Zechariah 6–9

Zechariah’s Eighth Vision

6I looked up again,^a and I saw, and look!—four chariots coming out from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. ²With the first chariot there were red horses, and with the second chariot there were black horses. ³And with the third chariot there were white horses, and with the fourth chariot there were strong^b dappled horses. ⁴And I answered and said to the angel that was talking to me, “What are these, my lord?” ⁵And the angel answered and said to me, “These are the four winds^c of the heavens going out after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth. ⁶The one with^d the black horses is going out to the north country, and the white horses go after them,^e while the dappled ones go to the south country.” ⁷When the strong horses went out, they were anxious to go to patrol the earth. And he^f said, “Go, patrol the earth.” And they patrolled the earth. ⁸And he cried out to me and said to me, “See those going out to the north country have set my spirit at rest in the north country.”

The Branch is Crowned

⁹And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, ¹⁰“Collect^g from the exiles—from Heldai, Tobijah, and from Jedaiah, all of whom came from Babylon—and go on that day, go to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. ¹¹Take the silver and gold and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. ¹²And say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts: “Look, here is a man whose name is Branch,^h and from his place he will sprout, and he will build the temple of Yahweh. ¹³And he will build the temple of Yahweh, and he will bear majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two of them.” ’^{i 14}And the crown will be for Helem,^j for Tobijah, for Jedaiah, and for Hen^k son of Zephaniah, as a memorial in the temple of Yahweh. ¹⁵And those who are far off will come and build the temple of Yahweh, and you will know that Yahweh of hosts has sent me to you. And it will happen if you will listen diligently to the voice of Yahweh your God.”

7And then,^a in the fourth year of King Darius, the word of Yahweh came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Kislev. ²And the people of Bethel sent Sharezer and Regem-Melech, and their^b men, to entreat the favor^c of Yahweh, ³saying to the priests of the house of Yahweh of hosts^d and to the prophets, “Should I mourn in the fifth month and keep myself separate^e as I have done for these many years?” ⁴And the word of Yahweh of hosts came to me, saying, ⁵“Say to all the people of the land and to the priests: ‘When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and seventh months for these seventy years, did you really fast for me? ⁶And when you eat and drink, are you not eating and drinking for yourselves? ⁷Are not these the words that Yahweh proclaimed through^f the former prophets, when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns^g were inhabited and at ease, and the Negev^h and the Shephelahⁱ were inhabited?’ ”

⁸And the word of Yahweh came to Zechariah, saying, ⁹“Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Judge with trustworthy justice, and show^j steadfast love and compassion to one another.^{k 10}You must not oppress the widow, the orphan, the foreigner, and the needy. You must not devise evil in your heart against one another.’^{l 11}But they refused to listen, and turned^m a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from listening.^{n 12}They made their hearts adamant^o in order not to hear the law^p and the words that Yahweh of hosts had sent by his spirit through^q the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from Yahweh of hosts. ¹³‘Thus, just as I^r called and they would not hear, so they will call and I will not hear,’ says Yahweh of hosts. ¹⁴‘And I scattered them with a wind among all the nations that they had not known; the land was made desolate behind them— no one crossing through it or returning—and they made the desirable land^s a desolation.’ ”

Yahweh’s Promise to Jerusalem

8And the word of Yahweh of hosts came, saying, ²“Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘I am exceedingly jealous for Zion;^a I am jealous for it with great wrath.’ ³Thus says Yahweh: ‘I have returned to Zion, and I will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem will be called the faithful city,^b and the mountain of Yahweh of hosts will be called the holy mountain.’ ⁴Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit in the public squares of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand^c because of great age.^{d 5}And the public squares of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its public squares.’ ⁶Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Even if it seems impossible^e to the remnant^f of this people in those days, should it also seem impossible^g to me?’^h declaresⁱ Yahweh of hosts. ⁷Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Look! I am going to save my people from the land of the east, and from the land of the west, ⁸and I will bring them and they will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They will be my people and I will be their God in faithfulness^j and in righteousness.’

⁹“Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Let your hands be strong, you^k who are hearing in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day the foundation was laid for the rebuilding of the temple, the house of Yahweh of hosts.^{l 10}For before those days there was no wage for people or for animals, and there was no safety from the enemy for those who went out or those who came in, and I sent each person against one another.^{m 11}But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ⁿ declares^o Yahweh of hosts. ¹²‘For there will be a sowing of peace; the vine will give its fruit, and the soil will give its produce, and the heavens will give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things. ¹³And then,^p just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you will be a blessing. You must not be afraid; let your hands be strong!’ ”

¹⁴For thus says Yahweh of hosts: “Just as I planned to bring disaster^q on you when your ancestors^r provoked me to anger,” says Yahweh of hosts, “and I did not regret it, ¹⁵so again I have planned^s in these days to do good to Jerusalem and the house of Judah. Do not be afraid! ¹⁶These are the things that you must do: speak truth, each of you, with his neighbor; practice trustworthy judgment and peace in your gates. ¹⁷Do not devise evil in your hearts against your neighbor, and do not love a false oath,^t because all these are things I hate,” declares^u Yahweh.

¹⁸And the word of Yahweh of hosts came to me, saying ¹⁹“Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘The fast of the fourth month, the fifth month, the seventh month, and the tenth month will be for the house of Judah jubilation and joy and merry festivals; therefore love truth and peace.’ ²⁰Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘It will happen again that nations and the inhabitants of many cities will come. ²¹And the inhabitants of one city will go to another city, saying, “Let us go immediately to entreat the favor of^v Yahweh, to seek Yahweh of hosts—I also will go!” ²²And many peoples and powerful^w nations will come to seek Yahweh of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of^x Yahweh.’ ²³Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from the nations of every language^y will take hold of the hem of a Judean man,^z saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you!” ’ ”

9An oracle. The word of Yahweh is against the land of Hadrach,

and Damascus is its resting place.

For to Yahweh belongs the eye of humankind,^a

and all the tribes of Israel,

²and also Hamath, which borders on it;

Tyre and Sidon—yes, they are very wise!^b

³Tyre has built a fortification for itself,^c

and it heaped up silver like dust,

and gold like the mud of the streets.

⁴Look! The Lord will drive it^d out

and will hurl its^e outer ramparts into the sea,

and it^f will be consumed by fire.

⁵Ashkelon will see and will be afraid,

and Gaza will writhe exceedingly,

and Ekron also, because its hope is ruined.^g

And the king from Gaza will perish,

and Ashkelon will not be inhabited.

⁶A mongrel people^h will dwell in Ashdod,

and I will cut down the pride of the Philistines.

⁷I will remove itsⁱ blood from its^j mouth,

and its^k abominations from between its^l teeth.

And it^m too will be a remnant for our God;

and itⁿ will be like a tribal chief^o in Judah,

and Ekron will be like the Jebusite.

⁸But I will encamp at my temple^p like a guard,

against those crossing through and returning;

no oppressor will cross through them again,

for now I have seen with my own eyes.

⁹Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Look! Your king comes to you;

he is righteous and victorious,

humble and riding on a donkey,

and on a male donkey, the foal of^q a female donkey!

¹⁰And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim,

and the horse from Jerusalem;

the battle bow will be cut down,

and he will announce peace to the nations.

His dominion will be from sea to sea,

and from the River^r to the ends of the earth.

¹¹As for you also, because of the blood of your covenant,

I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit.^s

¹²Return to the fortress,

O prisoners of hope;

today I am declaring that I will repay you double.

¹³For I have bent Judah as my bow;

I have set Ephraim as an arrow.

I will set in motion your sons, O Zion,

against your sons, O Javan.^t

I will wield you like the sword of a warrior.

¹⁴Then Yahweh will appear over them,

and his arrow will go forth like lightning;

and my Lord Yahweh will blow the trumpet,

and he shall go out in the storm winds of the south.

¹⁵Yahweh of hosts will defend them,

and they will devour and subdue the slingstones;^u

they will drink, they will make noise^v like wine,

and they will be full like the sacrificial basin,^w

drenched like the corners of an altar.

¹⁶And Yahweh their God will save…