| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 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: | 1In the eighth month of Darius' second year, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah, son of Berechiah son of Iddo, as follows: |
| 2"The LORD was very angry with your ancestors. | 2The LORD was very angry with your ancestors. |
| 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. | 3Therefore say to the people: The LORD who rules over all says, "Turn to me," says the LORD who rules over all, "and I will turn to you," says the LORD who rules over all. |
| 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.' | 4"Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the former prophets called out, saying, 'The LORD who rules over all says, "Turn now from your evil wickedness,"' but they would by no means obey me," says the LORD. |
| 5"Your ancestors—where are they? And the prophets—do they live forever? | 5"As for your ancestors, where are they? And did the prophets live forever? |
| 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.'" | 6But have my words and statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, not outlived your fathers? Then they paid attention and confessed, 'The LORD who rules over all has indeed done what he said he would do to us, because of our sinful ways.'" |
| 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: | 7On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month Shebat, in Darius' second year, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah son of Iddo, as follows: |
| 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." | 8I was attentive that night and saw a man seated on a red horse that stood among some myrtle trees in the ravine. Behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses. |
| 9Then I asked, "Who are these, sir?" The messenger who was talking to me answered, "I will tell you who these are." | 9Then I asked one nearby, "What are these, sir?" The angelic messenger who replied to me said, "I will show you what these are." |
| 10The man who stood among the myrtle trees answered, "These are the ones whom the LORD sent out to wander throughout the earth." | 10Then the man standing among the myrtle trees spoke up and said, "These are the ones whom the LORD has sent to walk about on the earth." |
| 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." | 11The riders then agreed with the angel of the LORD, who was standing among the myrtle trees, "We have been walking about on the earth, and now everything is at rest and quiet." |
| 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?" | 12The angel of the LORD then asked, "LORD who rules over all, how long before you have compassion on Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah which you have been so angry with for these seventy years?" |
| 13So the LORD answered the angel who was speaking to me with kind and comforting words. | 13The LORD then addressed good, comforting words to the angelic messenger who was speaking to me. |
| 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. | 14Turning to me, the messenger then said, "Cry out that the LORD who rules over all says, 'I am very much moved for Jerusalem and for Zion. |
| 15I am deeply angry with the nations who are complacent, with whom I was only a little displeased—but they made things worse!" | 15But I am greatly displeased with the nations that take my grace for granted. I was a little displeased with them, but they have only made things worse for themselves. |
| 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."'" | 16"'Therefore,' says the LORD, 'I have become compassionate toward Jerusalem and will rebuild my temple in it,' says the LORD who rules over all. 'Once more a surveyor's 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."'" | 17Speak up again with the message of the LORD who rules over all: 'My cities will once more overflow with prosperity, and once more the LORD will comfort Zion and validate his choice of Jerusalem.'" |
| 18 Then I looked up and saw four horns. | 18Once again I looked and this time I saw four horns. |
| 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." | 19So I asked the angelic messenger who spoke with me, "What are these?" He replied, "These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem." |
| 20Then the LORD showed me four artisans. | 20Next the LORD showed me four blacksmiths. |
| 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." | 21I asked, "What are these going to do?" He answered, "These horns are the ones that have scattered Judah so that there is no one to be seen. But the blacksmiths have come to terrify Judah's enemies and cut off the horns of the nations that have thrust themselves against the land of Judah in order to scatter its people." |
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