In the eighth month
of the second
year
of aDarius
, the word
of the LORD
came
to bZechariah
the prophet
, the son
of Berechiah
, the son
of cIddo
saying
,
"The LORD was very
aangry
with your fathers
.
"Therefore say to them, `Thus
says
the LORD
of hosts
, " aReturn
to Me," declares
the LORD
of hosts
, "that I may return
to you," says
the LORD
of hosts
.
"Do not be alike your fathers, to whom
the bformer
prophets
proclaimed
, saying
, `Thus
says
the LORD
of hosts
, " cReturn
now
from your evil
ways
and from your evil
deeds
."' But they did dnot listen
or give
heed
to Me," declares
the LORD
.
"Your afathers, where
are they? And the bprophets
, do they live
forever
?
"But did not My words and My statutes
, which
I commanded
My servants
the prophets
, aovertake
your fathers
? Then they repented
and said
, ` bAs the LORD
of hosts
purposed
to do
to us in accordance with our ways
and our deeds
, so
He has dealt
with us.' ""'
On the twenty-fourth day
of the eleventh
month
, which
is the month
Shebat
, in the second
year
of Darius
, the word
of the LORD
came
to Zechariah
the prophet
, the son
of Berechiah
, the son
of Iddo
, as follows
:
I saw at night
, and behold
, a man
was riding
on a ared
horse
, and he was standing
among
the bmyrtle
trees
which
were in the ravine
, with red
, sorrel
and cwhite
horses
behind
him.
Then I said, "My alord
, what
are these
?" And the bangel
who was speaking
with me said
to me, "I will show
you what
these
are."
And the man who was standing
among
the myrtle
trees
answered
and said
, "These
are those whom
the LORD
has sent
to 1 apatrol
the earth
."
So they answered the angel
of the LORD
who was astanding
among
the myrtle
trees
and said
, "We have 1patrolled
the earth
, and behold
, ball
the earth
is 2peaceful
and quiet
."
Then the angel of the LORD
said
, "O LORD
of hosts
, ahow
long
will You bhave
no
compassion
for Jerusalem
and the cities
of Judah
, with which
You have been
cindignant
these
dseventy
years
?"
The LORD answered
the aangel
who was speaking
with me with 1gracious
words
, bcomforting
words
.
So the angel who was speaking
with me said
to me, " aProclaim
, saying
, `Thus
says
the LORD
of hosts
, "I am bexceedingly
jealous
for Jerusalem
and Zion
.
"But I am very aangry
with the nations
who are bat ease
; for while I was only a little
angry
, they 1 cfurthered
the disaster
."
`Therefore thus
says
the LORD
, "I will areturn
to Jerusalem
with compassion
; My bhouse
will be built
in it," declares
the LORD
of hosts
, "and a measuring
cline
will be stretched
over
Jerusalem
."'
"Again, proclaim
, saying
, `Thus
says
the LORD
of hosts
, "My acities
will again
overflow
with prosperity
, and the LORD
will again
bcomfort
Zion
and again
cchoose
Jerusalem
.""'
1Then I lifted up my eyes
and looked
, and behold
, there were four
horns
.
So I said to the angel
who was speaking
with me, "What
are these
?" And he answered
me, "These
are the ahorns
which
have scattered
Judah
, Israel
and Jerusalem
."
Then the LORD showed
me four
acraftsmen
.
I said, "What
are these
coming
to do
?" And he said
, "These
are the ahorns
which
have scattered
Judah
so
that no
man
lifts
up his head
; but these
craftsmen have come
to terrify
them, to bthrow
down
the horns
of the nations
who have lifted
up their horns
against
the land
of Judah
in order to scatter
it."