Zechariah 1 - 5

Return to Me, Declares Yahweh

In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying, 2 “Yahweh was very wrathful against your fathers. 3 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “Return to Me,” declares Yahweh of hosts, “that I may return to you,” says Yahweh of hosts. 4 “Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets called out, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.”’ But they did not listen or give heed to Me,” declares Yahweh. 5 “Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? 6 But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My slaves the prophets, overtake your fathers? Then they returned and said, ‘As Yahweh of hosts purposed to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has done with us.’”’”

A Man on a Red Horse

7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying, 8 I saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a red horse, and he was standing among the myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, sorrel, and white horses behind him. 9 Then I said, “My lord, what are these?” And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, “I will show you what these are.” 10 And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered and said, “These are those whom Yahweh has sent to patrol the earth.” 11 So they answered the angel of Yahweh who was standing among the myrtle trees and said, “We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth is sitting still and quiet.”
12 Then the angel of Yahweh answered and said, “O Yahweh of hosts, how long will You have no compassion for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which You have been indignant these seventy years?” 13 Yahweh answered the angel who was speaking with me with good words, comforting words. 14 So the angel who was speaking with me said to me, “Call out, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion. 15 But I am very wrathful with the nations who are at ease; for I was only a little wrathful, but they helped increase the calamity.” 16 Therefore thus says Yahweh, “I will return to Jerusalem with compassion; My house will be built in it,” declares Yahweh of hosts, “and a measuring line will be stretched over Jerusalem.”’ 17 Again, call out, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “My cities will again overflow with good, and Yahweh will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.”’”

Four Horns and Craftsmen

18 Then I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, there were four horns. 19 So I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these?” And he said to me, “These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” 20 Then Yahweh showed me four craftsmen. 21 And I said, “What are these coming to do?” And he said, “These are the horns which have scattered Judah so that no man lifts up his head; but these craftsmen have come to cause them to tremble, to throw down the horns of the nations who have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah in order to scatter it.”

A Man with a Measuring Cord

Then I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, there was a man with a measuring cord in his hand. 2 So I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see how wide it is and how long it is.” 3 And behold, the angel who was speaking with me was going out, and another angel was coming out to meet him 4 and said to him, “Run, speak to that young man, saying, ‘Jerusalem will be inhabited without walls because of the multitude of men and cattle within it. 5 Indeed I,’ declares Yahweh, ‘will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’”
6 “Ho there! Flee from the land of the north,” declares Yahweh, “for I have dispersed you as the four winds of the heavens,” declares Yahweh. 7 “Woe, Zion! Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon.” 8 For thus says Yahweh of hosts, “After glory He has sent Me against the nations which have taken you as spoil, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye. 9 For behold, I will wave My hand over them so that they will be spoil for their slaves. Then you will know that Yahweh of hosts has sent Me. 10 Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” declares Yahweh. 11 “And many nations will join themselves to Yahweh in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that Yahweh of hosts has sent Me to you. 12 Then Yahweh will inherit Judah as His portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem.
13 “Be silent, all flesh, before Yahweh; for He is aroused from His holy habitation.”

The High Priest and a Branch

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Yahweh, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 And Yahweh said to Satan, “Yahweh rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, Yahweh who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand delivered from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. 4 And he answered and spoke to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have made your iniquity pass away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.” 5 Then I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of Yahweh was standing by.
6 And the angel of Yahweh testified to Joshua, saying, 7 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘If you will walk in My ways and if you will keep the responsibility given by Me, then you will also render justice in My house and also keep My courts, and I will grant you access to walk among these who are standing here. 8 Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you—indeed they are men who are a wondrous sign, for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch. 9 For behold, the stone that I have put before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,’ declares Yahweh of hosts, ‘and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 10 In that day,’ declares Yahweh of hosts, ‘every one of you will call for his neighbor to sit under his vine and under his fig tree.’”

The Golden Lampstand

Then the angel who was speaking with me returned and roused me, as a man who is roused from his sleep. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it, 3 also two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side.” 4 Then I answered and said to the angel who was speaking with me saying, “What are these, my lord?” 5 So the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” 6 Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, “This is the word of Yahweh to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says Yahweh of hosts. 7 ‘What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”’”
8 Also the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know that Yahweh of hosts has sent me to you. 10 For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel—these are the eyes of Yahweh which roam to and fro throughout the earth.”
11 Then I answered and said to him, “What are these two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?” 12 And I answered the second time and said to him, “What are the two olive branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden oil from themselves?” 13 So he spoke to me, saying, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” 14 Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones who are standing by the Lord of all the earth.”

A Flying Scroll

Then I lifted up my eyes again and saw, and behold, a flying scroll. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits.” 3 Then he said to me, “This is the curse that is going forth over the face of the whole land; surely everyone who steals will be purged away according to the writing on one side, and everyone who swears will be purged away according to the writing on the other side. 4 I will make it go forth,” declares Yahweh of hosts, “and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name; and it will spend the night within that house and consume it with its timber and stones.”

A Woman in an Ephah

5 Then the angel who was speaking with me went out and said to me, “Lift up now your eyes and see what this is going forth.” 6 So I said, “What is it?” And he said, “This is the ephah going forth.” Again he said, “This is their appearance in all the land 7 (and behold, a lead cover was lifted up); and this is a woman sitting inside the ephah.” 8 Then he said, “This is Wickedness!” And he threw her down into the middle of the ephah and threw the lead weight on its opening. 9 Then I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, two women were coming out with the wind in their wings; and they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens. 10 And I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “Where are they taking the ephah?” 11 Then he said to me, “To build a house for her in the land of Shinar; and when it is prepared, she will be set there on her own pedestal.”