Zechariah 1

1In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh came to Zechariah son of Berechiah, son of Iddo the prophet, saying.

2Yahweh was greatly incensed with your fathers.

3Say to them: Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “Return to me,” declares Yahweh of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says Yahweh of hosts.

4Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets called, saying, Thus says Yahweh of Hosts: Return now from your evil ways and your evil deeds, but they did not hear nor pay heed to me, says Yahweh.

5Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?

6But my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? They returned and said, "As Yahweh of hosts purposed to do to us, according to our ways and according to our deeds, so he has done to us."

7On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, Shebat, in the second year of Darius, Yahweh's word came to Zechariah son of Berechiah son of Iddo the prophet, saying.

8I saw at night, and behold, a man riding a red horse, standing among the myrtle trees that were in the ravine, with red, speckled, and white horses behind him.

9I said, "My lord, what are these?" The angel speaking with me said to me, "I will show you what they are."

10The man standing among the myrtle trees answered and said, “These are the ones whom Yahweh sent to walk back and forth through the earth.”

11They answered the angel of Yahweh who stood among the myrtles and said, "We have gone about the earth, and look, all the earth sits still and quiet."

12The angel of Yahweh answered and said, "Yahweh of hosts, how long will you not show compassion to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, which you have been indignant with these seventy years?"

13Yahweh answered the angel speaking with me with good, comforting words.

14The angel who spoke with me said to me, “Proclaim: Thus says Yahweh of hosts: I have been jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with great jealousy.”

15With great indignation I am angry against the nations that are at ease, for I was angry only a little, but they helped the evil.

16Therefore thus says Yahweh: I have returned to Jerusalem with compassion; my house will be built in it, declares Yahweh of hosts, and a measuring line will stretch over Jerusalem.

17Proclaim again, saying, Thus says Yahweh of hosts: My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and Yahweh will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.

18I raised my eyes and saw—there were four horns.

19I said to the angel speaking with me, "What are these?" He said to me, "These are the horns that dispersed Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem."

20Yahweh showed me four craftsmen.

21I asked, "What have these come to do?" He said, "These are the horns that scattered Judah so no man could raise his head, but these have come to terrify them, to throw down the horns of the nations that raised a horn against the land of Judah to scatter it."