Zechariah 1:1-13 ▼

1 In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo saying,

2 “The LORD was very angry with your fathers.

3 Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the LORD of armies says: “Return to Me,” declares the LORD of armies, “that I may return to you,” says the LORD of armies.

4 “Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying, ‘This is what the LORD of armies says: “Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.”’ But they did not listen or pay attention to Me,” declares the LORD.

5 “Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?

6 But did My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, not overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, ‘Just as the LORD of armies planned to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has dealt with us.’”’”

7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, that is, the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, as follows:

8 I saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a red horse, and he was standing among the myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, sorrel, and white horses behind him.

9 Then I said, “What are these, my lord?” And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, “I will show you what these are.”

10 And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees responded and said, “These are the ones whom the LORD has sent to patrol the earth.”

11 So they responded to the angel of the LORD who was standing among the myrtle trees and said, “We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth is still and quiet.”

12 Then the angel of the LORD said, “LORD of armies, how long will You take no pity on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which You have been indignant for these seventy years?”

13 And the LORD responded to the angel who was speaking with me with gracious words, comforting words.