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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 Angels With the Last Plagues
15 I saw another great and marvelous sign in heaven: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete. 2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. 3 They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying:
“Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of saints!
4 Who shall not fear You, O Lord,
and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
All nations shall come
and worship before You,
for Your judgments have been revealed.”[a]
5 After this I looked. And now the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. 6 The seven angels came out of the temple with the seven plagues. They were clothed in pure, bright linen, having their chests wrapped with golden sashes. 7 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. 8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power. No one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.
Psalm 143
A Psalm of David.
1 Hear my prayer, O Lord,
give ear to my supplications;
in Your faithfulness answer me,
and in Your righteousness.
2 Enter not into judgment with Your servant,
for in Your sight no one living is righteous.
3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
he has crushed my life down to the ground;
he has made me to dwell in darkness,
as those who have been long dead.
4 Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me;
my heart within me is desolate.
5 I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your works;
I consider the work of Your hands.
6 I stretch forth my hands unto You;
my soul thirsts after You as a thirsty land. Selah
7 Respond to me quickly, O Lord,
my spirit fails;
do not hide Your face from me,
lest I be like those who go down into the pit.
8 Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning;
for in You I have my trust;
cause me to know the way I should walk,
for I lift up my soul unto You.
9 Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies;
I flee unto You for my protection.
10 Teach me to do Your will,
for You are my God;
may Your good spirit
lead me onto level ground.
11 Revive me, O Lord, for Your name’s sake,
for Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
12 In Your mercy cut off my enemies,
and destroy all them who afflict my soul,
for I am Your servant.
24 There are four things which are little upon the earth,
but they are exceeding wise:
25 The ants are a people not strong,
yet they prepare their food in the summer;
26 the badgers are but a feeble folk,
yet they make their houses in the rocks;
27 the locusts have no king,
yet they go forth all of them by bands;
28 the spider takes hold with her hands,
and is in kings’ palaces.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.