Bible in 90 Days
1 The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.
Habakkuk’s Complaint
2 O Lord, how long shall I cry,
and You will not hear?
Or cry to You, “Violence!”
and You will not save?
3 Why do You make me see wickedness,
and cause me to see trouble?
Plundering and violence are before me;
strife and contention arise.
4 Therefore the law is powerless,
and justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
therefore injustice proceeds.
The Lord’s Answer
5 Look among the nations, and watch—
wonder and be amazed!
For I am doing a work in your days
that you would not believe,
though it were told you.
6 For I am raising up the Chaldeans,
that bitter and hasty nation
which marches through the breadth of the earth,
to possess dwelling places that are not theirs.
7 They are terrible and dreadful;
their justice and their dignity
proceed from themselves.
8 Their horses are swifter than leopards,
more fierce than evening wolves.
Their horsemen charge on;
their horsemen come from afar;
they fly like the eagle that hastens to eat.
9 They all come for violence;
their forces advance like the east wind.
They gather captives like sand.
10 They scoff at kings,
and they scorn rulers.
They deride every stronghold,
for they build up siege ramps to capture it.
11 Then their mind changes,
and they transgress and commit offense;
their own power is their god.
Habakkuk’s Second Complaint
12 Are You not from everlasting,
O Lord my God, my Holy One? We will not die.
O Lord, You have appointed them for judgment;
and You, O Rock, have established them for correction.
13 Your eyes are too pure to look on evil,
and You cannot look on wickedness.
Why do You look on those who deal treacherously,
and hold Your tongue when the wicked
devours the man who is more righteous than he?
14 You make men like fish of the sea,
like crawling things that have no ruler.
15 They bring all of them up with a hook,
they catch them in their net;
they gather them in their dragnet.
Therefore they rejoice and are glad.
16 Therefore they sacrifice to their net
and burn incense to their dragnet;
for by them their portion is extravagant,
and their food plentiful.
17 Shall they continue to empty their net,
and continually kill the nations while not sparing anyone?
2 I will stand at my watch
and station myself on the watchtower;
and I will keep watch to see what He will say to me,
and what I will answer when I am reproved.
The Just Shall Live by Faith
2 And the Lord answered me:
Write the vision,
and make it plain on tablets,
that he who reads it may run.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
but it speaks of the end,
and does not lie.
If it delays, wait for it;
it will surely come, it will not delay.
4 Look, his soul is lifted up;
it is not upright in him;
but the just shall live by his faith.
5 Indeed, wine betrays the proud man,
who does not stay at home.
He enlarges his appetite as Sheol,
and like death he is never satisfied.
He gathers to himself all nations
and collects for himself all peoples.
Woe to the Wicked
6 Shall not all these take up a taunt against him, with satire and riddles, and say,
“Woe to him who increases what is not his—how long?
And to him who loads himself with heavy debts!”
7 Shall not your debtors rise up suddenly,
and those awake who oppress you?
Then you will be their plunder.
8 Because you have plundered many nations,
all the remnant of the people will plunder you,
because of the bloodshed of men and violence of the land,
of the cities and all who live in them.
9 “Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house,
to set his nest on high,
to be delivered from the power of calamity!”
10 You have given shameful counsel to your house
by cutting off many peoples,
and forfeiting your life.
11 For the stone will cry out from the wall,
and the beam of the woodwork will answer it.
12 “Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed
and establishes a city on iniquity!”
13 Is it not from the Lord of Hosts
that the people labor to feed fire,
and the nations weary themselves for nothing?
14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
as the waters cover the seas.
15 “Woe to him who makes his neighbor drink,
pouring out your poison until they are drunk,
that you may look on their nakedness!”
16 You will be filled with shame instead of glory.
You yourself—drink and show your uncircumcision!
The cup of the Lord’s right hand will be turned against you,
and utter shame will come on your glory!
17 The violence done to Lebanon will cover you,
as will the plunder of beasts that terrified them,
because of the bloodshed of men and violence of the land,
of the cities and all who live in them.
18 What profit is a carved image when its maker has carved it,
a cast image, and a teacher of lies,
that its maker trusts in what he has shaped
when he makes mute idols?
19 Woe to him who says to the wood, “Awake!”
To the silent stone, “Arise!” Can it teach?
It is overlaid with gold and silver,
and there is no breath at all in it.
20 But the Lord is in His holy temple.
Let all the earth keep silence before Him.
The Prayer of Habakkuk
3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, on Shigionoth.
2 O Lord, I have heard the report of You,
and was afraid;
O Lord, revive Your work
in the midst of the years!
In the midst of these years
make them known;
in wrath remember mercy.
3 God came from Teman,
and 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;
rays flashed from His hand,
and there His power was hidden.
5 Pestilence went out before Him,
and plague followed His feet.
6 He stood and measured the earth;
He looked and shook the nations.
The eternal 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 Were you displeased with the rivers, O Lord?
Was Your anger against the rivers,
and was Your wrath against the sea
when You rode on Your horses,
on Your chariots of salvation?
9 You made bare Your bow;
oaths were the arrows at Your command. Selah
You divided the earth with the rivers.
10 The mountains saw You and trembled;
the overflowing water passed by.
The deep lifted its voice,
and lifted its hands on high.
11 The sun and moon stood still in their places;
at the light of Your arrows they went,
at the flash of Your glittering spear.
12 You marched throughout the earth in indignation;
You threshed the nations in anger.
13 You went forth to deliver Your people,
to deliver Your anointed one.
You wounded the head of the house of the wicked,
laying him bare from head to foot. Selah
14 You pierced with his own arrows
the leaders of his villages.
They came like a whirlwind to scatter me;
their rejoicing was like devouring the poor in secret.
15 You trampled the sea with Your horses,
through the wakes of great waters.
16 I heard, and my body trembled;
my lips quivered at the sound;
rottenness entered my bones;
my legs tremble beneath me.
Yet I will wait quietly for the day
when calamity comes on the people invading us.
A Hymn of Faith
17 Though the fig tree does not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines;
though the yield of the olive fails,
and the fields produce no food;
though the flocks are cut off from the fold,
and there be no herd in the stalls—
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will exult in the God of my salvation.
19 The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like hinds’ feet,
and He will make me walk on my high places.
To the Music Director: with my stringed instruments.
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 Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.
The Great Day of the Lord
2 I will utterly consume all things
on the face of the earth,
says the Lord;
3 I will consume man and beast;
I will consume the birds of the heavens
and the fish of the sea,
and the stumbling blocks with the wicked.
I will cut off man from the face of the land,
says the Lord.
4 I will stretch out my hand against Judah,
and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal,
and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests,
5 and those who bow down on the roofs
to the host of heaven;
those who worship and swear oaths by the Lord
and yet swear by Milcom;
6 those who have turned back from following the Lord,
who have not sought the Lord nor inquired of Him.
7 Be silent before the Lord God!
For the day of the Lord is at hand;
the Lord has prepared the sacrifice;
He has consecrated His guests.
8 On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice,
I will punish the officials
and the king’s sons,
and all who clothe themselves
with foreign attire.
9 On that day I will punish
all who step over the threshold,
who fill their masters’ houses
with violence and deceit.
10 On that day, says the Lord,
a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate,
a wail from the Second Quarter,
and a loud crash from the hills.
11 Wail, you inhabitants of the Mortar!
For all the merchants are cut down;
all those who weigh out silver are cut off.
12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
and I will punish the men
who are settled on their lees,
who say in their heart,
“The Lord will not do good, nor will He do evil.”
13 Their goods will be plundered,
and their houses laid waste.
Though they build houses,
they will not inhabit them;
though they plant vineyards,
they will not drink from their wine.
The Great Day of the Lord
14 The great day of the Lord is near,
near and hastening quickly.
The sound of the day of the Lord is bitter;
the mighty man shall cry out there.
15 That day is a day of wrath,
a day of trouble and distress,
a day of ruin and desolation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness,
16 a day of trumpet and alarms
against the fortified cities
and against the high towers.
17 I will bring distress on men,
so that they will walk like blind men.
Because they have sinned against the Lord,
their blood will be poured out like dust,
and their flesh like dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold
will be able to deliver them
on the day of the Lord’s wrath.
But the whole earth will be consumed
by the fire of His jealousy,
for He will make a sudden end
of all those who dwell on the earth.
Judgment on the Nations
2 Gather together, yes, gather together,
O shameless nation,
2 before the decree takes effect,
before the day passes like chaff,
before the fierce anger of the Lord comes upon you,
before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you.
3 Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land,
who carry out His judgment.
Seek righteousness, seek humility.
Perhaps you will be hidden
on the day of the Lord’s anger.
4 For Gaza will be forsaken,
and Ashkelon a desolation;
Ashdod will be driven out at noon,
and Ekron will be uprooted.
5 Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast,
the nation of Kerethites!
The word of the Lord is against you,
O Canaan, land of the Philistines:
I will destroy you,
so that there will be no inhabitant.
6 The seacoast will be pastures,
with meadows for shepherds and folds for flocks.
7 The coast will be for the remnant of the house of Judah,
on which they will feed.
In the houses of Ashkelon
they will lie down at evening.
For the Lord their God will visit them
and restore their fortunes.
8 I have heard these taunts of Moab,
and the revilings of the Ammonites,
by which they have reproached My people,
and made boasts against their territory.
9 Therefore, as I live,
says the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel,
surely Moab will be like Sodom,
and the Ammonites like Gomorrah—
a land of weeds and salt pits,
and a perpetual desolation.
The remnant of My people will plunder them,
and the survivors of My nation will possess them.
10 This will they have for their pride,
because they taunted and boasted against
the people of the Lord of Hosts.
11 The Lord will be dreadful to them,
for He will weaken all the gods of the earth;
men will worship Him, every one from his place,
all the lands of the nations.
12 You also, O Ethiopians,
will be slain by My sword.
13 And He will stretch out His hand against the north
and destroy Assyria;
and He will make Nineveh a desolation,
and dry like the desert.
14 Herds will lie down in her midst,
beasts of every kind;
the cormorant and the bittern
will lodge on her pillars.
Their voice will sing in the windows;
desolation will be on the threshold;
for He will lay bare the cedar work.
15 This is the rejoicing city
that dwelt securely,
that said in her heart,
“I am, and there is no one besides me.”
How has she become a desolation,
a place for beasts to lie down!
Everyone who passes by her will hiss
and shake his fist.
Woe to Jerusalem
3 Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled,
the oppressing city.
2 She obeys no voice,
she receives no correction;
she does not trust in the Lord,
she does not draw near to her God.
3 Her princes within her are roaring lions;
her judges are evening wolves
who leave nothing until the morning.
4 Her prophets are reckless,
treacherous men;
her priests have profaned the sanctuary
and done violence to the law.
5 The Lord is righteous in her midst;
He does no unrighteousness.
Every morning He brings His justice to light;
He does not fail,
but the unjust knows no shame.
6 I have cut off nations,
their strongholds are devastated;
I have made their streets desolate,
with no one passing by.
Their cities are destroyed;
there is no man, no inhabitant.
7 I said,
“Surely you will fear Me;
and you will receive correction.”
So her dwelling will not be cut off,
according to all that I have appointed against her.
But they were more eager
to corrupt all their deeds.
The Conversion of the Nations
8 Therefore wait for Me, declares the Lord,
until the day when I rise up to seize the plunder;
for My decision is to gather nations,
to assemble kingdoms,
to pour on them My indignation,
all My fierce anger;
for all the earth will be devoured
with the fire of My jealousy.
9 For then I will restore to the peoples a pure speech
that all of them may call on the name of the Lord,
to serve Him with one accord.
10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
My worshippers, the daughter of My dispersed ones,
will bring My offering.
11 On that day you will not be ashamed
for all your deeds by which you have transgressed against Me;
for then I will remove from your midst
those who rejoice in your pride,
and you will no longer be haughty
in My holy mountain.
12 But I will leave in your midst
a meek and humble people,
and they will trust in the name of the Lord.
13 The remnant of Israel will do no unrighteousness,
nor speak lies;
nor will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth;
for they will feed and lie down,
and no one will make them afraid.
Israel’s Song of Joy
14 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 enemies.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
you will see evil no more.
16 On that day it will be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion;
let not your hands be slack.
17 The Lord your God is in your midst,
a Mighty One, who will save.
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will renew you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.
18 I will gather those who grieve
for the appointed festival,
which is a reproach and burden on you.
19 At that time I will deal
with all who oppress you;
I will save the lame
and gather the outcast;
I will give them praise and fame
in every land where they have been put to shame.
20 At that time I will bring you in,
at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes,
says the Lord.
God’s Command to Rebuild the Temple
1 In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,
2 Thus says the Lord of Hosts: These people say, The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.
3 Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying: 4 Is it time for you yourselves to live in paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?
5 Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of Hosts: Consider your ways. 6 You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages earns wages to put them into a bag with holes.
7 Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the mountain and bring wood and rebuild the house, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified, says the Lord. 9 You looked for much, and it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? says the Lord of Hosts. Because of My house that lies in ruins while each of you runs to his own house. 10 Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its crops. 11 I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on men, on livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.
The People Obey God’s Command
12 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 Lord.
13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke the message of the Lord to the people, saying: I am with you, says the Lord. 14 And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, 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. 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 Future Glory of the Temple
2 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came 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 all the remnant of the people, saying: 3 Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not, in your eyes, as nothing in comparison? 4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord, and be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong all you people of the land, says the Lord. Work, for I am with you, says the Lord of Hosts. 5 According to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.
6 For thus says the Lord of Hosts: Once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and earth, the sea and dry land. 7 And I will shake all the nations, and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of Hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is Mine, says the Lord of Hosts. 9 The glory of this latter house will be greater than the former, says the Lord of Hosts. And in this place I will give peace, says the Lord of Hosts.
Blessings on a Defiled People
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 ask the priests concerning the law, saying, 12 If a man carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and touches with his fold bread or stew, or wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?
The priests answered, “No.”
13 Then Haggai said, “If one who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, will it become unclean?”
The priests answered, “It will become unclean.”
14 Then Haggai said, So it is with this people, and so it is with this nation before Me, says the Lord, and so with every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.
15 Now consider from this day onward: from before stone was laid upon stone in the temple of the Lord, 16 from those days when one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty. 17 I struck you and all the labor of your hands with blight and mildew and hail; yet you did not turn to Me. 18 Consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day when the foundation of the temple of the Lord was laid, consider: 19 Is the seed yet in the barn? As of yet, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have yielded nothing.
But from this day on I will bless you.
The Promise of God to Zerubbabel
20 The word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 21 Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will overthrow the throne of the kingdoms. I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overthrow the chariots and their riders. The horses and their riders will come down, every one by the sword of his brother.
23 On that day, says the Lord of Hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel My servant, the son of Shealtiel, says the Lord, and I will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you, says the Lord of Hosts.
1 In the eighth month, during the second year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, son of Berekiah, son of Iddo, saying:
A Call to Repentance
2 The Lord was very angry with your fathers, 3 so you will say to them, Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Return to Me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Hosts. 4 Do not be like your fathers to whom the former prophets cried, “Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Turn away from your evil ways and deeds!” But they did not listen or pay attention to Me, says the Lord. 5 So where are your fathers, and do the prophets live forever? 6 Surely My words and statutes that I commanded to My servants, the prophets, did they not persuade your fathers?
They turned back and said, “Whatever the Lord of Hosts planned to do to us according to our ways and deeds, so He has done to us.”
Vision of the Horsemen
7 On the twenty-fourth day, in the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, during the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, son of Berekiah, son of Iddo:
8 I saw during the night a man riding on a red horse. But he was standing among the myrtle trees that were in the ravine, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses.
9 And I said, “What are these, my lord?”
Then the angel who was speaking with me said, “I will show you what these are.”
10 Then the man who was standing among the myrtle trees responded and said, “These are the ones whom the Lord has sent out to walk to and fro on the earth.”
11 They answered and said to the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have gone to and fro on the earth, and all the earth is resting and peaceful.”
12 Then the angel of the Lord said, “How much longer, O Lord of Hosts, will You withhold mercy from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah with which You have been angry these seventy years?” 13 And the Lord answered the angel speaking to me with good and comforting words.
14 So the angel who spoke with me said, Cry out, saying: Thus says the Lord of Hosts: I have a great jealousy for Jerusalem and Zion. 15 And I have a great anger for those nations who are at ease, for while I was angry but a little, they helped to increase evil.
16 Therefore thus says the Lord: I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy, and My house will be built in it, says the Lord of Hosts, and a measuring line will be stretched over Jerusalem.
17 Cry out again, saying, Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Yet again My cities will overflow with goodness, and again the Lord will comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.
The Vision of the Horns and Craftsmen
18 And I then lifted up my eyes, and I saw four horns. 19 And I said to the angel speaking to me, “What are these?”
And he answered, “These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
20 Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. 21 And I said, “What are these coming to do?”
And he said, “These are the horns that scattered Judah after which no one could raise his head; and these four craftsmen have come to terrify and throw down the horns of the nations who lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.”
The Vision of the Man With the Measuring Line
2 And I lifted up my eyes, and I saw a man with a measuring cord in his hand. 2 And I said, “Where are you going?”
And he responded, “To measure Jerusalem and to note what is its width and length.”
3 Then the angel who was speaking with me went out, and then another angel came out to meet him, 4 and said to him, “Run, say to this young man: Jerusalem will be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of men and animals in her. 5 And I will be like a wall of fire all around her, says the Lord, and I will be as glory in her midst.”
Interlude: An Appeal to the Exiles
6 Up, up, flee from the northern land, says the Lord, for I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven, says the Lord.
7 Deliver yourself, O Zion, you who live with the daughter of Babylon. 8 For thus says the Lord of Hosts: He has sent Me after glory to the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. 9 For I will swing My hand against them, and they will become plunder for their servants. Then you will know well that the Lord of Hosts has sent Me.
10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for I am coming and will dwell in your midst, says the Lord. 11 And many nations will join themselves with the Lord in that day, and they will be My people. And I will reside in your midst, and you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent Me to you. 12 And the Lord will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and He will again choose Jerusalem. 13 Be still, all flesh before the Lord, for He is stirred from His holy habitation.
The Vision of Joshua the High Priest
3 Then he showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebukes you! Is this not a burning brand taken out of the fire?”
3 Now Joshua had on filthy garments and was standing before the angel. 4 And he said to those standing before him, “Take off his filthy garments.”
Then he said, “See that I have removed from you your iniquity, and I will clothe you with rich robes.”
5 And I said, “Let them place a pure turban on his head.” So they put a pure turban on his head and garments on him. And the angel of the Lord was standing by.
6 And the angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying, 7 “Thus says the Lord of Hosts: If you walk in My ways and keep My charge, then you will judge My house and guard My courts, and I will give to you access to these who are standing here.
8 “Hear this, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends sitting before you, for these men are a sign. I am bringing My servant, the Branch. 9 The stone that I have set before Joshua, on that single stone is seven eyes. And I will engrave an inscription, says the Lord of Hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in one day.
10 “On that day, says the Lord of Hosts, each of you will invite your companion to come and sit under the vine and under the fig tree.”
The Vision of the Gold Lampstand
4 And the angel who was speaking with me returned and woke me up like a man who is roused from his sleep. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?”
And I responded, “I see a completely gold lampstand and a bowl at its top, with seven lights on it, and seven pipes on it for each lamp in order to light them. 3 And there are two olive trees next to it, one on the right of the bowl and one on the left.”
4 So I answered and I asked the angel speaking with me, “What are these, my lord?”
5 Then the angel speaking with me responded, “Do you really not know what these are?”
And I said, “No, my lord.”
6 And he said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts.
7 “Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will be made level ground, and he will bring out the top stone amidst shouting of ‘Grace! Grace to the stone!’ ”
8 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have established the foundation of this house, and they will even complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent Me to all of you.
10 “For who has despised the day of small things? These seven will rejoice and see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. These are the eyes of the Lord, which survey to and fro throughout the earth.”
11 Then I answered and I asked, “What are these two olives trees on the right and left of the lampstand?”
12 And I asked a second time, “What are these two branches of the olive trees that are next to the two golden pipes from which they pour out the gold oil?”
13 And he asked me, “Do you not know what these are?”
I responded, “No, my lord.”
14 He answered, “These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of all the earth.”
The Vision of the Flying Scroll
5 Then I turned and lifted up my eyes and saw a flying scroll.
2 He asked me, “What do you see?”
And I responded, “I see a flying scroll with its length as twenty cubits and its width as ten cubits.”[a]
3 He said to me, “This is the curse going out over the surface of all the land. Everyone who steals will be purged according to the writing on one side, and everyone who swears falsely will be purged according to the writing on the other side. 4 I will send it out, says the Lord of Hosts, and it will enter the house of the thief, and the house of him who swears falsely by My name. It will remain in his house and consume it, with its timber and stones.”
The Vision of the Woman in the Basket
5 Then the angel who was speaking with me came out, saying, “Now lift up your eyes and see what this is that is going forth.”
6 And I asked, “What is it?”
He said, “This is the ephah basket going forth. This represents their iniquity throughout all the land.”
7 The lead cover was lifted, and there was a woman sitting in the ephah basket. 8 And he said, “This is wickedness.” And he threw her back into the basket and then thrust back the lead stone over its opening.
9 Then I lifted my eyes and saw coming forward two women. There was wind in their wings, and the wings were like those of a stork, and they lifted up and carried the ephah basket between heaven and earth.
10 Then I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “Where are they carrying the basket?”
11 He responded, “To build a house for it in the land of Shinar. And when the house is established, the basket will be set there on a pedestal.”
The Vision of the Four Chariots
6 And I turned around and lifted my eyes, and I saw four chariots coming out from between two mountains, which were bronze mountains. 2 The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses, 3 the third white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses—all of them strong. 4 Then I answered the angel speaking with me, “What are these, my lord?”
5 The angel responded, “These are the four winds of heaven going out after standing before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the white ones are going after them, while the dappled ones are going toward the south country.”
7 When the strong horses went out, they were seeking to go to and fro throughout the earth. And he said, “Go out to and fro throughout the earth.” And they went out to walk to and fro throughout the earth.
8 Then he cried out to me, “Look, the ones going out to the northern land have given rest to my Spirit in the north.”
The Coronation of Joshua
9 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 10 Take from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah who have come from Babylon, and go on that day to the house of Josiah, the son of Zephaniah. 11 Take the silver and gold and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 And say to him: Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Here is a man whose name is Branch; for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord. 13 It is he who shall build the temple of the Lord; he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on his throne. He shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. 14 And the crown shall be for a memorial to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah, in the temple of the Lord. 15 And those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the Lord; and you all shall know that the Lord of Hosts has sent me to you. This shall happen if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.
A Call for Justice and Mercy
7 And in the fourth year of King Darius, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Kislev, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah. 2 Those in Bethel sent Sharezer and Regem-Melek and their men to entreat the graces of the Lord, 3 saying to the priests and prophets of the house of the Lord of Hosts, “Should I weep and dedicate myself during the fifth month as I have done in these many years?”
4 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 5 Say to all the people in the land and to the priests: When you fasted and lamented during the fifth and seventh months for these seventy years, did you really fast for Me? 6 And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves? 7 Were these not the very words that the former prophets proclaimed when Jerusalem dwelled with ease along with her surrounding cities, and when the Negev and the Lowland were inhabited?
Punishment for Rejecting God’s Demands
8 And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying: 9 Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Execute true justice, show mercy and compassion, every man to his brother. 10 Do not oppress the widow, orphan, sojourner, or poor. And let none of you contemplate evil deeds in your hearts against his brother.
11 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears so that they should not hear. 12 They made their hearts hard like a diamond so as not to hear the instruction and words that the Lord of Hosts sent by His Spirit through the former prophets, and there was great anger from the Lord of Hosts.
13 Therefore it happened that as I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear, says the Lord of Hosts. 14 So I scattered them about among all the nations whom they did not know, so the land was left desolate behind them with no one coming or going. And they made a desirable land desolate.
The Holy City of Peace and Prosperity
8 And the word of the Lord came, saying: 2 Thus says the Lord of Hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Zion, and with great wrath I am jealous for her.
3 Thus says the Lord: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem will be called a city of faithfulness and the mountain of the Lord of Hosts, the holy mountain.
4 Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Older men and women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each having a staff in his hand because of advanced age. 5 And the plazas of the city will be filled with young boys and girls playing in her open places.
6 Thus says the Lord of Hosts: If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, will it also be marvelous in My eyes? says the Lord of Hosts.
7 Thus says the Lord of Hosts: I will deliver My people from the eastern lands and from the western lands. 8 And I will bring them, and they will reside in Jerusalem, and they will be for Me as a people, and I will be for them as God, with faithfulness and righteousness.
9 Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Let your hands be strengthened, whoever is hearing these words in these days, from the mouth of the prophets who were there in the day that the house of the Lord of Hosts was founded, that the temple might be built. 10 For before those days there were no wages for a man nor any hire for an animal; and there was no peace from an enemy for him who went out or came in; for I set every man against his neighbor. 11 But now I will not be as in the former days against this remnant people, says the Lord of Hosts.
12 For sowing will be done in peace, and the vine will produce its fruit, and the ground will provide its produce, and the heavens will give their rain. And I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all of these benefits. 13 And as you have been like a curse among the nations, O house of Israel and house of Judah, I will deliver you, and you will be a blessing. Fear not, and strengthen your hands!
14 Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Just as I had determined to punish you when your fathers incited Me to wrath, says the Lord of Hosts, I did not relent. 15 So again have I purposed in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear! 16 These are the things you will do: Speak truth each to his neighbor, and make judgments in your gates that are for truth, and justice, and peace. 17 Let none of you consider evil plans in your heart against your neighbor, and do not love false oaths, for I hate all these things, says the Lord.
18 And the word of the Lord of Hosts came to me, saying:
19 Thus says the Lord of Hosts: The fast during the fourth and fifth months, and the fasts during the seventh and tenth months, will become rejoicing and joy and pleasant feasts for the house of Judah. So love what brings truth and peace.
20 Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Peoples will still come, even those who live in many cities. 21 Those who live in one city will journey to another, saying, “Let us surely go to seek the Lord of Hosts. I myself am going.” 22 Many peoples and strong nations will seek out the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord.
23 Thus says the Lord of Hosts: In those days ten men from every language of the nations will take hold of the garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”
Judgment on Israel’s Enemies
9 An oracle of the word of the Lord that is against the land of Hadrak,
and Damascus is the place where it will rest.
For the eyes of men and the tribes of Israel
are on the Lord.
2 Also Hamath borders it,
even Tyre and Sidon, cities that are very wise.
3 Tyre has built a rampart for herself
and stored up silver like it were dust,
and even gold like it were mud in the streets.
4 The Lord will dispossess her of her possessions
and strike down her power in the sea,
and she will be devoured with fire.
5 Ashkelon will observe this and fear;
Gaza as well and will writhe in anguish;
even Ekron, her hope will be confounded.
The king of Gaza will perish,
and no one will inhabit Ashkelon.
6 A mongrel people will dwell in Ashdod,
and I will cut down the pride of Philistia.
7 I will take away the bloodshed from its mouth,
and the abominations from between its teeth.
Even it will be a remnant for our God.
It will be like a tribe of a clan in Judah,
and Ekron like the Jebusites.
8 Then I will make camp at My house with a garrison,
so that no one can pass back and forth.
And no oppressor will pass through them,
for now I see with My eyes.
The Coming King of Zion
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
And cry aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king is coming to you;
he is righteous and able to deliver,
he is humble and riding on a donkey,
a colt, the offspring of a donkey.
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the horse from Jerusalem;
and the bow for battle will be cut off.
He will speak peace to the nations;
and his dominion will be from one sea to another,
and from the Great River to the ends of the earth.
11 And as for you, because of the blood of your covenant,
I will send your prisoners from the empty, waterless pits.
12 Return to your stronghold, prisoners who now have hope.
Today I declare that I will return to you a double portion.
13 Because I have bent Judah as My bow
and fitted the bow with Ephraim.
I will stir up your sons, O Zion,
against your sons, O Greece,
and will set you like the sword of a warrior.
14 Then the Lord will appear over them,
and His arrow will go out like lightning.
The Lord God will sound His trumpet,
and will march forth like storm winds of southern Teman.
15 The Lord of Hosts will protect them.
They will devour up
and subdue them with stone slingers.
And they will drink and make noise as with wine;
they will be filled with blood as a bowl,
saturated like the corners of the altar.
16 The Lord their God will deliver them that day
like the flock of His people.
For like jewels embedded in a crown,
they will shine in His land.
17 For how great is His goodness, and how great His beauty!
There will be grain for the young men
and new wine to prosper the young women.
The Restoration of Judah and Israel
10 Ask for rain from the Lord
during the season of the latter spring rains.
And the Lord will make the storm winds;
and He will give them showers of rain;
all will have vegetation in the field.
2 For the household Teraphim idols speak wickedness,
and the diviners envision lies.
They utter false dreams,
and provide comfort that does not last.
So the people wander about like sheep;
they are afflicted because there is no shepherd.
3 My anger burns against the shepherds,
and I will visit judgment on the male goats.
For the Lord of Hosts will visit His flock, the house of Judah,
and will make them like His majestic horse in battle.
4 From him comes the cornerstone,
and from him the tent peg.
From him comes the bow for battle,
and from him every ruler goes out, all these together.
5 And they will be as mighty men,
who trample down in the muddy streets in battle.
They will fight because the Lord is with them,
and He will put to shame those riding on horses.
6 I will make strong the house of Judah,
and will deliver the house of Joseph.
I will restore them
because I have compassion on them.
They will be like
I had never rejected them;
for I am the Lord their God,
and I will respond to them.
7 Then Ephraim shall be like a mighty man,
and their hearts shall rejoice as with wine.
Their children shall see this and be glad;
their hearts shall rejoice in the Lord.
8 I will whistle to them
and gather them in,
for I have ransomed them;
they will be numerous as they were numerous before.
9 When I scatter them among the nations,
they will remember Me in the distant lands;
they will live with their children
and then return.
10 I will bring them home from the land of Egypt,
and gather them from Assyria.
I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon,
until there is no room for them.
11 He will pass through the sea of distress,
and will put down the waves in the sea:
All the depths of the Nile will be dried up;
and the arrogance of Assyria will be brought down,
and the scepter of Egypt will turn away.
12 I will make them strong in the Lord,
and they will go to and fro in His name,
says the Lord.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.