The Daily Audio Bible

Zechariah’s Eighth Vision

6 I looked up again,^[a] and I saw, and look!—four chariots coming out from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. ² With the first chariot there were red horses, and with the second chariot there were black horses. ³ And with the third chariot there were white horses, and with the fourth chariot there were strong^[b] dappled horses. ⁴ And I answered and said to the angel that was talking to me, “What are these, my lord?” ⁵ And the angel answered and said to me, “These are the four winds^[c] of the heavens going out after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth. ⁶ The one with^[d] the black horses is going out to the north country, and the white horses go after them,^[e] while the dappled ones go to the south country.” ⁷ When the strong horses went out, they were anxious to go to patrol the earth. And he^[f] said, “Go, patrol the earth.” And they patrolled the earth. ⁸ And he cried out to me and said to me, “See those going out to the north country have set my spirit at rest in the north country.”

The Branch is Crowned

⁹ And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, ¹⁰ “Collect^[g] from the exiles—from Heldai, Tobijah, and from Jedaiah, all of whom came from Babylon—and go on that day, go to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. ¹¹ Take the silver and gold and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. ¹² And say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts: “Look, here is a man whose name is Branch,^[h] and from his place he will sprout, and he will build the temple of Yahweh. ¹³ And he will build the temple of Yahweh, and he will bear majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two of them.”’^{[i] 14} And the crown will be for Helem,^[j] for Tobijah, for Jedaiah, and for Hen^[k] son of Zephaniah, as a memorial in the temple of Yahweh. ¹⁵ And those who are far off will come and build the temple of Yahweh, and you will know that Yahweh of hosts has sent me to you. And it will happen if you will listen diligently to the voice of Yahweh your God.”

7 And then,^[l] in the fourth year of King Darius, the word of Yahweh came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Kislev. ² And the people of Bethel sent Sharezer and Regem-Melech, and their^[m] men, to entreat the favor^[n] of Yahweh, ³ saying to the priests of the house of Yahweh of hosts^[o] and to the prophets, “Should I mourn in the fifth month and keep myself separate^[p] as I have done for these many years?” ⁴ And the word of Yahweh of hosts came to me, saying, ⁵ “Say to all the people of the land and to the priests: ‘When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and seventh months for these seventy years, did you really fast for me? ⁶ And when you eat and drink, are you not eating and drinking for yourselves? ⁷ Are not these the words that Yahweh proclaimed through^[q] the former prophets, when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns^[r] were inhabited and at ease, and the Negev^[s] and the Shephelah^[t] were inhabited?’”

⁸ And the word of Yahweh came to Zechariah, saying, ⁹ “Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Judge with trustworthy justice, and show^[u] steadfast love and compassion to one another.^{[v] 10} You must not oppress the widow, the orphan, the foreigner, and the needy. You must not devise evil in your heart against one another.’^{[w] 11} But they refused to listen, and turned^[x] a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from listening.^{[y] 12} They made their hearts adamant^[z] in order not to hear the law^[aa] and the words that Yahweh of hosts had sent by his spirit through^[ab] the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from Yahweh of hosts. ¹³ ‘Thus, just as I^[ac] called and they would not hear, so they will call and I will not hear,’ says Yahweh of hosts. ¹⁴ ‘And I scattered them with a wind among all the nations that they had not known; the land was made desolate behind them— no one crossing through it or returning—and they made the desirable land^[ad] a desolation.’”

Seven Angels with Seven Last Plagues

15 And I saw another great and marvelous sign in heaven: seven angels having seven plagues that are the last ones, because with them the wrath of God is completed. ² And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had conquered the beast and his image and the number of his name were standing by^[a] the glassy sea, holding harps from God. ³ And they were singing the song of Moses, the slave of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying:

⁵ And after these things I looked, and the temple, the tent of the testimony in heaven, was opened, ⁶ and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out from the temple, dressed in clean, bright linen garments, and girded with golden belts around their^[d] chests. ⁷ And 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^[e], ⁸ and the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one was able to enter into the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

A Prayer for Rescue from Enemies

A psalm of David.^[a]