Zechariah 1

1In the eighth month in the second year of Darius, this message of the Lordcame to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo: 2The Lordwas furious with your ancestors. 3So tell the people this message of the Lordof hosts: “Return to me,” says the Lordof hosts, “and I will return to you” says the Lordof hosts. 4“Do not be like your ancestors to whom the former prophets cried, ‘The Lordof hosts says to turn now from your evil ways, and from your evil deeds’. They did not heed nor listen to me,” says the . Lord 5“Your ancestors, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? 6But did not my words and my statutes with which I charged my servants the prophets overtake your ancestors? And they repented and said, ‘Just as the Lordof hosts planned to do to us, according to our ways, and according to our deeds, so he has dealt with us.’” 7In the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, this message of the Lordcame to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo: 8I saw in the night a man on a red horse, among the myrtle trees that were in the valley-bottom. Behind him there were horses, red, sorrel, and white. 9Then said I, “My Lord, what are these?” And the messenger who was talking with me said, “I will show you what they are.” 10And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, “They are those whom the Lordhas sent to patrol the earth.” 11And the riders answered the messenger of the Lordwho was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have gone up and down through the world and behold, all the earth is still and at peace.” 12Then the messenger of the Lordsaid, “ Lordof hosts, how long will you have no pity for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah with which you have been angry for seventy years?” 13And the Lordanswered the messenger who was talking with me with kind and comforting words. 14So the messenger who was talking with me said to me, “Proclaim now that the Lordof hosts says: I am deeply concerned for Jerusalem. 15But I am deeply angry with the arrogant, complacent nations. I was only a little angry with Israel but they made the suffering worse. 16Therefore, says the , LordI am turning to show mercy to Jerusalem. My temple will be rebuilt in it, says the Lordof hosts, and a measuring line will be stretched over Jerusalem. 17Proclaim again: Thus says the Lordof hosts: My cities will again overflow with prosperity and the Lordwill again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.” 18Now I looked up and saw four horns. 19I said to the messenger who was talking with me, “What are these?” He answered, “These are the horns which scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.” 20Then the Lord showed me four smiths.