1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Zechariah 1 - RWB Paraphrase (21 V) See Chapter at a Glance See Comments Go to top Zechariah's Night Visions 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 Now He is saying, "Return to Me, that I may return to you. 4 "Do not be like your fathers, who were repeatedly asked to turn from their evil ways, but they would not listen. 5 "Where are your fathers now? And where are the prophets? Do they live forever"? 6 "Did not My words and decrees, which I commanded My servants the prophets to say, overtake your forefathers. Then the people repented and said, "The LORD God has done to us what our ways and practices deserved, just as He said He would. .
7 On the twenty fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, 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 during the night I had a vision of a man riding on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees which were in the ravine. Behind him were red, sorrel and white horses.
9 I said, "Lord, what are these. The angel beside me said that he would explain it to me."
10 Then the man standing among the myrtle trees said, "These have been sent by the LORD to patrol the earth.
11 Then they spoke 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 peaceful and quiet.
12 Then the angel of the LORD said, "LORD of hosts, how long will You withhold mercy from Jerusalem and from the cities of Judah, which You have been angry with these seventy years"?
13 The LORD answered gracious and comforting words to the angel who was beside me.
14 So the angel who was beside me said to me, "Proclaim what the LORD of hosts says, 'I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion.'"
15 "And I am very angry with the nations that now feel secure. I was only a little angry at first, but they have added to their calamity."
16 "Therefore, the LORD says, 'I will return to Jerusalem with compassion, and My house will be built in it. And a measuring line will be stretched over Jerusalem."
17 "Proclaim that the LORD of Hosts says, 'Once again My cities will overflow with prosperity. The LORD will once again comfort Zion, and choose Jerusalem."
18 I lifted my eyes and saw four horns.
19 I asked the angel, "What are these?" He said, "These are the horns which scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem."
20 Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.
21 I asked what they were coming to do? He said, "These are the horns which scattered Judah so that no one could raise his head. The craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people."
8 For thus says the LORD of hosts, "After He has honored me, He is sending me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye."
9 "I will surely raise my hand against them so that they will be plundered by their slaves. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me."
10 "Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion, for I am coming to dwell in your midst, " declares the LORD.
11 "Many nations will join themselves to the LORD in that day and become His people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you."
12 "The LORD will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and choose Jerusalem again."
13 "Be still before the LORD, all mankind, because He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling."
3 Joshua was wearing filthy garments as he stood before the angel.
4 The angel said to those standing by, "Remove his filthy clothes." Then he said to Joshua, "See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put clean beautiful garments on you."
5 Then I said, "Put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the LORD stood by.
6 The angel of the LORD admonished Joshua, saying,
7 "The LORD of hosts says, 'If you will walk in My ways and perform My service, then you will also govern My house and have charge of My courts. I will grant you free access among these who are standing here.'."
8 "Joshua, you are the high priest. You and your friends who sit at the front, represent the One I am going to bring who is My servant the Branch."
9 "Behold, I have set a stone before Joshua. It is a stone with seven eyes. I will engrave an inscription on it, and I will remove the iniquity of the land in one day."
10 "In that day each of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and fig tree, " declares the LORD of hosts.
8 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
9 "Zerubbabel has laid the foundation of this house, and he will finish it. By this you will know that the LORD of Hosts has sent me to you."
10 "Who has despised the day of small things? These seven will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. These seven are the eyes of the LORD which range to and for throughout the earth."
11 Then I asked the angel, "What are the two olive trees on either side of the lampstand?"
12 And I asked a second time, "What are the two olive branches beside the golden pipes which empty out their golden oil?"
13 In answer, he said to me, "Don't you know what these are?" I said, "No, my lord."
14 Then he said, "These are the two anointed ones who stand by the LORD of the whole earth."
5 The angel who had spoken with me went out and said, "Look up and see what appears."
6 I looked and asked what it was? He said, "This a measuring basket holding the iniquity of the people throughout the land."
7 There was a lead cover on it that was lifted up so that I could see a woman sitting inside.
8 The angel said, "This is wickedness," and pushing her back into the basket, he closed the heavy lid over her.
9 I looked up and saw two women coming with the wind in their wings. Their wings were large like stork's wings. They came and lifted up the basket between heaven and earth.
10 I asked the angel, "Where are they taking her?"
11 He said, "To build a temple for her in Babylon, where after it has been prepared for her, she will sit on her own pedestal."
4 I asked the angel beside me, "What are these, my lord?"
5 The angel replied, "These are the four spirits of heaven, going out to stand before the LORD of all the earth."
6 "The black horses go to the north country, and the white horses follow after them. The dapple horses go to the south country."
7 "These powerful dapple horses are eager to walk to and for throughout the earth." And He said, "Go, patrol the earth." So they did as He directed.
8 Then He cried out, saying, "See, those going to the north have appeased My wrath in that land."
The Crowning Of Joshua
8 Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah saying,
9 "This is what the LORD of hosts says, 'Administer true justice, showing mercy and compassion to one another.'"
10 "And do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor. Do not devise evil against each other."
11 "But they refused to pay attention, stubbornly turning their backs and closing their ears."
12 "Their hearts were like flint so that they would not hear the law or the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. For this reason great wrath came from the LORD of hosts."
13 "Since they would not listen to Me, when they called to Me, I would not listen," says the LORD.
14 "I scattered them like a wind blowing them among the nations they did not know. And so the pleasant land they left became desolate."
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