,
But (CP)the unjust knows no shame.
6 “I have cut off nations,
Their fortresses are devastated;
I have made their streets desolate,
With none passing by.
Their cities are destroyed;
There is no one, no inhabitant.
7 (CQ)I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me,
You will receive instruction’—
So that her dwelling would not be cut off,
Despite everything for which I punished her.
But [aj]they rose early and (CR)corrupted all their deeds.
A Faithful Remnant(CS)
8 “Therefore (CT)wait for Me,” says the Lord,
“Until the day I rise up [ak]for plunder;
My determination is to (CU)gather the nations
To My assembly of kingdoms,
To pour on them My indignation,
All My fierce anger;
All the earth (CV)shall be devoured
With the fire of My jealousy.
9 “For then I will restore to the peoples (CW)a pure [al]language,
That they all may call on the name of the Lord,
To serve Him with one accord.
10 (CX)From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
My worshipers,
The daughter of My dispersed ones,
Shall bring My offering.
11 In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds
In which you transgress against Me;
For then I will take away from your midst
Those who (CY)rejoice in your pride,
And you shall no longer be haughty
In My holy mountain.
12 I will leave in your midst
(CZ)A meek and humble people,
And they shall trust in the name of the Lord.
13 (DA)The remnant of Israel (DB)shall do no unrighteousness
(DC)And speak no lies,
Nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth;
For (DD)they shall feed their flocks and lie down,
And no one shall make them afraid.”
Joy in God’s Faithfulness
14 (DE)Sing, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away your judgments,
He has cast out your enemy.
(DF)The King of Israel, the Lord, (DG)is in your midst;
You shall [am]see disaster no more.
16 In that day (DH)it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not fear;
Zion, (DI)let not your hands be weak.
17 The Lord your God (DJ)in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
(DK)He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”
18 “I will gather those who (DL)sorrow over the appointed assembly,
Who are among you,
To whom its reproach is a burden.
19 Behold, at that time
I will deal with all who afflict you;
I will save the (DM)lame,
And gather those who were driven out;
I will appoint them for praise and fame
In every land where they were put to shame.
20 At that time (DN)I will bring you back,
Even at the time I gather you;
For I will give you [an]fame and praise
Among all the peoples of the earth,
When I return your captives before your eyes,”
Says the Lord.
The Command to Build God’s House(DO)
1 In (DP)the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by (DQ)Haggai the prophet to (DR)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to (DS)Joshua the son of (DT)Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, 2 “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.” ’ ”
3 Then the word of the Lord (DU)came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 “Is it (DV)time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this [ao]temple to lie in ruins?” 5 Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: (DW)“Consider your ways!
6 “You have (DX)sown much, and bring in little;
You eat, but do not have enough;
You drink, but you are not filled with drink;
You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;
And (DY)he who earns wages,
Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”
7 Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! 8 Go up to the (DZ)mountains and bring wood and build the [ap]temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the Lord. 9 (EA)“You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, (EB)I blew it away. Why?” says the Lord of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. 10 Therefore (EC)the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. 11 For I (ED)called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on (EE)all the labor of your hands.”
The People’s Obedience
12 (EF)Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, 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 feared the presence of the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, spoke the Lord’s message to the people, saying, (EG)“I am with you, says the Lord.” 14 So (EH)the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, (EI)governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; (EJ)and they came and 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 King Darius.
The Coming Glory of God’s House
2 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first of the month, the word of the Lord came [aq]by Haggai the prophet, saying: 2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying: 3 (EK)‘Who is left among you who saw this [ar]temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with it, (EL)is this not in your eyes as nothing? 4 Yet now (EM)be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the Lord; ‘and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ says the Lord of hosts. 5 (EN)‘According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so (EO)My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!’
6 “For thus says the Lord of hosts: (EP)‘Once more (it is a little while) (EQ)I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; 7 and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to (ER)the [as]Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this [at]temple with (ES)glory,’ says the Lord of hosts. 8 ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts. 9 (ET)‘The glory of this latter [au]temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give (EU)peace,’ says the Lord of hosts.”
The People Are Defiled
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 11 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Now, (EV)ask the priests concerning the law, saying, 12 “If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?” ’ ”
Then the priests answered and said, “No.”
13 And Haggai said, “If one who is (EW)unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?”
So the priests answered and said, “It shall be unclean.”
14 Then Haggai answered and said, (EX)“ ‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,’ says the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.
Promised Blessing
15 ‘And now, carefully (EY)consider from this day forward: from before stone was laid upon stone in the temple of the Lord— 16 since those days, (EZ)when one came to a heap of twenty ephahs, there were but ten; when one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty baths from the press, there were but twenty. 17 (FA)I struck you with blight and mildew and hail (FB)in all the labors of your hands; (FC)yet you did not turn to Me,’ says the Lord. 18 ‘Consider now from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from (FD)the day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid—consider it: 19 (FE)Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will (FF)bless you.’ ”
Zerubbabel Chosen as a Signet
20 And again the word of the Lord came to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, (FG)governor of Judah, saying:
(FH)‘I will shake heaven and earth.
22 (FI)I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms;
I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms.
(FJ)I will overthrow the chariots
And those who ride in them;
The horses and their riders shall come down,
Every one by the sword of his brother.
23 ‘In that day,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel My servant, the son of Shealtiel,’ says the Lord, (FK)‘and will make you like a signet ring; for (FL)I have chosen you,’ says the Lord of hosts.”
A Call to Repentance(FM)
1 In the eighth month (FN)of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came (FO)to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of (FP)Iddo the prophet, saying, 2 “The Lord has been very angry with your fathers. 3 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Return (FQ)to Me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. 4 “Do not be like your fathers, (FR)to whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: (FS)“Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.” ’ But they did not hear nor heed Me,” says the Lord.
5 “Your fathers, where are they?
And the prophets, do they live forever?
6 Yet surely (FT)My words and My statutes,
Which I commanded My servants the prophets,
Did they not overtake your fathers?
“So they returned and said:
(FU)‘Just as the Lord of hosts determined to do to us,
According to our ways and according to our deeds,
So He has dealt with us.’ ” ’ ”
Vision of the Horses
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 son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet: 8 I saw by night, and behold, (FV)a man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were (FW)horses: red, sorrel, and white. 9 Then I said, (FX)“My lord, what are these?” So the angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what they are.”
10 And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, (FY)“These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth.”
11 (FZ)So they answered the Angel of the Lord, who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, “We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth is [av]resting quietly.”
The Lord Will Comfort Zion
12 Then the Angel of the Lord answered and said, “O Lord of hosts, (GA)how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry (GB)these seventy years?”
13 And the Lord answered the angel who talked to me, with (GC)good and comforting words. 14 So the angel who spoke with me said to me, [aw]“Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts:
“I am (GD)zealous[ax] for Jerusalem
And for Zion with great [ay]zeal.
15 I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease;
For (GE)I was a little angry,
And they helped—but with evil intent.”
16 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord:
(GF)“I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy;
My (GG)house (GH)shall be built in it,” says the Lord of hosts,
“And (GI)a surveyor’s line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.” ’
17 “Again proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts:
“My cities shall again [az]spread out through prosperity;
(GJ)The Lord will again comfort Zion,
And (GK)will again choose Jerusalem.” ’ ”
Vision of the Horns
18 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were four (GL)horns. 19 And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these?”
So he answered me, (GM)“These are the [ba]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?”
So he said, “These are the (GN)horns that scattered Judah, so that no one could lift up his head; but [bb]the craftsmen are coming to terrify them, to cast out the horns of the nations that (GO)lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.”
Vision of the Measuring Line
2 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, (GP)a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 So I said, “Where are you going?”
And he said to me, (GQ)“To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.”
3 And there was the angel who talked with me, going out; and another angel was coming out to meet him, 4 who said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying: (GR)‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it. 5 For I,’ says the Lord, ‘will be (GS)a wall of fire all around her, (GT)and I will be the glory in her midst.’ ”
Future Joy of Zion and Many Nations
6 “Up, up! Flee (GU)from the land of the north,” says the Lord; “for I have (GV)spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven,” says the Lord. 7 “Up, Zion! (GW)Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.”
8 For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who (GX)touches you touches the [bc]apple of His eye. 9 For surely I will (GY)shake My hand against them, and they shall become [bd]spoil for their servants. Then (GZ)you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me.
10 (HA)“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I (HB)will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord. 11 (HC)“Many nations shall be joined to the Lord (HD)in that day, and they shall become (HE)My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then (HF)you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. 12 And the Lord will (HG)take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem. 13 (HH)Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused (HI)from His holy habitation!”
Vision of the High Priest
3 Then he showed me (HJ)Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and (HK)Satan[be] standing at his right hand to oppose him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, (HL)“The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who (HM)has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! (HN)Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”
3 Now Joshua was clothed with (HO)filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.
4 Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, (HP)and I will clothe you with rich robes.”
5 And I said, “Let them put a clean (HQ)turban on his head.”
So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by.
The Coming Branch
6 Then the Angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying, 7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
‘If you will walk in My ways,
And if you will (HR)keep My command,
Then you shall also (HS)judge My house,
And likewise have charge of My courts;
I will give you places to walk
Among these who (HT)stand here.
8 ‘Hear, O Joshua, the high priest,
You and your companions who sit before you,
For they are (HU)a[bf] wondrous sign;
For behold, I am bringing forth (HV)My Servant the (HW)BRANCH.
9 For behold, the stone
That I have laid before Joshua:
(HX)Upon the stone are (HY)seven eyes.
Behold, I will engrave its inscription,’
Says the Lord of hosts,
‘And (HZ)I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
10 (IA)In that day,’ says the Lord of hosts,
‘Everyone will invite his neighbor
(IB)Under his vine and under his fig tree.’ ”
Vision of the Lampstand and Olive Trees
4 Now (IC)the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, (ID)as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?”
So I said, “I am looking, and there is (IE)a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, (IF)and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. 3 (IG)Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left.” 4 So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?”
5 Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?”
And I said, “No, my lord.”
6 So he answered and said to me:
“This is the word of the Lord to (IH)Zerubbabel:
(II)‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’
Says the Lord of hosts.
7 ‘Who are you, (IJ)O great mountain?
Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!
And he shall bring forth (IK)the capstone
(IL)With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’ ”
8 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
9 “The hands of Zerubbabel
(IM)Have laid the foundation of this [bg]temple;
His hands (IN)shall also finish it.
Then (IO)you will know
That the (IP)Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.
10 For who has despised the day of (IQ)small things?
For these seven rejoice to see
The [bh]plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
(IR)They are the eyes of the Lord,
Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”
11 Then I answered and said to him, “What are these (IS)two olive trees—at the right of the lampstand and at its left?” 12 And I further answered and said to him, “What are these two olive branches that drip [bi]into the receptacles of the two gold pipes from which the golden oil drains?”
13 Then he answered me and said, “Do you not know what these are?”
And I said, “No, my lord.”
14 So he said, (IT)“These are the two [bj]anointed ones, (IU)who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.”
Vision of the Flying Scroll
5 Then I turned and raised my eyes, and saw there a flying (IV)scroll.
2 And he said to me, “What do you see?”
So I answered, “I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits.”
3 Then he said to me, “This is the (IW)curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth: ‘Every thief shall be expelled,’ according to this side of the scroll; and, ‘Every perjurer shall be expelled,’ according to that side of it.”
4 “I will send out the curse,” says the Lord of hosts;
“It shall enter the house of the (IX)thief
And the house of (IY)the one who swears falsely by My name.
It shall remain in the midst of his house
And consume (IZ)it, with its timber and stones.”
Vision of the Woman in a Basket
5 Then the angel who talked with me came out and said to me, “Lift your eyes now, and see what this is that goes forth.”
6 So I asked, “What is it?” And he said, “It is a [bk]basket that is going forth.”
He also said, “This is their resemblance throughout the earth: 7 Here is a lead disc lifted up, and this is a woman sitting inside the basket”; 8 then he said, “This is Wickedness!” And he thrust her down into the basket, and threw the lead [bl]cover over its mouth. 9 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were two women, coming with the wind in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a (JA)stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven.
10 So I said to the (JB)angel who talked with me, “Where are they carrying the basket?”
11 And he said to me, “To (JC)build a house for it in (JD)the land of [bm]Shinar; when it is ready, the basket will be set there on its base.”
Vision of the Four Chariots
6 Then I turned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2 With the first chariot were (JE)red horses, with the second chariot (JF)black horses, 3 with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot dappled horses—strong steeds. 4 Then I answered (JG)and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”
5 And the angel answered and said to me, (JH)“These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their (JI)station before the Lord of all the earth. 6 [bn]The one with the black horses is going to (JJ)the north country, the white are going after them, and the dappled are going toward the south country.” 7 Then the strong steeds went out, eager to go, that they might (JK)walk to and fro throughout the earth. And He said, “Go, walk to and fro throughout the earth.” So they walked to and fro throughout the earth. 8 And He called to me, and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My (JL)Spirit in the north country.”
The Command to Crown Joshua
9 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 10 “Receive the gift from the captives—from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have come from Babylon—and go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah. 11 Take the silver and gold, make (JM)an[bo] elaborate crown, and set it on the head of (JN)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 Then speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying:
“Behold, (JO)the Man whose name is the (JP)BRANCH!
From His place He shall [bp]branch out,
(JQ)And He shall build the temple of the Lord;
13 Yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord.
He (JR)shall bear the glory,
And shall sit and rule on His throne;
So (JS)He shall be a priest on His throne,
And the counsel of peace shall be between [bq]them both.” ’
14 “Now the [br]elaborate crown shall be (JT)for a memorial in the temple of the Lord [bs]for Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah. 15 Even (JU)those from afar shall come and build the temple of the Lord. Then you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. And this shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.”
Obedience Better than Fasting
7 Now in the fourth year of King Darius it came to pass that the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Chislev, 2 when [bt]the people sent [bu]Sherezer, with Regem-Melech and his men, to [bv]the house of God, [bw]to pray before the Lord, 3 and to (JV)ask the priests who were in the house of the Lord of hosts, and the prophets, saying, “Should I weep in (JW)the fifth month and [bx]fast as I have done for so 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 (JX)fasted and mourned in the fifth (JY)and seventh months (JZ)during those seventy years, did you really fast (KA)for Me—for Me? 6 (KB)When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves? 7 Should you not have obeyed the words which the Lord proclaimed through the (KC)former prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around it were inhabited and prosperous, and (KD)the [by]South and the Lowland were inhabited?’ ”
Disobedience Resulted in Captivity
8 Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
(KE)‘Execute true justice,
Show [bz]mercy and compassion
Everyone to his brother.
10 (KF)Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless,
The alien or the poor.
(KG)Let none of you plan evil in his heart
Against his brother.’
11 “But they refused to heed, (KH)shrugged[ca] their shoulders, and (KI)stopped[cb] their ears so that they could not hear. 12 Yes, they made their (KJ)hearts like flint, (KK)refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. (KL)Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. 13 Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so (KM)they called out and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts. 14 “But (KN)I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate.”
Jerusalem, Holy City of the Future
8 Again the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
3 “Thus says the Lord:
(KP)‘I will return to Zion,
And (KQ)dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem (KR)shall be called the City of Truth,
(KS)The Mountain of the Lord of hosts,
(KT)The Holy Mountain.’
4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
(KU)‘Old men and old women shall again sit
In the streets of Jerusalem,
Each one with his staff in his hand
Because of [cf]great age.
5 The streets of the city
Shall be (KV)full of boys and girls
Playing in its streets.’
6 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
‘If it is [cg]marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days,
(KW)Will it also be marvelous in My eyes?’
Says the Lord of hosts.
7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
‘Behold, (KX)I will save My people from the land of the [ch]east
And from the land of the [ci]west;
8 I will (KY)bring them back,
And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.
(KZ)They shall be My people
And I will be their God,
(LA)In truth and righteousness.’
9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
(LB)‘Let your hands be strong,
You who have been hearing in these days
These words by the mouth of (LC)the prophets,
Who spoke in (LD)the day the foundation was laid
For the house of the Lord of hosts,
That the temple might be built.
10 For before these days
There were no (LE)wages for man nor any hire for beast;
There was no peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came in;
For I set all men, everyone, against his neighbor.
11 (LF)But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ says the Lord of hosts.
12 ‘For(LG) the [cj]seed shall be prosperous,
The vine shall give its fruit,
(LH)The ground shall give her increase,
And (LI)the heavens shall give their dew—
I will cause the remnant of this people
To possess all these.
13 And it shall come to pass
That just as you were (LJ)a curse among the nations,
O house of Judah and house of Israel,
So I will save you, and (LK)you shall be a blessing.
Do not fear,
Let your hands be strong.’
14 “For thus says the Lord of hosts:
(LL)‘Just as I determined to [ck]punish you
When your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’
Says the Lord of hosts,
(LM)‘And I would not relent,
15 So again in these days
I am determined to do good
To Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.
Do not fear.
16 These are the things you shall (LN)do:
(LO)Speak each man the truth to his neighbor;
Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace;
17 (LP)Let none of you think evil in [cl]your heart against your neighbor;
And do not love a false oath.
For all these are things that I hate,’
Says the Lord.”
18 Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 19 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
(LQ)‘The fast of the fourth month,
(LR)The fast of the fifth,
(LS)The fast of the seventh,
(LT)And the fast of the tenth,
Shall be (LU)joy and gladness and cheerful feasts
For the house of Judah.
(LV)Therefore love truth and peace.’
20 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
‘Peoples shall yet come,
Inhabitants of many cities;
21 The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying,
(LW)“Let us continue to go and pray before the Lord,
And seek the Lord of hosts.
I myself will go also.”
22 Yes, (LX)many peoples and strong nations
Shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem,
And to pray before the Lord.’
23 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men (LY)from every language of the nations shall (LZ)grasp the [cm]sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard (MA)that God is with you.” ’ ”
Israel Defended Against Enemies
9 The [cn]burden of the word of the Lord
Against the land of Hadrach,
And (MB)Damascus its resting place
(For (MC)the eyes of men
And all the tribes of Israel
Are on the Lord);
2 Also against (MD)Hamath, which borders on it,
And against (ME)Tyre and (MF)Sidon, though they are very (MG)wise.
3 For Tyre built herself a tower,
Heaped up silver like the dust,
And gold like the mire of the streets.
4 Behold, (MH)the Lord will cast her out;
He will destroy (MI)her power in the sea,
And she will be devoured by fire.
5 Ashkelon shall see it and fear;
Gaza also shall be very sorrowful;
And (MJ)Ekron, for He dried up her expectation.
The king shall perish from Gaza,
And Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.
6 “A[co] mixed race shall settle (MK)in Ashdod,
And I will cut off the pride of the (ML)Philistines.
7 I will take away the blood from his mouth,
And the abominations from between his teeth.
But he who remains, even he shall be for our God,
And shall be like a leader in Judah,
And Ekron like a Jebusite.
8 (MM)I will camp around My house
Because of the army,
Because of him who passes by and him who returns.
No more shall an oppressor pass through them,
For now I have seen with My eyes.
The Coming King(MN)
9 “Rejoice (MO)greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, (MP)your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I (MQ)will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
And the horse from Jerusalem;
The (MR)battle bow shall be cut off.
He shall speak peace to the nations;
His dominion shall be (MS)‘from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.’
God Will Save His People
11 “As for you also,
Because of the blood of your covenant,
I will set your (MT)prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12 Return to the stronghold,
(MU)You prisoners of hope.
Even today I declare
That I will restore (MV)double to you.
13 For I have bent Judah, My bow,
Fitted the bow with Ephraim,
And raised up your sons, O Zion,
Against your sons, O Greece,
And made you like the sword of a mighty man.”
14 Then the Lord will be seen over them,
And (MW)His arrow will go forth like lightning.
The Lord God will blow the trumpet,
And go (MX)with whirlwinds from the south.
15 The Lord of hosts will (MY)defend them;
They shall devour and subdue with slingstones.
They shall drink and roar as if with wine;
They shall be filled with blood like [cp]basins,
Like the corners of the altar.
16 The Lord their God will (MZ)save them in that day,
As the flock of His people.
For (NA)they shall be like the [cq]jewels of a crown,
(NB)Lifted like a banner over His land—
17 For (NC)how great is [cr]its goodness
And how great its (ND)beauty!
(NE)Grain shall make the young men thrive,
And new wine the young women.
Restoration of Judah and Israel
10 Ask (NF)the Lord for (NG)rain
In (NH)the time of the [cs]latter rain.
The Lord will make [ct]flashing clouds;
He will give them showers of rain,
Grass in the field for everyone.
2 For the (NI)idols[cu] speak delusion;
The diviners envision (NJ)lies,
And tell false dreams;
They (NK)comfort in vain.
Therefore the people wend their way like (NL)sheep;
They are [cv]in trouble (NM)because there is no shepherd.
3 “My anger is kindled against the (NN)shepherds,
(NO)And I will punish the [cw]goatherds.
For the Lord of hosts (NP)will visit His flock,
The house of Judah,
And (NQ)will make them as His royal horse in the battle.
4 From him comes (NR)the cornerstone,
From him (NS)the tent peg,
From him the battle bow,
From him every [cx]ruler together.
5 They shall be like mighty men,
Who (NT)tread down their enemies
In the mire of the streets in the battle.
They shall fight because the Lord is with them,
And the riders on horses shall be put to shame.
6 “I will strengthen the house of Judah,
And I will save the house of Joseph.
(NU)I will bring them back,
Because I (NV)have mercy on them.
They shall be as though I had not cast them aside;
For I am the Lord their God,
And I (NW)will hear them.
7 Those of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man,
And their (NX)heart shall rejoice as if with wine.
Yes, their children shall see it and be glad;
Their heart shall rejoice in the Lord.
8 I will (NY)whistle for them and gather them,
For I will redeem them;
(NZ)And they shall increase as they once increased.
9 “I(OA) will [cy]sow them among the peoples,
And they shall (OB)remember Me in far countries;
They shall live, together with their children,
And they shall return.
10 (OC)I will also bring them back from the land of Egypt,
And gather them from Assyria.
I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon,
(OD)Until no more room is found for them.
11 (OE)He shall pass through the sea with affliction,
And strike the waves of the sea:
All the depths of [cz]the River shall dry up.
Then (OF)the pride of Assyria shall be brought down,
And (OG)the scepter of Egypt shall depart.
12 “So I will strengthen them in the Lord,
And (OH)they shall walk up and down in His name,”
Says the Lord.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.