Zechariah 1-7

Complete Jewish Bible

1 In the eighth month of the second year of Daryavesh, the following message from Adonai came to Z’kharyah the son of Berekhyah, the son of ‘Iddo, the prophet: ² “Adonai was extremely angry with your ancestors. ³ Therefore, tell them that Adonai-Tzva’ot says this: ‘“Return to me,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot, “and I will return to you,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot. ⁴ “Don’t be like your ancestors. The earlier prophets proclaimed to them, ‘Adonai-Tzva’ot says to turn back now from your evil ways and deeds’; but they didn’t listen or pay attention to me,” says Adonai. ⁵ “Your ancestors, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? ⁶ But my words and my laws, which I ordered my servants the prophets, overtook your ancestors, didn’t they? Then they turned and said, ‘Adonai has dealt with us according to our ways and deeds, just as he intended to do.’”’”

⁷ On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Sh’vat, in the second year of Daryavesh, this message from Adonai came to Z’kharyah the son of Berekhyah, the son of ‘Iddo, the prophet: ⁸ It was night, and I saw there before me a man riding on a russet-colored horse. He stood among the myrtle bushes in the valley; and behind him were other horses, russet, chestnut-colored and white. ⁹ I asked, “What are these, my Lord?” The angel speaking with me said to me, “I will show you what these are.” ¹⁰ The man standing among the myrtles said, “These are those whom Adonai has sent to wander throughout the earth.” ¹¹ Then they themselves answered the angel of Adonai standing among the myrtles, “We have been wandering throughout the earth, and the whole world is quiet and at peace.” ¹² The angel of Adonai said, “Adonai-Tzva’ot, how long will you keep withholding mercy from Yerushalayim and the cities of Y’hudah? You’ve been angry with them for the past seventy years!” ¹³ Adonai replied with kind and comforting words to the angel who was speaking with me. ¹⁴ The angel speaking with me then said to me, “Here is what Adonai-Tzva’ot says: ‘I am extremely jealous on behalf of Yerushalayim and Tziyon; ¹⁵ and [to the same degree] I am extremely angry with the nations that are so self-satisfied; because I was only a little angry [at Yerushalayim and Tziyon], but they made the suffering worse.’ ¹⁶ Therefore Adonai says, ‘I will return to Yerushalayim with merciful deeds. My house will be rebuilt there,’ says Adonai-Tzva’ot; ‘yes, a measuring line will be stretched out over Yerushalayim.’ ¹⁷ In addition, proclaim that Adonai-Tzva’ot says, ‘My cities will again overflow with prosperity.’ Adonai will again comfort Tziyon, and he will again make Yerushalayim the city of his choice.”

2 ^(1:18) Then I looked up and saw four horns. ^2 (1:19) I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these?” He answered, “These are the horns that scattered Y’hudah, Isra’el and Yerushalayim.”

^3 (1:20) Next, Adonai showed me four artisans. ^4 (1:21) I asked, “What are these coming to do?” He said, “Those horns that scattered Y’hudah so completely that no one could even raise his head — well, these men have come to terrify them, to overthrow the nations that raised their horns against the land of Y’hudah to scatter it.”

^5 (1) I looked up and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. ^6 (2) I asked, “Where are you going?” He said to me, “To measure Yerushalayim, to determine its width and length.”

^7 (3) Here the angel who was speaking to me went forward, and another angel went out, met him ^8 (4) and said to him, “Run and tell this young man, ‘Yerushalayim will be inhabited without walls, because there will be so many people and animals; ^9 (5) “for,” says Adonai, “I will be for her a wall of fire surrounding her; and I will be the glory within her. ^10 (6) Up!” says Adonai, “Move! Flee the land of the north! For I scattered you like the four winds of the sky,” says Adonai. ^11 (7) “Move, Tziyon! You who are living with the daughter of Bavel, escape!” ^12 (8) For Adonai-Tzva’ot has sent me on a glorious mission to the nations that plundered you, and this is what he says: “Anyone who injures you injures the very pupil of my eye. ^13 (9) But I will shake my hand over them, and they will be plundered by those who were formerly their slaves.” Then you will know that Adonai-Tzva’ot sent me. ^14 (10) “Sing, daughter of Tziyon; rejoice! For, here, I am coming; and I will live among you,” says Adonai. ^15 (11) When that time comes, many nations will join themselves to Adonai. “They will be my people, and I will live among you.” Then you will know that it was Adonai-Tzva’ot who sent me to you. ^16 (12) Adonai will take possession of Y’hudah as his portion in the holy land, and he will again make Yerushalayim his choice. ^17 (13) Be silent, all humanity, before Adonai; for he has been roused from his holy dwelling.’”

3 He showed me Y’hoshua the cohen hagadol standing before the angel of Adonai, with the Accuser ^[a] standing at his right to accuse him. ² Adonai said to the Accuser, “May Adonai rebuke you, Accuser! Indeed, may Adonai, who has made Yerushalayim his choice, rebuke you! Isn’t this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?” ³ Y’hoshua was clothed in garments covered with dung; and he was standing before the angel, ⁴ who said to those standing in front of him, “Take those filthy garments off of him.” Then to him he said, “See, I am taking your guilt away. I will clothe you in fine robes.” ⁵ I said, “They should put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and gave him fine robes to wear, while the angel of Adonai stood by. ⁶ Then the angel of Adonai gave Y’hoshua this warning: ⁷ “Adonai-Tzva’ot says this: ‘If you will walk in my ways, obey my commission, judge my house and guard my courtyards; then I will give you free access among these who are standing here. ⁸ Listen, cohen gadol Y’hoshua, both you and your colleagues seated here before you, because these men are a sign that I am going to bring my servant Tzemach [Sprout]. ⁹ For look at the stone I have put in front of Y’hoshua: on one stone are seven eyes; I will engrave what is to be written on it,’ says Adonai-Tzva’ot; ‘and I will remove the guilt of this land in one day. ¹⁰ When that time comes,’ says Adonai-Tzva’ot, ‘you will all invite each other to join you under your vines and fig trees.’”

4 Then the angel that had been speaking with me returned and roused me, as if he were waking someone up from being asleep, ² and asked me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I’ve been looking at a menorah; it’s all of gold, with a bowl at its top, seven lamps on it, and seven tubes leading to the lamps at its top. ³ Next to it are two olive trees, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left.” ⁴ I then asked the angel speaking with me, “What are these, my Lord?” The angel speaking with me said, ⁵ “Don’t you know what these are?” I said, “No, my Lord.” ⁶ Then he answered me, “This is the word of Adonai to Z’rubavel: ‘Not by force, and not by power, but by my Spirit,’ says Adonai-Tzva’ot. ⁷ ‘What are you, you big mountain? Before Z’rubavel you will become a plain; and he will put the capstone in place, as everyone shouts, “It’s beautiful! Beautiful!”’ ⁸ This message from Adonai came to me: ⁹ ‘The hands of Z’rubavel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will also finish it.’ Then you will know that Adonai-Tzva’ot sent me to you. ¹⁰ For even someone who doesn’t think much of a day when such minor events take place will rejoice at seeing the plumbline in the hand of Z’rubavel. So these seven are the eyes of Adonai that range about over all the earth.”

¹¹ I replied by asking him, “What are those two olive trees on the right and left sides of the menorah?” ¹² Then I asked the question again: “What are those two olive branches discharging gold[-colored oil] through the two gold spouts?” ¹³ He replied, “Don’t you know what they are?” I answered, “No, my Lord.” ¹⁴ He said, “Those are the two who have been anointed with oil; they are standing with the Lord of all the land.”

5 Again I raised my eyes, and I saw in front of me a flying scroll. ² He said to me, “What do you see?” I replied, “I see a flying scroll thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide. ³ Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the face of all the land; for [according to what is written] on one side, everyone who steals will be swept away; and [according to what is written] on the other side, everyone who swears will be swept away. ⁴ ‘I will release it,’ says Adonai-Tzva’ot, ‘and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely by my name; it will stay there inside the house and consume it completely, even its timbers and stones.’”

⁵ Then the angel speaking with me went forward and said to me, “Now raise your eyes, and see what this thing is, passing by.” ⁶ I asked, “What is it?” He said, “This is the eifah-measure [a one-bushel dry-measure] passing by.” Then he added, “This is their eye in all the land.” ⁷ Next I saw a lead disc lifted up to reveal a woman sitting in the eifah. ⁸ He said, “This is Evil.” He threw her down into the eifah and pressed the lead weight over its opening. ⁹ I raised my eyes and saw two women coming with the wind in their wings; for they had wings like those of a stork. They lifted the eifah up between the earth and the sky. ¹⁰ I asked the angel speaking with me, “Where are they taking the eifah?” ¹¹ He answered me, “To build it a shrine in the land of Shin‘ar. When it’s ready, [the eifah] will be set down there on its base.”

6 Again I raised my eyes, and I saw in front of me four chariots coming out from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. ² The first chariot had red horses; the second chariot, black horses; ³ the third chariot, white horses; and the fourth chariot, spotted gray horses. ⁴ I asked the angel speaking with me, “What are these, my Lord?” ⁵ The angel answered me, “These are the four winds of the sky that go out, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the land. ⁶ The one with the black horses is going out toward the land in the north, the white [horses] have gone out after them, and the spotted have gone out toward the land in the south.” ⁷ Then the gray ones went out and were seeking to go and wander throughout the whole earth, when he said, “Wander throughout the whole earth”; and they did wander throughout the whole earth. ⁸ Then he called out to me and said, “Look! The ones going to the land in the north have given my Spirit rest in the north country.”

⁹ This message from Adonai came to me: ¹⁰ “Take [gifts] from the exiles of Heldai, Toviyah, and Y’da‘yah, who have arrived from Bavel; then you, go to the house of Yoshiyah the son of Tz’fanyah. ¹¹ Take silver and gold; make crowns; put one on the head of Y’hoshua the son of Y’hotzadak, the cohen hagadol; ¹² and tell him, ‘Adonai-Tzva’ot says: “There is coming a man whose name is Tzemach [Sprout]. He will sprout up from his place and rebuild the temple of Adonai. ¹³ Yes, he will rebuild the temple of Adonai; and he will take up royal splendor, sitting and ruling from his throne. There will be a cohen before his throne; and they will accept each other’s advice in complete harmony. ¹⁴ The other crowns will be for Helem, Toviyah, Y’da‘yah and Hen the son of Tz’fanyah; then [they are to be kept] as a memorial in the temple of Adonai. ¹⁵ Those who are now far away will come and help rebuild the temple of Adonai.” Then you will know that it is Adonai-Tzva’ot who sent me to you. And it will all come about, provided you heed carefully what Adonai your God says.’”

7 In the fourth year of King Daryavesh, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Kislev, a message from Adonai came to Z’kharyah. ² He sent Sar’etzer and Regem-Melekh with his men to Beit-El in order to ask Adonai’s favor, ³ as they inquired of the cohanim of the house of Adonai-Tzva’ot and the prophets, “Should we go into mourning and abstain from pleasure during the fifth month, as we have been doing for all these years?” ⁴ It was then that this message came to me from Adonai-Tzva’ot: ⁵ “Speak to all the people of the land and to the cohanim. Tell them, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months throughout these seventy years, were you really fasting for me? Was it for me? ⁶ Rather, when you eat and drink, it’s just to please yourselves, isn’t it? ⁷ Isn’t this just what Adonai proclaimed through the earlier prophets, when Yerushalayim was inhabited and prosperous, as were the cities around her; and the Negev and the Sh’felah were inhabited?’”

⁸ Then this message from Adonai came to Z’kharyah: ⁹ “In the past Adonai-Tzva’ot said, ‘Administer true justice. Let everyone show mercy and compassion to his brother. ¹⁰ Don’t oppress widows, orphans, foreigners or poor people. Don’t plot evil against each other.’ ¹¹ But they wouldn’t listen, they stubbornly turned their shoulder away and stopped up their ears, so that they wouldn’t have to hear it. ¹² Yes, they made their hearts as hard as a diamond, so that they wouldn’t hear the Torah and the messages that Adonai-Tzva’ot had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. This is why great anger came from Adonai-Tzva’ot; ¹³ and it came about that just as they hadn’t listened when he called, so Adonai-Tzva’ot said, ‘I won’t listen when they call; ¹⁴ but with the power of a whirlwind I will disperse them among all the nations which they have not known.’ Thus the land was left desolate after them, so that no one came or went. They had turned a pleasant land into a desert.”