In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh ⌊came⌋a to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, son of Iddo, saying, 2 “Yahweh ⌊was very angry with your ancestors⌋.b 3 You must say to them: ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts: “Return to me,” ⌊declares⌋c Yahweh of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says Yahweh of hosts. 4 “Do not be like your ancestors,d to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts: “Return from your evil ways and your evil deeds!” ’ But they did not heare and they did not pay attentionf to me,” ⌊declares⌋g Yahweh. 5 “Your ancestors,h where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? 6 However, did not my words and my regulations which I commanded my servants the prophets overtake your ancestors?i And they repented and said, ‘Yahweh of hosts planned to do with us according to our ways, and according to our deeds so he has dealt with us.’ ” ’ ”

Zechariah’s First Vision

7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh came to Zechariah the prophet, son of Berekiah, son of Iddo, saying, 8 ⌊I had a vision in the night⌋,j and look, a man riding on a red horse. And he was standing between the myrtle shrubs that were in the ravine, and behind him were red, reddish-brown, and white horses. 9 And I asked, “What are these, my lord?” And the angel who was talking with me said, “I will show you what these are.” 10 And the man standing between the myrtle shrubs answered and said, “These are those whom Yahweh has sent to patrolk the earth.” 11 And they answered the angel of Yahweh who was standing between the myrtle shrubs, and they said, “We have patrolledl the earth, and look, all the earth ⌊is dwelling in peace⌋.”m