1In the eighth month of the second year of the reign of Darius, this message from the LORD came to Berechiah's son Zechariah, the grandson of Iddo the prophet:
3So tell them, 'This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "Return to me," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "and I will return to you.
4Don't be like your ancestors, to whom the former prophets proclaimed: 'This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "It's time to turn from your evil lifestyles and from your evil actions," 'but they would neither listen nor pay attention to me,'" declares the LORD.'
6But my words and my statutes that I gave as commands to my servants the prophets—did they not overwhelm your ancestors? And they returned to me: 'The LORD of the Heavenly Armies acted toward us just as he planned to do—in keeping with our lifestyles and in keeping with our actions.'"
7On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month (the month Shebat) in the second year of the reign of Darius, this message from the LORD came to Berechiah's son Zechariah, the grandson of Iddo the prophet:
8"I stared into the night, and there was a man mounted on a red horse! The horse was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him there were red, brown, and white horses."
11Then they reported to the angel of the LORD who stood among the myrtle trees, "We have wandered throughout the earth—and look!—the entire earth is at rest. Everything is quiet and peaceful."
12And the angel of the LORD replied, "LORD of the Heavenly Armies, how long will it be until you show mercy to Jerusalem and to the cities of Judah, with whom you have been angry for these past seventy years?"
14Then the angel who was speaking to me told me, "Announce this: 'This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "I have a deep concern for Jerusalem, a great concern for Zion.
16Therefore this is what the LORD says: "I have returned to Jerusalem with compassionate intentions. My Temple will be rebuilt there," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "and the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem."'"
17"Also announce the following: 'This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "My cities will again overflow with prosperity. The LORD will comfort Zion once more and will choose Jerusalem again."'"
19I asked the angel who was talking to me, "What are those?" So he answered me, "Those are the forces that have dispersed Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem."
21Then I asked, "What have they come to do?" He answered, "Those horns that dispersed Judah—so that no one could lift up his head—those artisans are coming to disrupt the power of nations, tearing them down now that they've come to power and dispersed the land of Judah."
