Old/New Testament
The Lord Calls His People Back
1 In the eighth month [C October/November on our calendar; the Hebrew month of Cheshvan] of the second year Darius was king [C 520 bc; Darius was king of Persia 522–486 bc], the ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, who was the son of Iddo [C a priestly family; Neh. 12:4, 16]. The Lord said, 2 “The Lord was very angry with your ·ancestors [fathers]. 3 So tell the people: This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: ‘Return to me, and I will return to you,’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]. 4 Don’t be like your ·ancestors [fathers]. ·In the past the [The former/earlier] prophets said to them: This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: ‘·Stop [Turn from] your evil ways and evil actions.’ But they wouldn’t listen or pay attention to me, says the Lord. 5 Your ·ancestors [fathers] ·are dead [L where are they…?], and those prophets ·didn’t [L do they…?] live forever. 6 I commanded my words and ·laws [statutes] to my servants the prophets, and ·they preached to [or they came true to; L did they not overtake…?] your ·ancestors [fathers], who returned to me. They said, ‘The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] did as he ·said he would [determined to do]. He punished us for ·the way we lived and for what we did [L our ways and deeds].’”
The Vision of the Horses
7 It was on the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month [C February 15, 519 bc], which is the month of Shebat, in Darius’s second year as king [v. 1]. The ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, who was the son of Iddo.
8 During the night I had a vision. I saw a man ·riding [or sitting on] a red horse. He was standing among some myrtle trees in a ravine, with red, brown, and white horses behind him [Rev. 6].
9 I asked, “What are these, ·sir [or my lord]?”
The ·angel [messenger] who was talking with me answered, “I’ll show you what they are.”
10 Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They are the ones the Lord ·sent [L sent to walk/patrol] through all the earth.”
11 Then they spoke to the ·Lord’s angel [or angel of the Lord; C an OT figure closely identified with the Lord himself; Gen. 16:11; 22:11–12], who was standing among the myrtle trees. They said, “We have ·gone [walked; patrolled] through all the earth, and [L look; T behold] everything is calm and quiet.”
12 Then the ·Lord’s angel [angel of the Lord; v. 11] asked, “Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], how long will ·it be before you show [L you withhold] mercy to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah? You have been angry with them for seventy years now.” 13 So the Lord answered the ·angel [messenger] who was talking with me, and his words were comforting and good.
14 Then the ·angel [messenger] who was talking to me said to me, “Announce this: This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: ‘I ·have a strong love [am very jealous/zealous; Nah. 1:2] for Jerusalem. 15 And I am very angry with the nations that feel so ·safe [secure; at ease]. I was only a little angry at them, but they ·made things worse [added to/increased the calamity/disaster].’
16 “So this is what the Lord says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy. My ·Temple [L house] will be rebuilt,’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], ‘and the measuring line will be ·used to rebuild [L stretched out over] Jerusalem.’
17 “Also announce: This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: ‘My towns will ·be rich again [L overflow with prosperity]. The Lord will comfort Jerusalem again, and I will again choose Jerusalem.’”
The Vision of the Horns
18 Then I looked up and saw four ·animal horns [L horns; C animal horns symbolized strength]. 19 I asked the ·angel [messenger] who was talking with me, “What are these?”
He said, “These are the horns that scattered the people of Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
20 Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. 21 I asked, “What are they coming to do?”
He answered, “They have come to ·scare [terrify] and throw down the horns. These horns scattered the people of Judah so that no one could even lift up his head. These horns stand for the nations that ·attacked [L lifted up their horns against] the people of Judah and scattered them.”
The Vision of the Measuring Line
2 Then I looked up and saw a man holding a line for measuring things. 2 I asked him, “Where are you going?”
He said to me, “I am going to measure Jerusalem, to see how wide and how long it is.”
3 Then the ·angel [messenger] who was talking with me left, and another ·angel [messenger] came out to meet him. 4 The second ·angel [messenger] said to him, “Run and tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will become a city without walls, because there will be so many people and ·cattle [livestock] in it. 5 I will be a wall of fire around it,’ says the Lord. ‘And I will be the glory within it.’
6 “·Oh no! Oh no [or Come! Come; or Up! Up]! Run away from ·Babylon [L the land of the north], because I have scattered you like the four winds of heaven,” says the Lord.
7 “·Oh no [or Come; or Up], ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple]! Escape, you who live in ·Babylon [L Daughter Babylon].” 8 This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: “After ·he has honored me and [or the Glorious One; or for his own glory he] sent me against the nations who ·took your possessions [plundered you]—because whoever touches you ·hurts [L touches] ·what is precious to me [T the apple of his eye; L the pupil/little man of his eye]— 9 I will ·shake my hand [raise my fist] against them so that their slaves will ·rob [plunder] them.”
Then you will know that the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] sent me.
10 “Shout and be glad, ·Jerusalem [L Daughter Zion]. [L For look/T Behold] I am coming, and I will live among you,” says the Lord. 11 “At that time people from many nations will join with the Lord and will become my people. Then I will live among you, and you will know that the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] has sent me to you. 12 The Lord will ·take [possess; inherit] Judah as his own part of the holy land, and ·Jerusalem will be his chosen city again [L will again choose Jerusalem]. 13 Be silent, ·everyone [L all flesh], in the presence of the Lord. He ·is coming [has roused himself] out of ·the holy place where he lives [his holy dwelling].”
The Vision of the High Priest
3 Then he showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing in front of the ·Lord’s angel [angel of the Lord; 1:11]. And ·Satan [or the Accuser/Adversary; Job 1–2; 1 Chr. 21:1] was standing by Joshua’s [Hag. 1:1] right ·side [hand] to accuse him. 2 The Lord said to ·Satan [or the Accuser/Adversary], “The Lord ·says no to [rebuke] you, ·Satan [Adversary; Accuser]! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem ·says no to [rebukes] you! ·This man was [L Isn’t this man…?] like a burning stick ·pulled [snatched] from the fire.”
3 Joshua was wearing ·dirty [filthy] clothes and was standing in front of the ·angel [messenger]. 4 The ·angel [messenger] said to those standing in front of him, “Take off those ·dirty [filthy] clothes.”
Then ·the angel [L he] said to Joshua, “Look, I have taken away your ·sin [iniquity] from you, and I am giving you beautiful, ·fine clothes [festal robes; fine vestments].”
5 Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and dressed him while the ·Lord’s angel [angel of the Lord; 1:11] stood there.
6 Then the ·Lord’s angel [angel of the Lord; 1:11] ·said [spoke solemnly; gave this charge] to Joshua, 7 “This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: ‘If you ·do as I tell you [walk in my ways] and ·serve me [carefully keep my requirements], you will be in charge of my ·Temple [L house] and my courtyards. And I will let you be with ·these angels [L these] who are standing here.
8 “‘Listen, Joshua, the high priest, and your ·friends [colleagues; associates] who are sitting in front of you. They are ·symbols [a sign] of what will happen. [L Look; T Behold] I am going to bring my servant, the Branch [C the Messiah; Ps. 132:17; Is. 11:1; 42:1; Jer. 23:5; 33:15]. 9 Look, I put this stone in front of Joshua, a stone with seven ·sides [L eyes]. I will ·carve a message [engrave an inscription] on it,’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]. ‘And in one day I will ·take away the sin [remove the iniquity] of this land.’
10 “The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says, ‘In that day, each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your own grapevine and under your own fig tree [C symbols of security and prosperity; Is. 36:16; Mic. 4:4].’”
The Vision of the Lampstand
4 Then the ·angel [messenger] who was talking with me returned and woke me up as if I had been asleep. 2 He asked me, “What do you see?”
I said, “I see a solid gold ·lampstand [menorah] with a bowl at the top. And there are seven lamps and also seven ·places [pipes; spouts] for wicks. 3 There are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on the left.”
4 I asked the ·angel [messenger] who talked with me, “·Sir [My lord], what are these?”
5 ·The angel [L He] said, “Don’t you know what they are?”
“No, sir,” I said.
6 Then he told me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘·You will not succeed by your own strength or by your own power [T Not by might, nor by power], but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
7 “Who are you, ·big [mighty; great] mountain? ·In front of [Compared with] Zerubbabel you will become ·flat land [a level plain], and he will bring out the ·topmost stone [capstone], ·shouting [or amid shouting], ‘·It’s beautiful! It’s beautiful [or Blessings, Blessings upon it; L Grace, Grace to it]!’”
8 Then the ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me again, saying, 9 “[L The hands of] Zerubbabel has laid the foundation of this ·Temple [L house; Ezra 3:7–13], and he will complete it [Ezra 6:13–18]. Then you will know that the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] has sent me to you.
10 “·The people should not think that small beginnings are unimportant [L For who despises the day of small things?]. ·They [or These seven eyes] will ·be happy [rejoice] when they see Zerubbabel with ·tools [or his plumb line; or the chosen capstone], building the Temple.
“(These are the seven eyes of the Lord, which look back and forth across the earth.)”
11 Then I asked the ·angel [messenger], “What are the two olive ·trees [or branches] on the right and left of the lampstand?”
12 ·I also [or Again I] asked him, “What are the two olive branches beside the two gold pipes, from which the olive oil ·flows to the lamps [pours out]?”
13 He answered, “Don’t you know what they are?”
“No, ·sir [my lord],” I said.
14 So he said, “They are symbols of the two ·who have been appointed to serve [anointed ones who stand by] the Lord of all the earth.”
Babylon Is Destroyed
18 After ·the vision of these things [L these things], I saw another angel coming down from heaven. This angel had great ·power [authority], and his ·glory [splendor] ·made the earth bright [illumined the earth]. 2 He ·shouted [cried out] in a ·powerful [mighty; strong] voice:
“·Ruined, ruined [L Fallen, fallen] is ·the great city of Babylon [L Babylon the great]!
She has become a ·home [haunt; dwelling place] for demons
and a ·prison [or haunt] for every ·evil [L unclean] spirit,
and a ·prison [or haunt] for every unclean bird and unclean beast.
3 She has ·been ruined [fallen], because all the ·peoples [nations] of the earth
have ·drunk [some manuscripts read “have fallen from”] the wine of the ·desire [passion] of her ·sexual sin [promiscuity; fornication; 14:8; 17:2].
She has been ruined also because the kings of the earth
have ·sinned sexually [fornicated] with her,
and the merchants of the earth
have grown rich from the ·great wealth [power] of her ·luxury [sensuality].”
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying:
“Come out of that city, my people,
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive ·the disasters that will come to her [L her plagues; Gen. 19:15, 17].
5 [L Because] Her sins have ·piled up [heaped; reached] as high as ·the sky [heaven],
and God has ·not forgotten [remembered] ·the wrongs she has done [her crimes; her sins].
6 ·Give [Pay back] that city the same as she ·gave to [paid] others.
Pay her back ·twice as much as [double what] she did.
·Prepare wine for her that is twice as strong
as the wine she prepared for others [L In the cup she mixed, mix double for her; 14:8].
7 She gave herself much glory and ·rich living [sensual luxury].
Give her that much ·suffering [torment; torture] and ·sadness [grief; mourning].
She says ·to herself [L in her heart], ‘I am a queen sitting on my throne.
I am not a widow; I will never ·be sad [know grief; mourn].’
8 So these ·disasters [plagues] will come to her in one day:
death, and ·crying [sadness; grief; mourning], and ·great hunger [famine],
and she will be ·destroyed [consumed; burned up] by fire,
because the Lord God who judges her is ·powerful [strong].”
9 The kings of the earth who ·sinned sexually [fornicated] with her and ·shared her wealth [lived in luxury/sensuality with her] will see the smoke from her burning. Then they will ·cry [weep] and ·be sad [mourn] because of her death. 10 They will be afraid of her ·suffering [torment; torture] and stand far away and say:
“·Terrible! How terrible for you [L Woe, woe; 8:13], great city,
·powerful [strong; mighty] city of Babylon,
because your ·punishment [judgment; doom] has come ·in one hour [suddenly]!”
11 And the merchants of the earth will ·cry [weep] and be sad about her, because now there is no one to buy their cargoes— 12 cargoes of gold, silver, ·jewels [precious stones], pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, ·red [scarlet] cloth; all kinds of citron wood and all kinds of things made from ivory, expensive wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 13 [and cargoes of] cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, carriages [wagons], ·slaves, and human lives [L bodies and human souls].
14 The merchants will say [C implied by the context],
“Babylon, the ·good things [L fruit] you ·wanted [desired; longed for] are gone from you.
All your ·rich [expensive; luxurious] and ·fancy [glamorous; L shining] things have disappeared.
You will never ·have [find] them again.”
15 The merchants [L of these things] who became rich ·from selling to her [L from her] will be afraid of her ·suffering [torment; torture] and will stand far away. They will ·cry [weep] and ·be sad [mourn] 16 and say:
“·Terrible! How terrible [L Woe, woe; 8:13] for the great city!
She was dressed in fine linen, purple and ·red [scarlet] cloth,
and she was ·shining [glittering; adorned] with gold, precious jewels, and pearls [17:4]!
17 All these riches have been ·destroyed [made desolate] in one hour [C suddenly or in a short time]!”
Every sea captain, every passenger, the sailors, and all those who ·earn their living from [trade; work on] the sea stood far away from Babylon. 18 As they saw the smoke from her burning, they cried out loudly, “·There was never a city [What city was…?] like this great city!” 19 And they threw dust on their heads [C a ritual of mourning] and cried out, weeping and ·being sad [mourning]. They said:
“·Terrible! How terrible [L Woe, woe] for the great city!
[L In which] All the people who had ships on the sea
became rich because of her wealth!
But she has been ·destroyed [made desolate] in one hour [C suddenly or in a short time]!
20 ·Be happy [rejoice] ·because of this [L over her], heaven!
·Be happy [Rejoice], ·God’s holy people [T saints] and apostles and prophets!
[L For] God has ·punished [judged] her ·because of what she did to you [or on your behalf; or for the judgment/punishment she imposed on you].”
21 Then a ·powerful [strong; mighty] angel picked up a large stone, like ·one used for grinding grain [a millstone], and threw it into the sea [Jer. 51:63–64]. He said:
“In the same way, the great city of Babylon will be thrown down [with violence],
and it will never be found again.
22 The ·music [L sound] of ·people playing harps [harpists] and ·other instruments [musicians; singers], ·flutes [flutists], and ·trumpets [trumpeters],
will never be heard in you again.
No ·workman [craftsman] doing any ·job [trade]
will ever be found in you again.
The sound of ·grinding grain [the millstone]
will never be heard in you again.
23 The light of a lamp
will never shine in you again,
and the voices of a bridegroom and bride
will never be heard in you again.
[L For; Because] Your merchants were the world’s great people,
and all the nations were ·tricked [deceived; led astray] by your ·magic [sorcery].
24 ·You are guilty of the death of the prophets and God’s holy people [L In you was found the blood of the prophets and the saints]
and all who have been ·killed [slaughtered; slain] on earth.”
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.