Old/New Testament
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 Fall of Babylon
18 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. 2 He cried out mightily with a loud voice, saying:
“ ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’[a]
She has become a dwelling place of demons,
a haunt for every unclean spirit,
and a haunt for every unclean and hateful bird.
3 For all the nations have drunk
of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality,
the kings of the earth have committed adultery with her,
and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the
abundance of her luxury.”
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying:
“ ‘Come out of her, my people,’[b]
lest you partake in her sins,
and lest you receive her plagues.
5 For her sins have reached up to heaven,
and God has remembered her iniquities.
6 Render to her as she has rendered to you,
and repay her double for her deeds;
in the cup which she has mixed, mix a double portion for her.
7 To the extent that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously,
so give her torment and sorrow;
for in her heart she says,
‘I sit as a queen, and am no widow,
and will see no sorrow.’[c]
8 Therefore her plagues will come in one day—
death and mourning and famine.
And she will be utterly burned with fire,
for strong is the Lord God who judges her.
9 “The kings of the earth, who have committed adultery and lived luxuriously with her, will weep and mourn over her when they see the smoke of her burning. 10 Standing far off for the fear of her torment, they will say:
‘Alas, alas for that great city,
that mighty city, Babylon!
In one hour your judgment has come.’
11 “The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise any more: 12 the merchandise of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet, all kinds of scented wood, all artifacts of ivory, all merchandise of costly wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 13 and cinnamon and incense, myrrh and frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves and souls of men.
14 ‘The fruit that your soul lusted after
has departed from you,
and all the things which graceful and exquisite
have departed from you,
and you shall never find them.’
15 “The merchants of these things, who gained wealth by her, will stand far off for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 16 and saying:
‘Alas, alas, that great city,
that was arrayed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet,
and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls!
17 In one hour such great riches came to nothing!’
“All sea captains and seafaring men, sailors and all who trade by sea, stood far off, 18 and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What city is like this great city?’ 19 They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying:
‘Alas, alas, that great city,
in which all who had ships in the sea
grew rich from her wealth!
In one hour she has been laid waste!’
20 “Rejoice over her, O heaven
and saints and apostles and prophets,
for God has avenged you against her.”
21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying:
“With such violence
shall that great city Babylon be thrown down,
and shall be found no more.
22 The sound of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters,
shall not be heard in you any more.
No craftsman of any craft
shall be found in you any more,
and the sound of a millstone
shall not be heard in you any more.
23 The light of a lamp
shall shine in you no more,
and the voice of bridegroom and of bride
shall be heard in you no more.
For your merchants were the great men of the earth,
and all nations were deceived by your sorcery.
24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of saints
and of all who were slain on the earth.”
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.