Zechariah 1:1-6 ▼

1 In 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:

2 |The LORD was very angry with your ancestors.

3 So 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.

4 Don'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.'

5 |Your ancestors—where are they? And the prophets—do they live forever?

6 But 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.'|