Zechariah 1

1In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Jehovah unto Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying,

1In the eighth month of the second year of King Darius, the LORD’s message came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo.

2Jehovah was sore displeased with your fathers.

2The LORD was very angry with your ancestors.

3Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Return unto me, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I will return unto you, saith Jehovah of hosts.

3Therefore, tell the people: This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: 'Return to me,' says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, 'and I will return to you,' says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

4Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets cried, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Return ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith Jehovah.

4Do not be like your ancestors. The earlier prophets preached to them, saying, 'This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: Turn away now from your evil ways and your evil actions.' But they did not listen or pay attention to me, says the LORD.

5Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?

5Where are your ancestors now? And do the prophets live forever?

6But 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 unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

6But didn't my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, catch up with your ancestors? Then they repented and said, 'The LORD of Heaven’s Armies has treated us just as he planned to do, based on our ways and our actions.'

7Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Jehovah unto Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying,

7On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month (the month of Shebat), in the second year of Darius, the LORD’s message came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo.

8I 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.

8In a vision during the night, I saw a man riding a red horse. He was standing among some myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown, and white horses.

9Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will show thee what these are.

9I asked, 'What are these, my lord?' The angel who was talking with me answered, 'I will show you what they are.'

10And the man that stood among the myrtle-trees answered and said, These are they whom Jehovah hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.

10Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, 'These are the ones the LORD has sent to patrol the earth.'

11And they answered the angel of Jehovah 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.

11They reported to the angel of the LORD, who was standing among the myrtle trees, 'We have patrolled the earth, and look, the whole world is quiet and at peace.'

12Then the angel of Jehovah answered and said, O Jehovah 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?

12Then the angel of the LORD said, 'LORD of Heaven’s Armies, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and the towns of Judah? You have been angry with them for these seventy years.'

13And Jehovah answered the angel that talked with me with good words, even comfortable words.

13The LORD answered the angel who was talking to me with kind and comforting words.

14So the angel that talked with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.

14Then the angel who talked with me said, 'Proclaim this message: This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: I am very jealous for the protection of Jerusalem and Zion.'

15And I am very sore displeased with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.

15'But I am very angry with the nations that feel so secure. I was only a little angry with my people, but those nations made their suffering much worse.'

16Therefore thus saith Jehovah: I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies; my house shall be built in it, saith Jehovah of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth over Jerusalem.

16'Therefore, this is what the LORD says: I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy. My Temple will be rebuilt there,' says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, 'and the measuring line will be stretched out to rebuild Jerusalem.'

17Cry yet again, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: My cities shall yet overflow with prosperity; and Jehovah shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.

17'Proclaim this as well: This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: My towns will again overflow with prosperity. The LORD will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.'

18And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, four horns.

18Then I looked up and saw four animal horns.

19And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

19I asked the angel who was talking with me, 'What are these?' He answered, 'These are the powers that scattered the people of Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.'

20And Jehovah showed me four smiths.

20Then the LORD showed me four blacksmiths.

21Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head; but these are 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.

21I asked, 'What are these men coming to do?' He answered, 'Those horns scattered Judah so badly that no one could even lift up his head. But these blacksmiths have come to terrify those nations and throw down the horns of the countries that lifted their power against the land of Judah to scatter its people.'