1 I n the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the Word of the Lord came to Zechariah the man of God, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying,

In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,

2 “ The Lord was very angry with your fathers.

The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers.

3 S o tell them, ‘The Lord of All says, “Return to Me, that I may return to you.

Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.

4 D o not be like your fathers. The men who spoke for Me in the past told them, ‘The Lord of All says, “Return from your sinful ways and from your sinful works.”’ But they did not listen to Me,” says the Lord.

Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord.

5 “ Where are your fathers now? And the men who spoke for Me, do they live forever?

Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?

6 I gave My Words and My Laws to your fathers through My servants who spoke for Me. But they would not listen and so they were punished. Then they were sorry for their sins and said, ‘The Lord of All has punished us for our ways and our works, as He said He would.’”’” Zechariah Sees Horses during the Night

But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

7 O n the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the Word of the Lord came to Zechariah the man of God, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo.

Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,

8 D uring the night while I was sleeping I saw a man traveling on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in the narrow valley, with red, brown, and white horses behind him.

I saw by 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 were there red horses, speckled, and white.

9 I asked, “My lord, what are these?” And the angel who was speaking with me said, “I will show you what these are.”

Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be.

10 S o the man who was standing among the myrtle trees said, “These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to travel all over the earth to keep watch.”

And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the Lord hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.

11 A nd they said to the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have looked over all the earth, and saw that the whole earth is at rest and in peace.” The Lord Comforts Jerusalem

And they answered the angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.

12 T hen the angel of the Lord said, “O Lord of All, how long will You have no loving-pity for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah? You have been angry with them for seventy years now.”

Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?

13 A nd the Lord spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who was speaking with me.

And the Lord answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.

14 S o the angel who was speaking with me said to me, “Make this known: ‘The Lord of All says, “I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion.

So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.

15 B ut I am very angry with the nations who take it easy. When I was only a little angry, they added to the trouble.”

And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.

16 S o the Lord says, “I will return to Jerusalem with loving-pity. My house will be built in it and all Jerusalem will be built again,” says the Lord of All.

Therefore thus saith the Lord; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.

17 A lso make this known: ‘The Lord of All says, “My cities will again be filled with riches. The Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.”’” Zechariah Sees Horns

Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.

18 T hen I looked up and saw four horns.

Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.

19 S o I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these?” And he said, “These are the horns which have divided the people of Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”

And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

20 T hen the Lord showed me four workmen.

And the Lord shewed me four carpenters.

21 I said, “What are these coming to do?” And he said, “These are the horns which have sent the people of Judah everywhere, so that no man raised his head. But these workmen have come to make them afraid and to throw down the horns of the nations who have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah so the people would be sent everywhere.”

Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.