Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
8 (9) I will hear what HaEl Hashem will say; for He will speak shalom unto His people, and to His Chasidim; but let them not turn again to folly.
9 (10) Surely His salvation is karov (near) them that fear Him; that kavod may dwell in Artzeinu (our land).
10 (11) Chesed and emes will meet together; tzedek and shalom will kiss each other.
11 (12) Emes shall titzmach (sprout forth [T.N. Tzemach—Branch, Sprout—is the code name for Moshiach and the coming Tzemach’s Namesake in Zecharyah 6:11-12 is Yehoshua, Yeshua—see Ezra 3:8; Zech 3:8; 6:11-12. Go to Jer 23:5 and look at all the references. These are among the most important Scriptures in the Bible because it is here that the saving Name of Moshiach Tzidkeinu is prophetically communicated for salvation; the word Tzemach means “Moshiach” and it is the code word par excellence for Moshiach in the post-Exilic references in the minor prophets; this veiled reference to Moshiach was necessary in the situation of the Return under Persian rule when talk of a coming king was a delicate matter.]) out of ha’aretz; and tzedek shall look down from Shomayim.
12 (13) Yes, Hashem shall give that which is tov; and Artzeinu (our land) shall yield her yevul (increase, produce).
13 (14) Tzedek shall go before Him; and shall set us in the Derech of His steps.
6 And I also have given you cleanness of teeth [i.e., famine] in all your towns, and want of lechem in all your places; yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith Hashem.
7 And also I have withheld the geshem from you, when there were yet shloshah chodashim to the harvest; and I caused it to rain upon one town, and caused it not to rain upon another town; one chelek (part) was rained upon, and the chelek, whereupon it rained not, withered.
8 So two or three towns wandered unto one town, to drink mayim; but they were not satisfied; yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith Hashem.
9 I have struck you with blight and mildew; when your ganim (gardens) and your kramim (vineyards) and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the locust devoured them; yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith Hashem.
10 I have sent among you the dever after the manner of Mitzrayim; your bocherim have I slain with the cherev, and have taken away your susim; and I have made the stench of your machanot to come up unto your nostrils; yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith Hashem.
11 I have overthrown some of you, as Elohim overthrew Sodom and Amora (Gomorrah), and ye were like a firebrand snatched from the burning; yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith Hashem.
12 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Yisroel; and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet Eloheicha, O Yisroel.
13 For, hinei, He that formeth the harim, and createth the ruach, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the shachar darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, Hashem Elohei Tzva’os Shmo.
57 Now when the time of Elisheva to give birth was fulfilled, she bore a ben.
58 And Elisheva’s shchenim (neighbors) and krovim (relatives) heard that Adoneinu greatly demonstrated his rachamim to her, and they had much simcha with her.
59 And it came about on the yom hashemini (the eighth day) they came for the bris milah of the yeled, and they were calling him by the name of his abba, Zecharyah.
60 And in reply, his Em said: Lo, but he will be called Yochanan.
61 And they said to her, There is no one from your krovim who is called by this shem.
62 And they began motioning to the yeled’s abba to find out what shem he wanted to give him.
63 And having asked for a luach (tablet), Zecharyah wrote, saying, Yochanan shmo. And everyone was amazed.
64 And Zecharyah’s mouth was loosed at once and the lashon of him, and he began speaking, saying Baruch Hashem!
65 And upon all their shchenim (neighbors) came much yirat Shomayim, and in the entire hill country of Yehudah everyone was shmoozing about these matters.
66 All who heard these things pondered them in their levavot, saying, What then will this yeled become? For, indeed, the yad Hashem was on him. [BERESHIS 39:2]
67 And Zecharyah, his abba, was filled with the Ruach Hakodesh and brought forth a dvar nevuah, saying,
68 BARUCH HASHEM ELOHEI YISROEL, for Adonoi has visited his Am Berit and accomplished a pedut kofer ransom for the Geulah of his people.
69 And Hashem raised up a Keren Yeshuah (Horn of Salvation), a mighty Moshia, for us in the Beis Dovid, His eved,
70 Just as Hashem spoke through the mouth of His neviim hakedoshim meOlam (holy prophets from long ago), [YIRMEYAH 23:5]
71 That we should have Yeshuat Eloheinu from our oyvim (enemies) and from the hand of all the ones who regard us with sinas chinom (baseless hatred).
72 Thus Hashem has demonstrated his rachamim (mercy) to Avoteinu (our Fathers) and has remembered his Brit HaKodesh (Holy Covenant), [MICHOH 7:20; TEHILLIM 105:8,9; 106:45; YECHEZKEL 16:60]
73 The Brit HaShevuah (the Covenant of the oath) which He swore to Avraham Avinu to grant us, [BERESHIS 22:16-18]
74 Having been delivered from the yad haoyvim (hand of enemies) of us to serve Hashem fearlessly,
75 In kedushah (holiness) and tzedek (righteousness) before Him all our yamim (days).
76 And you also, yeled (child), will be called Navi HaElyon (Prophet of the Most High); for you will go LIFNEI HAADON (before the L-rd) to prepare the DERECH HASHEM (The Way of the L-rd) [MALACHI 3:1; YESHAYAH 40:3]
77 To give daas (knowledge) of Yeshuat Eloheinu (the Salvation of our G-d) to Hashem’s Am Berit (People of the Covenant) by the selichat (forgiveness) of their avon (sin) [YIRMEYAH 31:34]
78 Through the rav rachamim of Eloheinu (through the great mercy of our G-d), by which has visited us the rising SHEMESH [Sun, Moshiach] from Shomayim, [MALACHI 3:20 (4:2)]
79 To appear to the ones in CHOSHECH (darkness) and YOSHVEI BERETZ TZALMAVET (sitting in the land of the shadow of death), to direct our feet into the Derech Shalom. [Psa 107:14; Isa 9:1-2; 59:9]
80 And the yeled was growing and was being given chizzuk (strengthening) in the Ruach Hakodesh, and Yochanan was in the desolate places until the day of his hisgalus (revelation, manifestation) to Yisroel.
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