A call to return to the Lord
1 In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lordcame to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo:
2 ‘The Lordwas very angry with your ancestors.
3 Therefore tell the people: this is what the LordAlmighty says: “Return to me,” declares the LordAlmighty, “and I will return to you,” says the LordAlmighty.
4 Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: this is what the LordAlmighty says: “Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.” But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the Lord.
5 Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live for ever?
6 But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors?
‘Then they repented and said, “The LordAlmighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to do.” ’
The man among the myrtle trees
7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lordcame to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo.
8 During the night I had a vision, and there before me was a man mounted on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses.
9 I asked, ‘What are these, my lord?’
The angel who was talking with me answered, ‘I will show you what they are.’
10 Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, ‘They are the ones the Lordhas sent to go throughout the earth.’
11 And they reported to the angel of the Lordwho was standing among the myrtle trees, ‘We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace.’
12 Then the angel of the Lordsaid, ‘LordAlmighty, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah, which you have been angry with these seventy years?’
13 So the Lordspoke kind and comforting words to the angel who talked with me.
14 Then the angel who was speaking to me said, ‘Proclaim this word: this is what the LordAlmighty says: “I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion,
15 and I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry, but they went too far with the punishment.”
16 ‘Therefore this is what the Lordsays: “I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,” declares the LordAlmighty.
17 ‘Proclaim further: this is what the LordAlmighty says: “My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lordwill again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.” ’
Four horns and four craftsmen
18 Then I looked up, and there before me were four horns.
19 I asked the angel who was speaking to me, ‘What are these?’
He answered me, ‘These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.’
20 Then the Lordshowed me four craftsmen.
21 I asked, ‘What are these coming to do?’
He answered, ‘These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise their head, but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people.’
—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/72/32k/ZEC/1-3cab15b44fb72fd1dab383642337ee45.mp3?version_id=113—