1In November of the second year of King Darius’s reign, the Lord gave this message to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah and grandson of Iddo.H8066H2320H8147H8141H1867H1697H3068H2148H1121H1296H1121H5714H5030H5592“I, the Lord, was very angry with your ancestors.H3068H7110H7107H13Therefore, say to the people, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.’H559H559H3068H6635H7725H5002H3068H6635H7725H559H3068H66354Don’t be like your ancestors who would not listen or pay attention when the earlier prophets said to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Turn from your evil ways, and stop all your evil practices.’H1H7223H5030H7121H559H559H3068H6635H7725H7451H1870H7451H4611H8085H7181H5002H30685“Where are your ancestors now? They and the prophets are long dead.H1H5030H2421H57696But everything I said through my servants the prophets happened to your ancestors, just as I said. As a result, they repented and said, ‘We have received what we deserved from the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. He has done what he said he would do.’”H1697H2706H6680H5650H5030H5381H1H7725H559H3068H6635H2161H6213H1870H4611H6213
A Man among the Myrtle Trees
7Three months later, on February 15, the Lord sent another message to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah and grandson of Iddo.H702H6242H3117H6249H6240H2320H2320H7627H8147H8141H1867H1697H3068H2148H1121H1296H1121H5714H5030H5598In a vision during the night, I saw a man sitting on a red horse that was standing among some myrtle trees in a small valley. Behind him were riders on red, brown, and white horses.H7200H3915H376H7392H122H5483H5975H1918H4699H310H122H5483H8320H38369I asked the angel who was talking with me, “My lord, what do these horses mean?” “I will show you,” the angel replied.H559H113H4397H1696H559H720010The rider standing among the myrtle trees then explained, “They are the ones the Lord has sent out to patrol the earth.”H376H5975H1918H6030H559H3068H7971H1980H77611Then the other riders reported to the angel of the Lord, who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have been patrolling the earth, and the whole earth is at peace.”H6030H4397H3068H5975H1918H559H1980H776H776H3427H825212Upon hearing this, the angel of the Lord prayed this prayer: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, for seventy years now you have been angry with Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. How long until you again show mercy to them?”H4397H3068H6030H559H3068H6635H7355H3389H5892H3063H2194H7657H814113And the Lord spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who talked with me.H3068H6030H4397H1696H2896H1697H5150H169714Then the angel said to me, “Shout this message for all to hear: ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: My love for Jerusalem and Mount Zion is passionate and strong.H4397H1696H559H7121H559H559H3068H6635H7065H3389H6726H1419H706815But I am very angry with the other nations that are now enjoying peace and security. I was only a little angry with my people, but the nations inflicted harm on them far beyond my intentions.H1419H7110H7107H1471H7600H4592H7107H5826H745116“‘Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I have returned to show mercy to Jerusalem. My Temple will be rebuilt, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, and measurements will be taken for the reconstruction of Jerusalem.’H559H3068H7725H3389H7356H1004H1129H5002H3068H6635H6957H6961H5186H338917“Say this also: ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: The towns of Israel will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem as his own.’”H7121H559H559H3068H6635H5892H2896H6327H3068H5162H6726H977H3389
Four Horns and Four Blacksmiths
18Then I looked up and saw four animal horns.H5375H5869H7200H702H716119“What are these?” I asked the angel who was talking with me. He replied, “These horns represent the nations that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”H559H4397H1696H559H7161H2219H3063H3478H338920Then the Lord showed me four blacksmiths.H3068H7200H702H279621“What are these men coming to do?” I asked. The angel replied, “These four horns—these nations—scattered and humbled Judah. Now these blacksmiths have come to terrify those nations and throw them down and destroy them.”H559H935H6213H559H559H7161H2219H3063H6310H376H5375H7218H935H2729H3034H7161H1471H5375H7161H776H3063H2219