MLV(i)
1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of Jehovah came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying,
2 Jehovah was greatly displeased with your* fathers.
3 Therefore you say to them, Jehovah of hosts says thus:
Return to me, says Jehovah of hosts and I will return to you*, says Jehovah of hosts. 4 Do not be as your* fathers, to whom the former prophets cried, saying, Jehovah of hosts says thus: Return now from your* evil ways and from your* evil practices, but they did not hear, nor listen to me, says Jehovah.
5 Your* fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live everlasting? 6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your* fathers? And they turned and said, Like as Jehovah of hosts thought to do to us, according to our ways and according to our practices, so he has dealt with us.
7 Upon the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of Jehovah came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying, 8 I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding upon a red horse and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom. And behind him there were horses, red, sorrel and white.
9 Then I said, O my lord, what are these? And the messenger who talked with me said to me, I will show you what these are. 10 And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom Jehovah has sent to walk to and fro through the earth. 11 And they answered the messenger of Jehovah who stood among the myrtle trees and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and behold, all the earth sits still and is at rest.
12 Then the messenger of Jehovah answered and said, O Jehovah of hosts, how long will you not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which you have had indignation these seventy years? 13 And Jehovah answered the messenger who talked with me with good words, comforting words.
14 So the messenger who talked with me said to me, Cry, saying, Jehovah of hosts says thus: I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. 15 And I am very greatly displeased with the nations that are at ease. For I was but a little displeased and they helped forward the affliction.
16 Therefore Jehovah says thus: I have returned to Jerusalem with mercies. My house will be built in it, says Jehovah of hosts and a line will be stretched forth over Jerusalem. 17 Cry yet again, saying, Jehovah of hosts says thus: My cities will yet overflow with prosperity and Jehovah will yet comfort Zion and will yet choose Jerusalem. 18 And I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, four horns. 19 And I said to the messenger who talked with me, What are these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.
20 And Jehovah showed me four smiths. 21 Then I said, What are these coming to do? And he spoke, saying, These are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man lifted up his head. But these have come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations, which lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.
Return to me, says Jehovah of hosts and I will return to you*, says Jehovah of hosts. 4 Do not be as your* fathers, to whom the former prophets cried, saying, Jehovah of hosts says thus: Return now from your* evil ways and from your* evil practices, but they did not hear, nor listen to me, says Jehovah.
5 Your* fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live everlasting? 6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your* fathers? And they turned and said, Like as Jehovah of hosts thought to do to us, according to our ways and according to our practices, so he has dealt with us.
7 Upon the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of Jehovah came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying, 8 I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding upon a red horse and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom. And behind him there were horses, red, sorrel and white.
9 Then I said, O my lord, what are these? And the messenger who talked with me said to me, I will show you what these are. 10 And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom Jehovah has sent to walk to and fro through the earth. 11 And they answered the messenger of Jehovah who stood among the myrtle trees and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and behold, all the earth sits still and is at rest.
12 Then the messenger of Jehovah answered and said, O Jehovah of hosts, how long will you not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which you have had indignation these seventy years? 13 And Jehovah answered the messenger who talked with me with good words, comforting words.
14 So the messenger who talked with me said to me, Cry, saying, Jehovah of hosts says thus: I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. 15 And I am very greatly displeased with the nations that are at ease. For I was but a little displeased and they helped forward the affliction.
16 Therefore Jehovah says thus: I have returned to Jerusalem with mercies. My house will be built in it, says Jehovah of hosts and a line will be stretched forth over Jerusalem. 17 Cry yet again, saying, Jehovah of hosts says thus: My cities will yet overflow with prosperity and Jehovah will yet comfort Zion and will yet choose Jerusalem. 18 And I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, four horns. 19 And I said to the messenger who talked with me, What are these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.
20 And Jehovah showed me four smiths. 21 Then I said, What are these coming to do? And he spoke, saying, These are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man lifted up his head. But these have come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations, which lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.