In the eighth month
, in the second
year
of Darius
, came the word
of the LORD
unto Zechariah
, the son
of Berechiah
, the son
of Iddo
the prophet
, saying
,
The LORD hath been sore
displeased
with your fathers
.
Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith
the LORD
of hosts
; Turn
ye unto me, saith
the LORD
of hosts
, and I will turn
unto you, saith
the LORD
of hosts
.
Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former
prophets
have cried
, saying
, Thus saith
the LORD
of hosts
; Turn
ye now from your evil
ways
, and from your evil
doings
: but they did not hear
, nor hearken
unto me, saith
the LORD
.
Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets
, do they live
for ever
?
But my words and my statutes
, which I commanded
my servants
the prophets
, did they not take hold
of your fathers
? and they returned
and said
, Like as the LORD
of hosts
thought
to do
unto us, according to our ways
, and according to our doings
, so hath he dealt
with us.
Upon the four and twentieth
day
of the eleventh
month
, which is the month
Sebat
, in the second
year
of Darius
, came the word
of the LORD
unto Zechariah
, the son
of Berechiah
, the son
of Iddo
the prophet
, saying
,
I saw by night
, and behold a man
riding
upon a red
horse
, and he stood
among the myrtle trees
that were in the bottom
; and behind
him were there red
horses
, speckled
, and white
.
Then said I, O my lord
, what are these? And the angel
that talked
with me said
unto me, I will shew
thee what these be .
And the man that stood
among the myrtle trees
answered
and said
, These are they whom the LORD
hath sent
to walk
to and fro through the earth
.
And they answered the angel
of the LORD
that stood
among the myrtle trees
, and said
, We have walked to and fro
through the earth
, and, behold, all the earth
sitteth still
, and is at rest
.
Then the angel of the LORD
answered
and said
, O LORD
of hosts
, how long wilt thou not have mercy
on Jerusalem
and on the cities
of Judah
, against which thou hast had indignation
these threescore and ten
years
?
And the LORD answered
the angel
that talked
with me with good
words
and comfortable
words
.
So the angel that communed
with me said
unto me, Cry
thou, saying
, Thus saith
the LORD
of hosts
; I am jealous
for Jerusalem
and for Zion
with a great
jealousy
.
And I am very sore
displeased
with the heathen
that are at ease
: for I was but a little
displeased
, and they helped
forward the affliction
.
Therefore thus saith the LORD
; I am returned
to Jerusalem
with mercies
: my house
shall be built
in it, saith
the LORD
of hosts
, and a line
shall be stretched forth
upon Jerusalem
.
Cry yet, saying
, Thus saith
the LORD
of hosts
; My cities
through prosperity
shall yet be spread abroad
; and the LORD
shall yet comfort
Zion
, and shall yet choose
Jerusalem
.
Then lifted I up mine eyes
, and saw
, and behold four
horns
.
And I said unto the angel
that talked
with me, What be these? And he answered
me, These are the horns
which have scattered
Judah
, Israel
, and Jerusalem
.
And the LORD shewed
me four
carpenters
.
Then said I, What come
these to do
? And he spake
, saying
, These are the horns
which have scattered
Judah
, so that
no man
did lift up
his head
: but these are come
to fray
them, to cast out
the horns
of the Gentiles
, which lifted up
their horn
over the land
of Judah
to scatter
it.