6Then I looked up again and saw four chariots coming from between two bronze mountains.H7725H5375H5869H7200H3318H702H4818H3318H8147H2022H2022H2022H5178 2The first chariot was pulled by red horses, the second by black horses,H7223H4818H122H5483H8145H4818H7838H5483 3the third by white horses, and the fourth by powerful dappled-gray horses.H7992H4818H3836H5483H7243H4818H1261H554H5483 4“And what are these, my lord?” I asked the angel who was talking with me.H6030H559H4397H1696H113 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.H4397H6030H559H702H7307H8064H3318H3320H113H776 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.”H7838H5483H3318H6828H776H3836H3318H310H1261H3318H8486H776 7The powerful horses were eager to set out to patrol the earth. And the Lord said, “Go and patrol the earth!” So they left at once on their patrol.H554H3318H1245H3212H1980H776H559H3212H1980H776H1980H776 8Then the Lord summoned me and said, “Look, those who went north have vented the anger of my Spirit there in the land of the north.”H2199H853H1696H559H7200H3318H6828H776H5117H7307H6828H776 9Then I received another message from the Lord:H1697H3068H559 10“Heldai, 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.H3947H1473H2469H2900H3048H935H894H935H3117H935H1004H2977H1121H6846 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.H3947H3701H2091H6213H5850H7760H7218H3091H1121H3087H1419H3548 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.H559H559H559H3068H6635H559H376H8034H6780H6779H1129H1964H3068 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.’H1129H1964H3068H5375H1935H3427H4910H3678H3548H3678H6098H7965H8147 14“The crown will be a memorial in the Temple of the Lord to honor those who gave it—Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Josiah son of Zephaniah.”H5850H2494H2900H3048H2581H1121H6846H2146H1964H3068 15People will come from distant lands to rebuild the Temple of the Lord. And when this happens, you will know that my messages have been from the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. All this will happen if you carefully obey what the Lord your God says.H7350H935H1129H1964H3068H3045H3068H6635H7971H8085H8085H6963H3068H430
7On December 7 of the fourth year of King Darius’s reign, another message came to Zechariah from the Lord.H702H8141H4428H1867H1697H3068H2148H702H8671H2320H3691 2The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech, along with their attendants, to seek the Lord’s favor.H7971H1004H410H8272H7278H582H2470H6440H3068 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?”H559H3548H1004H3068H6635H5030H559H1058H2549H2320H5144H6213H8141 4The Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me this message in reply:H1697H3068H6635H559 5“Say 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?H559H5971H776H3548H559H6684H5594H2549H7637H7657H8141H6684H6684 6And even now in your holy festivals, aren’t you eating and drinking just to please yourselves?H398H8354H398H8354 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?’”H1697H3068H7121H3027H7223H5030H3389H3427H7961H5892H5439H3427H5045H8219 8Then this message came to Zechariah from the Lord:H1697H3068H2148H559 9“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another.H559H3068H6635H559H8199H571H4941H6213H2617H7356H376H251 10Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other.H6231H490H3490H1616H6041H2803H7451H376H251H3824 11“Your ancestors refused to listen to this message. They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing.H3985H7181H5414H5637H3802H3513H241H8085 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.H7760H3820H8068H8085H8451H1697H3068H6635H7971H7307H3027H7223H5030H1419H7110H3068H6635 13“Since 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.H7121H8085H7121H8085H559H3068H6635 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.”H5590H1471H3045H776H8074H310H5674H7725H7760H2532H776H8047
8Then another message came to me from the Lord of Heaven’s Armies:H1697H3068H6635H5592“This 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!H559H3068H6635H7065H6726H1419H7068H7065H1419H25343“And now the Lord says: I am returning to Mount Zion, and I will live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City; the mountain of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will be called the Holy Mountain.H559H3068H7725H6726H7931H8432H3389H3389H7121H5892H571H2022H3068H6635H6944H20224“This 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.H559H3068H6635H2205H2205H3427H7339H3389H376H4938H3027H7230H31175And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls at play.H7339H5892H4390H3206H3207H7832H73396“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: All this may seem impossible to you now, a small remnant of God’s people. But is it impossible for me? says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.H559H3068H6635H6381H5869H7611H5971H3117H6381H5869H5002H3068H66357“This 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.H559H3068H6635H3467H5971H4217H776H3996H8121H7768I 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.H935H7931H8432H3389H5971H430H571H66669“This 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.H559H3068H6635H3027H2388H8085H3117H1697H6310H5030H3117H3245H1004H3068H6635H3245H1964H112910Before 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.H6440H3117H1961H7939H120H7939H929H7965H3318H935H6862H7971H120H376H745311“But now I will not treat the remnant of my people as I treated them before, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.H7611H5971H7223H3117H5002H3068H663512For 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.H2233H7965H1612H5414H6529H776H5414H2981H8064H5414H2919H7611H5971H515713Among 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!H7045H1471H1004H3063H1004H3478H3467H1293H3372H3027H238814“For 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.H559H3068H6635H2161H7489H1H7107H559H3068H6635H516215But now I am determined to bless Jerusalem and the people of Judah. So don’t be afraid.H7725H2161H3117H3190H3389H1004H3063H337216But 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.H1697H6213H1696H376H571H7453H8199H4941H571H7965H817917Don’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.”H376H2803H7451H3824H7453H157H8267H7621H8130H5002H306818Here is another message that came to me from the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.H1697H3068H6635H55919“This 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.H559H3068H6635H6685H7243H6685H2549H6685H7637H6685H6224H1004H3063H8342H8057H2896H4150H157H571H796520“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: People from nations and cities around the world will travel to Jerusalem.H559H3068H6635H935H5971H3427H7227H589221The 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.’H3427H259H1980H259H559H3212H1980H2470H6440H3068H1245H3068H6635H321222Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies and to ask for his blessing.H7227H5971H6099H1471H935H1245H3068H6635H3389H2470H6440H306823“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: In those days ten men from different nations and languages of the world will clutch at the sleeve of one Jew. And they will say, ‘Please let us walk with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”H559H3068H6635H3117H6235H582H2388H3956H1471H2388H3671H376H3064H559H3212H8085H430
9This is the message from the Lord against the land of Aram and the city of Damascus, for the eyes of humanity, including all the tribes of Israel, are on the Lord.H4853H1697H3068H776H2317H1834H4496H5869H120H7626H3478H3068 2Doom is certain for Hamath, near Damascus, and for the cities of Tyre and Sidon, though they are so clever.H2574H1379H6865H6721H3966H2449 3Tyre has built a strong fortress and has made silver and gold as plentiful as dust in the streets!H6865H1129H4692H6651H3701H6083H2742H2916H2351 4But now the Lord will strip away Tyre’s possessions and hurl its fortifications into the sea, and it will be burned to the ground.H136H3423H5221H2428H3220H398H784 5The city of Ashkelon will see Tyre fall and will be filled with fear. Gaza will shake with terror, as will Ekron, for their hopes will be dashed. Gaza’s king will be killed, and Ashkelon will be deserted.H831H7200H3372H5804H3966H2342H6138H4007H3001H4428H6H5804H831H3427 6Foreigners will occupy the city of Ashdod. I will destroy the pride of the Philistines.H4464H3427H795H3772H1347H6430 7I will grab the bloody meat from their mouths and snatch the detestable sacrifices from their teeth. Then the surviving Philistines will worship our God and become like a clan in Judah. The Philistines of Ekron will join my people, as the ancient Jebusites once did.H5493H1818H6310H8251H8127H7604H430H441H3063H6138H2983 8I will guard my Temple and protect it from invading armies. I am watching closely to ensure that no more foreign oppressors overrun my people’s land.H2583H1004H4675H5674H7725H5065H5674H7200H5869 9Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt.H1523H3966H1323H6726H7321H1323H3389H4428H935H6662H3467H6041H7392H2543H5895H1121H860 10I will remove the battle chariots from Israel and the warhorses from Jerusalem. I will destroy all the weapons used in battle, and your king will bring peace to the nations. His realm will stretch from sea to sea and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.H3772H7393H669H5483H3389H4421H7198H3772H1696H7965H1471H4915H3220H3220H5104H657H776 11Because of the covenant I made with you, sealed with blood, I will free your prisoners from death in a waterless dungeon.H1818H1285H7971H615H953H4325 12Come back to the place of safety, all you prisoners who still have hope! I promise this very day that I will repay two blessings for each of your troubles.H7725H1225H615H8615H3117H5046H7725H4932 13Judah is my bow, and Israel is my arrow. Jerusalem is my sword, and like a warrior, I will brandish it against the Greeks.H1869H3063H4390H7198H669H5782H1121H6726H1121H3120H7760H2719H1368 14The Lord will appear above his people; his arrows will fly like lightning! The Sovereign Lord will sound the ram’s horn and attack like a whirlwind from the southern desert.H3068H7200H2671H3318H1300H136H3069H8628H7782H1980H5591H8486 15The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will protect his people, and they will defeat their enemies by hurling great stones. They will shout in battle as though drunk with wine. They will be filled with blood like a bowl, drenched with blood like the corners of the altar.H3068H6635H1598H398H3533H7050H68H8354H1993H3196H4390H4219H2106H4196 16On that day the Lord their God will rescue his people, just as a shepherd rescues his sheep. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown.H3068H430H3467H3117H6629H5971H68H5145H5264H127 17How wonderful and beautiful they will be! The young men will thrive on abundant grain, and the young women will flourish on new wine.H2898H3308H1715H970H5107H8492H1330
10Ask the Lord for rain in the spring, for he makes the storm clouds. And he will send showers of rain so every field becomes a lush pasture.H7592H3068H4306H6256H4456H3068H6213H2385H5414H1653H4306H376H6212H7704 2Household gods give worthless advice, fortune-tellers predict only lies, and interpreters of dreams pronounce falsehoods that give no comfort. So my people are wandering like lost sheep; they are attacked because they have no shepherd.H8655H1696H205H7080H2372H8267H1696H7723H2472H5162H1892H5265H6629H6031H7462 3“My anger burns against your shepherds, and I will punish these leaders. For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has arrived to look after Judah, his flock. He will make them strong and glorious, like a proud warhorse in battle.H639H2734H7462H6485H6260H3068H6635H6485H5739H1004H3063H7760H1935H5483H4421 4From Judah will come the cornerstone, the tent peg, the bow for battle, and all the rulers.H3318H6438H3489H4421H7198H5065H3162 5They will be like mighty warriors in battle, trampling their enemies in the mud under their feet. Since the Lord is with them as they fight, they will overthrow even the enemy’s horsemen.H1368H947H2916H2351H4421H3898H3068H7392H5483H3001 6“I will strengthen Judah and save Israel; I will restore them because of my compassion. It will be as though I had never rejected them, for I am the Lord their God, who will hear their cries.H1396H1004H3063H3467H1004H3130H3427H7355H834H2186H3068H430H6030 7The people of Israel will become like mighty warriors, and their hearts will be made happy as if by wine. Their children, too, will see it and be glad; their hearts will rejoice in the Lord.H669H1368H3820H8055H3196H1121H7200H8055H3820H1523H3068 8When I whistle to them, they will come running, for I have redeemed them. From the few who are left, they will grow as numerous as they were before.H8319H6908H6299H7235H7235 9Though I have scattered them like seeds among the nations, they will still remember me in distant lands. They and their children will survive and return again to Israel.H2232H5971H2142H4801H2421H1121H7725 10I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will resettle them in Gilead and Lebanon until there is no more room for them all.H7725H776H4714H6908H804H935H776H1568H3844H4672 11They will pass safely through the sea of distress, for the waves of the sea will be held back, and the waters of the Nile will dry up. The pride of Assyria will be crushed, and the rule of Egypt will end.H5674H3220H6869H5221H1530H3220H4688H2975H3001H1347H804H3381H7626H4714H5493 12By my power I will make my people strong, and by my authority they will go wherever they wish. I, the Lord, have spoken!”H1396H3068H1980H8034H5002H3068
Dublin, OH
of heaven who stand before the Lord of all the earth. They are going out to do his work.H4397
