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The Four Chariots
6 Now I raised my eyes again and looked, and behold, (A)four chariots were going out from between the two mountains; and the mountains were bronze mountains. 2 With the first chariot were (B)red horses, with the second chariot (C)black horses, 3 with the third chariot (D)white horses, and with the fourth chariot strong (E)spotted horses. 4 So I responded and said to the angel who was speaking with me, “(F)What are these, my lord?” 5 The angel replied to me, “These are the (G)four spirits of heaven, going out after taking their stand before the Lord of all the earth, 6 with one of which the black horses are going out to the (H)north country; and the white ones are to go out after them, while the spotted ones are to go out to the (I)south country.” 7 When the strong ones went out, they [a]were eager to go to [b](J)patrol the earth. And He said, “Go, [c]patrol the earth.” So they [d]patrolled the earth. 8 Then He called out to me and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who are going to the land of the north have [e](K)appeased My wrath in the land of the north.”
9 The (L)word of the Lord also came to me, saying, 10 “(M)Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah; and you shall go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have arrived from Babylon.
The Symbolic Crowns
11 Also take silver and gold, make an ornate (N)crown, and set it on the head of (O)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 Then say to him, ‘The Lord of armies says this: “Behold, there is a Man whose name is [f](P)Branch, for He will [g](Q)branch out from where He is; and He will (R)build the temple of the Lord. 13 Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will (S)bear the majesty and sit and (T)rule on His throne. So He will be a (U)priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two [h]offices.”’ 14 Now the (V)crown will become a reminder in the temple of the Lord to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and [i]Hen the son of Zephaniah. 15 (W)Those who are far away will come and [j]build the temple of the Lord.” Then you will (X)know that the Lord of armies has sent me to you. And it will take place if you completely (Y)obey [k]the Lord your God.
7 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is (Z)Chislev. 2 Now the town of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and [l]their men to [m](AA)seek the favor of the Lord, 3 speaking to the (AB)priests who belong to the house of the Lord of armies, and to the prophets, saying, “Shall I weep in the (AC)fifth month [n]and fast, as I have done these many years?” 4 Then the word of the Lord of armies came to me, saying, 5 “Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months [o]these (AD)seventy years, was it actually for (AE)Me that you fasted? 6 And when you eat and drink, [p]do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? 7 Are these not the words which the Lord (AF)proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and (AG)carefree along with its cities around it, and the [q](AH)Negev and the [r]foothills were inhabited?’”
8 Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “This is what the Lord of armies has said: ‘(AI)Dispense true justice and practice (AJ)kindness and compassion each to his brother; 10 and (AK)do not oppress the widow or the [s]orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do (AL)not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’ 11 But they (AM)refused to pay attention, and [t](AN)turned a stubborn shoulder and [u](AO)plugged their ears from hearing. 12 They also made their (AP)hearts as hard as (AQ)a diamond [v]so that they could not hear the Law and the (AR)words which the Lord of armies had sent by His Spirit through the (AS)former prophets; therefore great (AT)wrath came from the Lord of armies. 13 And just as (AU)He called and they would not listen, so (AV)they called and I would not listen,” says the Lord of armies; 14 “but I [w](AW)scattered them with a (AX)storm wind among all the nations whom they did not know. So the land was (AY)desolated behind them [x]so that (AZ)no one went back and forth, since they (BA)made the pleasant land desolate.”
A Scene of Heaven
15 Then I saw (A)another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, (B)seven angels who had (C)seven plagues, which are (D)the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished.
2 And I saw something like a (E)sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who (F)were victorious [a]over the (G)beast and (H)his image and the (I)number of his name, standing on the (J)sea of glass, holding (K)harps of God. 3 And they *sang the (L)song of Moses, (M)the bond-servant of God, and the (N)song of the Lamb, saying,
“(O)Great and marvelous are Your works,
(P)Lord God, the Almighty;
Righteous and true are Your ways,
(Q)King of the [b]nations!
4 (R)Who will not fear You, Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy;
For (S)all the nations will come and worship before You,
For Your [c](T)righteous acts have been revealed.”
5 After these things I looked, and (U)the [d]temple of the (V)tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened, 6 and the (W)seven angels who had the seven plagues (X)came out of the [e]temple, clothed in [f]linen, clean and bright, and (Y)their chests wrapped with golden sashes. 7 And one of the (Z)four living creatures gave the (AA)seven angels seven (AB)golden bowls full of the (AC)wrath of God, who (AD)lives forever and ever. 8 And the [g]temple was filled with (AE)smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the [h]temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.
Prayer for Help and Guidance.
A Psalm of David.
143 Hear my prayer, Lord,
(A)Listen to my pleadings!
Answer me in Your (B)faithfulness, in Your (C)righteousness!
2 And (D)do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For (E)no person living is righteous in Your sight.
3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life (F)to the ground;
He (G)has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.
4 Therefore (H)my spirit [a]feels weak within me;
My heart is [b](I)appalled within me.
5 I (J)remember the days of old;
I (K)meditate on all Your accomplishments;
I (L)reflect on the work of Your hands.
6 I (M)spread out my hands to You;
My (N)soul longs for You, like a weary land. Selah
7 (O)Answer me quickly, Lord, my (P)spirit fails;
(Q)Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will be the same as (R)those who go down to the pit.
8 Let me hear Your (S)faithfulness (T)in the morning,
For I trust (U)in You;
Teach me the (V)way in which I should walk;
For to You I (W)lift up my soul.
9 (X)Save me, Lord, from my enemies;
[c]I take refuge in You.
10 (Y)Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let (Z)Your good Spirit (AA)lead me on level [d]ground.
11 (AB)For the sake of Your name, Lord, (AC)revive me.
(AD)In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And in Your faithfulness, [e](AE)destroy my enemies,
And (AF)eliminate all those who attack my soul,
For (AG)I am Your servant.
24 Four things are small on the earth,
But they are exceedingly wise:
25 The (A)ants are not a strong people,
But they prepare their food in the summer;
26 The (B)rock hyraxes are not a mighty people,
Yet they make their houses in the rocks;
27 The locusts have no king,
Yet all of them go out in (C)ranks;
28 The lizard you may grasp with the hands,
Yet it is in kings’ palaces.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.