Zechariah 2-8
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 2
1Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2So 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.' 3And behold, the angel who had been speaking with me was going out, and another angel was going out to meet him. 4And he said to him, 'Run, speak to that young man there, saying, ‘Jerusalem will be inhabited as open country because of the multitude of people and cattle within it. 5But I,’ declares the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire to her on all sides, and I will be the glory in her midst.’?'
6You there! Flee from the land of the north,' declares the Lord, 'because I have spread you out like the four winds of the heavens,' declares the Lord.
7You, Zion! Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon.'
8For the Lord of armies says this: 'After glory He has sent me against the nations that plunder you, for the one who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.
9For behold, I am going to wave My hand over them so that they will be plunder for their slaves. Then you will know that the Lord of armies has sent Me.
10Shout for joy and rejoice, daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,' declares the Lord.
11And many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the Lord of armies has sent Me to you.
12And the Lord will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.
Chapter 3
1Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right to accuse him. 2And the Lord said to Satan, 'The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a log snatched from the fire?' 3Now Joshua was clothed in filthy garments and was standing before the angel. 4And he responded and said to those who were standing before him, saying, 'Remove the filthy garments from him.' Again he said to him, 'See, I have taken your guilt away from you and will clothe you with festive robes.' 5Then I said, 'Have them put a clean headband on his head.' So they put the clean headband on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the Lord was standing by.
6And the angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying,
7The Lord of armies says this: ‘If you walk in My ways and perform My service, then you will both govern My house and be in charge of My courtyards, and I will grant you free access among these who are standing here.
8Now listen, Joshua, you high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you—indeed they are men who are a sign: for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch.
9For behold, the stone that I have put before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I am going to engrave an inscription on it,’ declares the Lord of armies, ‘and I will remove the guilt of that land in one day.
10On that day,’ declares the Lord of armies, ‘every one of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and under his fig tree.’?'
Chapter 4
1Then the angel who had been speaking with me returned and woke me, like a person who is awakened from his sleep. 2And 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; 3also two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side.' 4Then I said to the angel who was speaking with me, saying, 'What are these, my lord?' 5So 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.' 6Then he said to me, 'This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of armies. 7‘What are you, you great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring out the top stone with shouts of 'Grace, grace to it!'?’?'
8Also the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
9The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of armies has sent me to you.
10For who has shown contempt for the day of small things? But these seven will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel—they are the eyes of the Lord roaming throughout the earth.'
11Then I said to him, 'What are these two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?'
12And I responded 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?'
13So he answered me, saying, 'Do you not know what these are?' And I said, 'No, my lord.'
14Then he said, 'These are the two anointed ones, who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth.'
Chapter 5
1Then I raised my eyes again and looked, and behold, there was a flying scroll. 2And 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.' 3Then he said to me, 'This is the curse that is going forth over the face of the entire land; everyone who steals certainly will be purged away according to the writing on one side, and everyone who swears falsely will be purged away according to the writing on the other side. 4I will make it go forth,' declares the Lord of armies, '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 destroy it with its timber and stones.'
5Then the angel who had been speaking with me went out and said to me, 'Now raise your eyes and see what this is that is going forth.'
6And I said, 'What is it?' Then he said, 'This is the ephah going forth.' Again he said, 'This is their appearance in all the land.
7And behold, a lead cover was lifted up.' He continued, 'And this is a woman sitting inside the ephah.'
8Then he said, 'This is Wickedness!' And he thrust her into the middle of the ephah and threw the lead weight on its opening.
9Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there two women were coming out with the wind in their wings; and they had wings like the wings of the stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens.
10So I said to the angel who was speaking with me, 'Where are they taking the ephah?'
11Then he said to me, 'To build a temple for her in the land of Shinar; and when it is prepared, she will be set there on her own pedestal.'
Chapter 6
1Now I raised my eyes again and looked, and behold, four chariots were going out from between the two mountains; and the mountains were bronze mountains. 2With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, 3with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot strong spotted horses. 4So I responded and said to the angel who was speaking with me, 'What are these, my lord?' 5The angel replied to me, 'These are the four spirits of heaven, going out after taking their stand before the Lord of all the earth, 6with one of which the black horses are going out to the north country; and the white ones are to go out after them, while the spotted ones are to go out to the south country.' 7When the strong ones went out, they were eager to go to patrol the earth. And He said, 'Go, patrol the earth.' So they patrolled the earth. 8Then He called out to me and spoke to me, saying, 'See, those who are going to the land of the north have appeased My wrath in the land of the north.'
9The word of the Lord also came to me, saying,
10Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah; and you shall go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have arrived from Babylon.
11Also take silver and gold, make an ornate crown, and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest.
12Then say to him, ‘The Lord of armies says this: 'Behold, there is a Man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the Lord.
13Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the majesty and sit and rule on His throne. So He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices.'?’
14Now the crown will become a reminder in the temple of the Lord to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah.
15Those who are far away will come and build the temple of the Lord.' Then you will know that the Lord of armies has sent me to you. And it will take place if you completely obey the Lord your God.
Chapter 7
1In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. 2Now the town of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and their men to seek the favor of the Lord, 3speaking to the priests who belong to the house of the Lord of armies, and to the prophets, saying, 'Shall I weep in the fifth month and fast, as I have done these many years?' 4Then the word of the Lord of armies came to me, saying, 5Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted? 6And when you eat and drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? 7Are these not the words which the Lord proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and carefree along with its cities around it, and the Negev and the foothills were inhabited?’?'
8Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying,
9This is what the Lord of armies has said: ‘Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother;
10and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’
11But they refused to pay attention, and turned a stubborn shoulder and plugged their ears from hearing.
12They also made their hearts as hard as a diamond so that they could not hear the Law and the words which the Lord of armies had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the Lord of armies.
13And just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen,' says the Lord of armies;
14but I scattered them with a storm wind among all the nations whom they did not know. So the land was desolated behind them so that no one went back and forth, since they made the pleasant land desolate.'
Chapter 8
1Then the word of the Lord of armies came, saying, 2The Lord of armies says this: ‘I am exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.’ 3The Lord says this: ‘I will return to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the Lord of armies will be called the Holy Mountain.’ 4The Lord of armies says this: ‘Old men and old women will again sit in the public squares of Jerusalem, each person with his staff in his hand because of age. 5And the public squares of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its squares.’ 6The Lord of armies says this: ‘If it is too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be too difficult in My sight?’ declares the Lord of armies. 7The Lord of armies says this: ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; 8and I will bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.’
9The Lord of armies says this: ‘Let your hands be strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the prophets, those who spoke in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of armies was laid, so that the temple might be built.
10For before those days there was no wage for man nor any wage for animal; and for him who went out or came in there was no peace because of his enemies, and I sent all the people against one another.
11But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ declares the Lord of armies.
12‘For there will be the seed of peace: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce, and the heavens will provide their dew; and I will give to the remnant of this people all these things as an inheritance.
13And it will come about that just as you were a curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a blessing. Do not fear; let your hands be strong.’
14For this is what the Lord of armies says: ‘Just as I determined to do harm to you when your fathers provoked Me to anger,’ says the Lord of armies, ‘and I have not relented,
15so I have again determined in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear!
16These are the things which you shall do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace at your gates.
17Also let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury; for all these things are what I hate,’ declares the Lord.'
18Then the word of the Lord of armies came to me, saying,
19The Lord of armies says this: ‘The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth months will become joy, jubilation, and cheerful festivals for the house of Judah; so love truth and peace.’
20The Lord of armies says this: ‘ It will yet turn out that peoples will come, that is, the inhabitants of many cities.
21The inhabitants of one city will go to another, saying, 'Let’s go at once to plead for the favor of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of armies; I also will go.'
22So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the Lord of armies in Jerusalem, and to plead for the favor of the Lord.’
23The Lord of armies says this: ‘In those days ten people from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'?’?'
King James Version
Chapter 2
1I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof. 3And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him, 4And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein: 5For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.
6Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the Lord: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the Lord.
7Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.
8For thus saith the Lord of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
9For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me.
10Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord.
11And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto thee.
12And the Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.
13Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.
Chapter 3
1And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 2And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 3Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. 4And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. 5And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by. 6And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying, 7Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by. 8Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. 9For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 10In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.Chapter 4
1And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, 2And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: 3And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. 4So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord? 5Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. 6Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. 7Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it. 8Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 9The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you. 10For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
11Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?
12And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
13And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
14Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.
Chapter 5
1Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll. 2And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits. 3Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it. 4I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof. 5Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth. 6And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth. 7And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. 8And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof. 9Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. 10Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah? 11And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.Chapter 6
1And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass. 2In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; 3And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses. 4Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord? 5And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth. 6The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country. 7And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth. 8Then cried he upon me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country. 9And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 10Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, which are come from Babylon, and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah; 11Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest; 12And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord: 13Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. 14And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of the Lord. 15And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the Lord, and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.Chapter 7
1And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu; 2When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regemmelech, and their men, to pray before the Lord, 3And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the Lord of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years? 4Then came the word of the Lord of hosts unto me, saying, 5Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? 6And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves? 7Should ye not hear the words which the Lord hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?
8And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying,
9Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:
10And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.
11But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
12Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts.
13Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts:
14But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.
Chapter 8
1Again the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 2Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury. 3Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain. 4Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. 5And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. 6Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the Lord of hosts.
7Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country;
8And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.
9Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.
10For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour.
11But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the Lord of hosts.
12For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.
13And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.
14For thus saith the Lord of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the Lord of hosts, and I repented not:
15So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.
16These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:
17And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord.
18And the word of the Lord of hosts came unto me, saying,
19Thus saith the Lord of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.
20Thus saith the Lord of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities:
21And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also.
22Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord.
23Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
Christian Standard Bible
3Then the angel who was speaking with me went out, and another angel went out to meet him.
4He said to him, "Run and tell this young man: Jerusalem will be inhabited without walls because of the number of people and livestock in it."
5The declaration of the Lord: "I myself will be a wall of fire around it, and I will be the glory within it."
6"Listen! Listen! Flee from the land of the north" —this is the Lord’s declaration—"for I have scattered you like the four winds of heaven"—this is the Lord’s declaration.
7"Listen, Zion! Escape, you who are living with Daughter Babylon."
8For the Lord of Armies says this: "In pursuit of his glory, he sent me against the nations plundering you, for whoever touches you touches the pupil of my eye.
9For look, I am raising my hand against them, and they will become plunder for their own servants. Then you will know that the Lord of Armies has sent me.
10"Daughter Zion, shout for joy and be glad, for I am coming to dwell among you"—this is the Lord’s declaration.
11"Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day and become my people. I will dwell among you, and you will know that the Lord of Armies has sent me to you.
12The Lord will take possession of Judah as his portion in the Holy Land, and he will once again choose Jerusalem.
13Let all people be silent before the Lord, for from his holy dwelling he has roused himself."
Chapter 3
1Then he showed me the high priest Joshua standing before the angel of the Lord, with Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. 2The Lord said to Satan: "The Lord rebuke you, Satan! May the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Isn’t this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?"
3Now Joshua was dressed with filthy clothes as he stood before the angel.
4So the angel of the Lord spoke to those standing before him, "Take off his filthy clothes!" Then he said to him, "See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with festive robes."
6Then the angel of the Lord charged Joshua:
7"This is what the Lord of Armies says: If you walk in my ways and keep my mandates, you will both rule my house and take care of my courts; I will also grant you access among these who are standing here.
8"Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your colleagues sitting before you; indeed, these men are a sign that I am about to bring my servant, the Branch.
9Notice the stone I have set before Joshua; on that one stone are seven eyes. I will engrave an inscription on it"—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies—"and I will take away the iniquity of this land in a single day.
10On that day, each of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and fig tree." This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.
Chapter 4
1The angel who was speaking with me then returned and roused me as one awakened out of sleep.
2He asked me, "What do you see?" I replied, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top. The lampstand also has seven lamps at the top with seven spouts for each of the lamps.
3There are also two olive trees beside it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left."
6So he answered me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by strength or by might, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord of Armies.
7‘What are you, great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain. And he will bring out the capstone accompanied by shouts of: Grace, grace to it!’"
8Then the word of the Lord came to me:
9"Zerubbabel’s hands have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of Armies has sent me to you.
10For who despises the day of small things? These seven eyes of the Lord, which scan throughout the whole earth, will rejoice when they see the ceremonial stone in Zerubbabel’s hand."
11I asked him, "What are the two olive trees on the right and left of the lampstand?"
12And I questioned him further, "What are the two streams of the olive trees, from which the golden oil is pouring through the two golden conduits?"
3Then he said to me, "This is the curse that is going out over the whole land, for everyone who is a thief, contrary to what is written on one side, has gone unpunished, and everyone who swears falsely, contrary to what is written on the other side, has gone unpunished.
4I will send it out," —this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies—"and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by my name. It will stay inside his house and destroy it along with its timbers and stones."
6So I asked, "What is it?" He responded, "It’s a measuring basket that is approaching." And he continued, "This is their iniquity in all the land."
7Then a lead cover was lifted, and there was a woman sitting inside the basket.
8"This is Wickedness," he said. He shoved her down into the basket and pushed the lead weight over its opening.
9Then I looked up and saw two women approaching with the wind in their wings. Their wings were like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and sky.
Chapter 6
1Then I looked up again and saw four chariots coming from between two mountains. The mountains were made of bronze. 2The first chariot had chestnut horses, the second chariot black horses, 3the third chariot white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses—all strong horses. 4So I inquired of the angel who was speaking with me, "What are these, my lord?"
5The angel told me, "These are the four spirits of heaven going out after presenting themselves to the Lord of the whole earth.
6The one with the black horses is going to the land of the north, the white horses are going after them, but the dappled horses are going to the land of the south."
7As the strong horses went out, they wanted to go patrol the earth, and the Lord said, "Go, patrol the earth." So they patrolled the earth.
8Then he summoned me saying, "See, those going to the land of the north have pacified my Spirit in the northern land."
9The word of the Lord came to me:
10"Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon, and go that same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah.
11Take silver and gold, make a crown, and place it on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest.
12You are to tell him: This is what the Lord of Armies says: Here is a man whose name is Branch; he will branch out from his place and build the Lord’s temple.
13Yes, he will build the Lord’s temple; he will be clothed in splendor and will sit on his throne and rule. There will also be a priest on his throne, and there will be peaceful counsel between the two of them.
14The crown will reside in the Lord’s temple as a memorial to Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen son of Zephaniah.
15People who are far off will come and build the Lord’s temple, and you will know that the Lord of Armies has sent me to you. This will happen when you fully obey the Lord your God."
Chapter 7
1In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. 2Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer, Regem-melech, and their men to plead for the Lord’s favor 3by asking the priests who were at the house of the Lord of Armies as well as the prophets, "Should we mourn and fast in the fifth month as we have done these many years?"
4Then the word of the Lord of Armies came to me:
5"Ask all the people of the land and the priests: When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and in the seventh months for these seventy years, did you really fast for me?
6When you eat and drink, don’t you eat and drink simply for yourselves?
7Aren’t these the words that the Lord proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem was inhabited and secure, along with its surrounding cities, and when the southern region and the Judean foothills were inhabited?"
8The word of the Lord came to Zechariah:
9"The Lord of Armies says this: ‘Make fair decisions. Show faithful love and compassion to one another.
10Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the resident alien or the poor, and do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.’
11But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they closed their ears so they could not hear.
12They made their hearts like a rock so as not to obey the law or the words that the Lord of Armies had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. Therefore intense anger came from the Lord of Armies.
13Just as he had called, and they would not listen, so when they called, I would not listen, says the Lord of Armies.
14I scattered them with a windstorm over all the nations that had not known them, and the land was left desolate behind them, with no one coming or going. They turned a pleasant land into a desolation."
Chapter 8
1The word of the Lord of Armies came: 2The Lord of Armies says this: "I am extremely jealous for Zion; I am jealous for her with great wrath." 3The Lord says this: "I will return to Zion and live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City; the mountain of the Lord of Armies will be called the Holy Mountain." 4The Lord of Armies says this: "Old men and women will again sit along the streets of Jerusalem, each with a staff in hand because of advanced age. 5The streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in them." 6The Lord of Armies says this: "Though it may seem impossible to the remnant of this people in those days, should it also seem impossible to me?"—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. 7The Lord of Armies says this: "I will save my people from the land of the east and the land of the west. 8I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their faithful and righteous God."
9The Lord of Armies says this: "Let your hands be strong, you who now hear these words that the prophets spoke when the foundations were laid for the rebuilding of the temple, the house of the Lord of Armies.
10For prior to those days neither man nor animal had wages. There was no safety from the enemy for anyone who came or went, for I turned everyone against his neighbor.
11But now, I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days"—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.
12"For they will sow in peace: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce, and the skies will yield their dew. I will give the remnant of this people all these things as an inheritance.
13As you have been a curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Don’t be afraid; let your hands be strong."
14For the Lord of Armies says this: "As I resolved to treat you badly when your fathers provoked me to anger, and I did not relent," says the Lord of Armies,
15"so I have resolved again in these days to do what is good to Jerusalem and the house of Judah. Don’t be afraid.
16These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another; make true and sound decisions within your city gates.
17Do not plot evil in your hearts against your neighbor, and do not love perjury, for I hate all this"—this is the Lord’s declaration.
18Then the word of the Lord of Armies came to me:
19The Lord of Armies says this: "The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth will become times of joy, gladness, and cheerful festivals for the house of Judah. Therefore, love truth and peace."
20The Lord of Armies says this: "Peoples will yet come, the residents of many cities;
21the residents of one city will go to another, saying: Let’s go at once to plead for the Lord’s favor and to seek the Lord of Armies. I am also going.
22Many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the Lord of Armies in Jerusalem and to plead for the Lord’s favor."
23The Lord of Armies says this: "In those days, ten men from nations of every language will grab the robe of a Jewish man tightly, urging: Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."
New Living Translation
3Then the angel who was with me went to meet a second angel who was coming toward him.
4The other angel said, 'Hurry, and say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem will someday be so full of people and livestock that there won’t be room enough for everyone! Many will live outside the city walls.
5Then I, myself, will be a protective wall of fire around Jerusalem, says the Lord. And I will be the glory inside the city!’'
6The Lord says, 'Come away! Flee from Babylon in the land of the north, for I have scattered you to the four winds.
7Come away, people of Zion, you who are exiled in Babylon!'
8After a period of glory, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me against the nations who plundered you. For he said, 'Anyone who harms you harms my most precious possession.
9I will raise my fist to crush them, and their own slaves will plunder them.' Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me.
10The Lord says, 'Shout and rejoice, O beautiful Jerusalem, for I am coming to live among you.
11Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day, and they, too, will be my people. I will live among you, and you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me to you.
12The land of Judah will be the Lord’s special possession in the holy land, and he will once again choose Jerusalem to be his own city.
13Be silent before the Lord, all humanity, for he is springing into action from his holy dwelling.'
Chapter 3
1Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel’s right hand, making accusations against Jeshua. 2And the Lord said to Satan, 'I, the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire.'
3Jeshua’s clothing was filthy as he stood there before the angel.
4So the angel said to the others standing there, 'Take off his filthy clothes.' And turning to Jeshua he said, 'See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes.'
6Then the angel of the Lord spoke very solemnly to Jeshua and said,
7This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: If you follow my ways and carefully serve me, then you will be given authority over my Temple and its courtyards. I will let you walk among these others standing here.
8Listen to me, O Jeshua the high priest, and all you other priests. You are symbols of things to come. Soon I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.
9Now look at the jewel I have set before Jeshua, a single stone with seven facets. I will engrave an inscription on it, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, and I will remove the sins of this land in a single day.
Chapter 4
1Then the angel who had been talking with me returned and woke me, as though I had been asleep.
2What do you see now?' he asked. I answered, 'I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl of oil on top of it. Around the bowl are seven lamps, each having seven spouts with wicks.
3And I see two olive trees, one on each side of the bowl.'
4Then I asked the angel, 'What are these, my lord? What do they mean?'
6Then he said to me, 'This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
7Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’ '
8Then another message came to me from the Lord:
9Zerubbabel is the one who laid the foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me.
11Then I asked the angel, 'What are these two olive trees on each side of the lampstand,
12and what are the two olive branches that pour out golden oil through two gold tubes?'
3Then he said to me, 'This scroll contains the curse that is going out over the entire land. One side of the scroll says that those who steal will be banished from the land; the other side says that those who swear falsely will be banished from the land.
4And this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: I am sending this curse into the house of every thief and into the house of everyone who swears falsely using my name. And my curse will remain in that house and completely destroy it — even its timbers and stones.'
7Then the heavy lead cover was lifted off the basket, and there was a woman sitting inside it.
8The angel said, 'The woman’s name is Wickedness,' and he pushed her back into the basket and closed the heavy lid again.
Chapter 6
1Then I looked up again and saw four chariots coming from between two bronze mountains. 2The first chariot was pulled by red horses, the second by black horses, 3the third by white horses, and the fourth by powerful dappled-gray horses. 4And what are these, my lord?' I asked the angel who was talking with me.
5The angel replied, 'These are the four spirits of heaven who stand before the Lord of all the earth. They are going out to do his work.
6The chariot with black horses is going north, the chariot with white horses is going west, and the chariot with dappled-gray horses is going south.'
9Then I received another message from the Lord:
10Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah will bring gifts of silver and gold from the Jews exiled in Babylon. As soon as they arrive, meet them at the home of Josiah son of Zephaniah.
11Accept their gifts, and make a crown from the silver and gold. Then put the crown on the head of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest.
12Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Here is the man called the Branch. He will branch out from where he is and build the Temple of the Lord.
13Yes, he will build the Temple of the Lord. Then he will receive royal honor and will rule as king from his throne. He will also serve as priest from his throne, and there will be perfect harmony between his two roles.’
Chapter 7
1On December 7 of the fourth year of King Darius’s reign, another message came to Zechariah from the Lord. 2The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech, along with their attendants, to seek the Lord’s favor. 3They were to ask this question of the prophets and the priests at the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies: 'Should we continue to mourn and fast each summer on the anniversary of the Temple’s destruction, as we have done for so many years?'
4The Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me this message in reply:
5Say to all your people and your priests, ‘During these seventy years of exile, when you fasted and mourned in the summer and in early autumn, was it really for me that you were fasting?
6And even now in your holy festivals, aren’t you eating and drinking just to please yourselves?
7Isn’t this the same message the Lord proclaimed through the prophets in years past when Jerusalem and the towns of Judah were bustling with people, and the Negev and the foothills of Judah were well populated?’'
8Then this message came to Zechariah from the Lord:
9This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another.
10Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other.
11Your ancestors refused to listen to this message. They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing.
12They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the instructions or the messages that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies had sent them by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. That is why the Lord of Heaven’s Armies was so angry with them.
13Since they refused to listen when I called to them, I would not listen when they called to me, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
14As with a whirlwind, I scattered them among the distant nations, where they lived as strangers. Their land became so desolate that no one even traveled through it. They turned their pleasant land into a desert.'
Chapter 8
1Then another message came to me from the Lord of Heaven’s Armies: 2This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: My love for Mount Zion is passionate and strong; I am consumed with passion for Jerusalem!
4This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Once again old men and women will walk Jerusalem’s streets with their canes and will sit together in the city squares.
5And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls at play.
7This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: You can be sure that I will rescue my people from the east and from the west.
8I will bring them home again to live safely in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be faithful and just toward them as their God.
9This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Be strong and finish the task! Ever since the laying of the foundation of the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you have heard what the prophets have been saying about completing the building.
10Before the work on the Temple began, there were no jobs and no money to hire people or animals. No traveler was safe from the enemy, for there were enemies on all sides. I had turned everyone against each other.
11But now I will not treat the remnant of my people as I treated them before, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
12For I am planting seeds of peace and prosperity among you. The grapevines will be heavy with fruit. The earth will produce its crops, and the heavens will release the dew. Once more I will cause the remnant in Judah and Israel to inherit these blessings.
13Among the other nations, Judah and Israel became symbols of a cursed nation. But no longer! Now I will rescue you and make you both a symbol and a source of blessing. So don’t be afraid. Be strong, and get on with rebuilding the Temple!
14For this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: I was determined to punish you when your ancestors angered me, and I did not change my mind, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
15But now I am determined to bless Jerusalem and the people of Judah. So don’t be afraid.
16But this is what you must do: Tell the truth to each other. Render verdicts in your courts that are just and that lead to peace.
17Don’t scheme against each other. Stop your love of telling lies that you swear are the truth. I hate all these things, says the Lord.'
18Here is another message that came to me from the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
19This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: The traditional fasts and times of mourning you have kept in early summer, midsummer, autumn, and winter are now ended. They will become festivals of joy and celebration for the people of Judah. So love truth and peace.
20This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: People from nations and cities around the world will travel to Jerusalem.
21The people of one city will say to the people of another, ‘Come with us to Jerusalem to ask the Lord to bless us. Let’s worship the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. I’m determined to go.’
22Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies and to ask for his blessing.
English Standard Version
Chapter 2
1And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand! 2Then I said, "Where are you going?" And he said to me, "To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length." 3And behold, the angel who talked with me came forward, and another angel came forward to meet him 4and said to him, "Run, say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. 5And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst.’"
6Up! Up! Flee from the land of the north, declares the Lord. For I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, declares the Lord.
7Up! Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.
8For thus said the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye:
9"Behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they shall become plunder for those who served them. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me.
10Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord.
11And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.
12And the Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem."
Chapter 3
1Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2And the Lord said to Satan, "The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?" 3Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. 4And the angel said to those who were standing before him, "Remove the filthy garments from him." And to him he said, "Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments." 5And 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. And the angel of the Lord was standing by.
6And the angel of the Lord solemnly assured Joshua,
7"Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here.
8Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch.
9For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day.
10In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree."
Chapter 4
1And the angel who talked with me came again and woke me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep. 2And he said to me, "What do you see?" I said, "I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. 3And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left." 4And I said to the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?" 5Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" I said, "No, my lord." 6Then he said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. 7Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’"
8Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
9"The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.
10For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. "These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth."
11Then I said to him, "What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?"
12And a second time I answered and said to him, "What are these two branches of the olive trees, which are beside the two golden pipes from which the golden oil is poured out?"
13He said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" I said, "No, my lord."
14Then he said, "These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth."
Chapter 5
1Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a flying scroll! 2And he said to me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits." 3Then he said to me, "This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land. For everyone who steals shall be cleaned out according to what is on one side, and everyone who swears falsely shall be cleaned out according to what is on the other side. 4I will send it out, declares the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief, and the house of him who swears falsely by my name. And it shall remain in his house and consume it, both timber and stones."
5Then the angel who talked with me came forward and said to me, "Lift your eyes and see what this is that is going out."
6And I said, "What is it?" He said, "This is the basket that is going out." And he said, "This is their iniquity in all the land."
7And behold, the leaden cover was lifted, and there was a woman sitting in the basket!
8And he said, "This is Wickedness." And he thrust her back into the basket, and thrust down the leaden weight on its opening.
9Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, two women coming forward! The wind was in their wings. They had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven.
10Then I said to the angel who talked with me, "Where are they taking the basket?"
11He said to me, "To the land of Shinar, to build a house for it. And when this is prepared, they will set the basket down there on its base."
Chapter 6
1Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains. And the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses, 3the third white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses — all of them strong. 4Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?" 5And the angel answered and said to me, "These are going out to the four winds of heaven, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth. 6The chariot with the black horses goes toward the north country, the white ones go after them, and the dappled ones go toward the south country." 7When the strong horses came out, they were impatient to go and patrol the earth. And he said, "Go, patrol the earth." So they patrolled the earth. 8Then he cried to me, "Behold, those who go toward the north country have set my Spirit at rest in the north country."
9And the word of the Lord came to me:
10"Take from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon, and go the same day to the house of Josiah, the son of Zephaniah.
11Take from them silver and gold, and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest.
12And say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, "Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord.
13It is he who shall build the temple of the Lord and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both."’
14And the crown shall be in the temple of the Lord as a reminder to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah.
Chapter 7
1In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. 2Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men to entreat the favor of the Lord, 3saying to the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts and the prophets, "Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?"
4Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me:
5"Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted?
6And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves?
7Were not these the words that the Lord proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, with her cities around her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?’"
8And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying,
9"Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another,
10do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart."
11But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear.
12They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the Lord of hosts.
13"As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear," says the Lord of hosts,
14"and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known. Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went to and fro, and the pleasant land was made desolate."
Chapter 8
1And the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, 2"Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. 3Thus says the Lord: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain. 4Thus says the Lord of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. 5And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. 6Thus says the Lord of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the Lord of hosts? 7Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, 8and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness."
9Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.
10For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor.
11But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, declares the Lord of hosts.
12For there shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.
13And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong."
14For thus says the Lord of hosts: "As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the Lord of hosts,
15so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not.
16These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace;
17do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord."
18And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying,
19"Thus says the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.
20"Thus says the Lord of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities.
21The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts; I myself am going.’
22Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord.
23Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’"
New International Version
3While the angel who was speaking to me was leaving, another angel came to meet him
4and said to him: "Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of people and animals in it.
5And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.’
7"Come, Zion! Escape, you who live in Daughter Babylon!"
8For this is what the Lord Almighty says: "After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye—
9I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me.
10"Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you," declares the Lord.
11"Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.
12The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem.
13Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling."
Chapter 3
1Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. 2The Lord said to Satan, "The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?"
6The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua:
7"This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.
8" ‘Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.
9See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.
Chapter 4
1Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke me up, like someone awakened from sleep.
2He asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven channels to the lamps.
3Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left."
8Then the word of the Lord came to me:
9"The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.
3And he said to me, "This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished.
4The Lord Almighty declares, ‘I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely by my name. It will remain in that house and destroy it completely, both its timbers and its stones.’ "
7Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman!
8He said, "This is wickedness," and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed its lead cover down on it.
Chapter 6
1I looked up again, and there before me were four chariots coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze. 2The first chariot had red horses, the second black, 3the third white, and the fourth dappled—all of them powerful. 4I asked the angel who was speaking to me, "What are these, my lord?"
5The angel answered me, "These are the four spirits of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world.
6The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west, and the one with the dappled horses toward the south."
9The word of the Lord came to me:
10"Take silver and gold from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon. Go the same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah.
11Take the silver and gold and make a crown, and set it on the head of the high priest, Joshua son of Jozadak.
12Tell him this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the Lord.
13It is he who will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.’
14The crown will be given to Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen son of Zephaniah as a memorial in the temple of the Lord.
15Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the Lord, and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. This will happen if you diligently obey the Lord your God."
Chapter 7
1In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev. 2The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melek, together with their men, to entreat the Lord 3by asking the priests of the house of the Lord Almighty and the prophets, "Should I mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?"
4Then the word of the Lord Almighty came to me:
5"Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted?
6And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?
7Are these not the words the Lord proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest and prosperous, and the Negev and the western foothills were settled?’ "
8And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah:
9"This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.
10Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’
11"But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears.
12They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry.
13" ‘When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,’ says the Lord Almighty.
14‘I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land they left behind them was so desolate that no one traveled through it. This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.’ "
4This is what the Lord Almighty says: "Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each of them with cane in hand because of their age.
5The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there."
7This is what the Lord Almighty says: "I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west.
8I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God."
9This is what the Lord Almighty says: "Now hear these words, ‘Let your hands be strong so that the temple may be built.’ This is also what the prophets said who were present when the foundation was laid for the house of the Lord Almighty.
10Before that time there were no wages for people or hire for animals. No one could go about their business safely because of their enemies, since I had turned everyone against their neighbor.
11But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as I did in the past," declares the Lord Almighty.
12"The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people.
13Just as you, Judah and Israel, have been a curse among the nations, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong."
14This is what the Lord Almighty says: "Just as I had determined to bring disaster on you and showed no pity when your ancestors angered me," says the Lord Almighty,
15"so now I have determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid.
16These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts;
17do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this," declares the Lord.
20This is what the Lord Almighty says: "Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come,
21and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the Lord and seek the Lord Almighty. I myself am going.’
22And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to entreat him."
New King James Version
3And there was the angel who talked with me, going out; and another angel was coming out to meet him,
4who said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying: ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it.
5For I,’ says the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’ ”
6“Up, up! Flee from the land of the north,” says the Lord; “for I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven,” says the Lord.
7“Up, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.”
8For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.
9For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me.
10“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord.
11“Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.
12And the Lord will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem.
13Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!”
Chapter 3
1Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. 2And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”
7“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘If you will walk in My ways, And if you will keep My command, Then you shall also judge My house, And likewise have charge of My courts; I will give you places to walk Among these who stand here.
8‘Hear, O Joshua, the high priest, You and your companions who sit before you, For they are a wondrous sign; For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH.
9For behold, the stone That I have laid before Joshua: Upon the stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave its inscription,’ Says the Lord of hosts, ‘And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
10 In that day,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘Everyone will invite his neighbor Under his vine and under his fig tree.’ ”
2And he said to me, “What do you see?” So I said, “I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps.
3Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left.”
4So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?”
6So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.
7‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’ ”
9“The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.
10For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the Lord, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”
11Then I answered and said to him, “What are these two olive trees—at the right of the lampstand and at its left?”
12And I further answered and said to him, “What are these two olive branches that drip into the receptacles of the two gold pipes from which the golden oil drains?”
6So I asked, “What is it?” And he said, “It is a basket that is going forth.” He also said, “This is their resemblance throughout the earth:
7Here is a lead disc lifted up, and this is a woman sitting inside the basket”;
8then he said, “This is Wickedness!” And he thrust her down into the basket, and threw the lead cover over its mouth.
9Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were two women, coming with the wind in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven.
Chapter 6
1Then I turned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, 3with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot dappled horses—strong steeds. 4Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”
5And the angel answered and said to me, “These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth.
6The one with the black horses is going to the north country, the white are going after them, and the dappled are going toward the south country.”
7Then the strong steeds went out, eager to go, that they might walk to and fro throughout the earth. And He said, “Go, walk to and fro throughout the earth.” So they walked to and fro throughout the earth.
8And He called to me, and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My Spirit in the north country.”
9Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
10“Receive the gift from the captives—from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have come from Babylon—and go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah.
11Take the silver and gold, make an elaborate crown, and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest.
12Then speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying: “Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out, And He shall build the temple of the Lord;
13Yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory, And shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne, And the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” ’
14“Now the elaborate crown shall be for a memorial in the temple of the Lord for Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah.
15Even those from afar shall come and build the temple of the Lord. Then you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. And this shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.”
Chapter 7
1Now in the fourth year of King Darius it came to pass that the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Chislev, 2when the people sent Sherezer, with Regem-Melech and his men, to the house of God, to pray before the Lord, 3and to ask the priests who were in the house of the Lord of hosts, and the prophets, saying, “Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?”
4Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying,
5“Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me?
6When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves?
7Should you not have obeyed the words which the Lord proclaimed through the former prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around it were inhabited and prosperous, and the South and the Lowland were inhabited?’ ”
9“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion Everyone to his brother.
10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, The alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart Against his brother.’
11“But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear.
12Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts.
13Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts.
14“But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate.”
4“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit In the streets of Jerusalem, Each one with his staff in his hand Because of great age.
5The streets of the city Shall be full of boys and girls Playing in its streets.’
7“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east And from the land of the west;
8I will bring them back, And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people And I will be their God, In truth and righteousness.’
9“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Let your hands be strong, You who have been hearing in these days These words by the mouth of the prophets, Who spoke in the day the foundation was laid For the house of the Lord of hosts, That the temple might be built.
10For before these days There were no wages for man nor any hire for beast; There was no peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came in; For I set all men, everyone, against his neighbor.
12‘For the seed shall be prosperous, The vine shall give its fruit, The ground shall give her increase, And the heavens shall give their dew— I will cause the remnant of this people To possess all these.
13And it shall come to pass That just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, Let your hands be strong.’
14“For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Just as I determined to punish you When your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’ Says the Lord of hosts, ‘And I would not relent,
15So again in these days I am determined to do good To Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear.
16These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace;
17 Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; And do not love a false oath. For all these are things that I hate,’ Says the Lord.”
20“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Peoples shall yet come, Inhabitants of many cities;
21The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, “Let us continue to go and pray before the Lord, And seek the Lord of hosts. I myself will go also.”
22Yes, many peoples and strong nations Shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, And to pray before the Lord.’
