A Call to Repentance
(Jeremiah 3:11–25; Hosea 14:1–3)

1In the eight moneth of the second yeere of Darius, came the worde of the Lorde vnto Zechariah the sonne of Berechiah, the sonne of Iddo, the Prophet, saying, 2The Lord hath bene sore displeased with your fathers. 3Therefore say thou vnto them, Thus sayth the Lord of hostes, Turne ye vnto me, saith the Lord of hostes, and I will turne vnto you, saith the Lord of hostes. 4Be ye not as your fathers, vnto whome the former prophets haue cried, saying, Thus sayth the Lord of hostes, Turne you nowe from your euill wayes, and from your wicked workes: but they would not heare, nor hearken vnto me, saith the Lorde. 5your fathers, where are they? and doe the Prophets liue for euer? 6But did not my wordes and my statutes, which I commanded by my seruants ye Prophets, take holde of your fathers? and they returned, and sayd, As the Lord of hostes hath determined to doe vnto vs, according to our owne wayes, and according to our workes, so hath hee dealt with vs.

The Vision of the Horses

7Vpon the foure and twentieth day of the eleuenth moneth, which is the moneth Shebat, in the second yeere of Darius, came the worde of the Lord vnto Zechariah the sonne of Berechiah, the sonne of Iddo the Prophet, saying, 8I saw by night, and behold a man riding vpon a red horse, and hee stood among the mirre trees, that were in a bottome, and behinde him were there red horses speckeled and white. 9Then sayd I, O my Lorde, what are these? And the Angel that talked with me, sayde vnto me, I wil shew thee what these be. 10And the man that stood among the mirre trees, answered, and sayd, These are they whome the Lord hath sent to go through the world. 11And they answered the Angel of the Lord, that stood among the mirre trees, and sayd, We haue gone thorowe the world: and beholde, all the world sitteth still, and is at rest.

12Then the Angel of the Lorde answered and sayd, O Lord of hostes, howe long wilt thou be vnmercifull to Ierusalem, and to the cities of Iudah, with whom thou hast bene displeased now these threescore and ten yeeres? 13And the Lorde answered the Angel that talked with me, with good wordes and comfortable wordes. 14So the Angel that communed with me, said vnto me, Crie thou, and speake, Thus saith the Lorde of hostes, I am ielous ouer Ierusalem and Zion with a great zeale, 15And am greatly angrie against the carelesse heathen: for I was angrie but a litle, and they helped forward the affliction. 16Therefore thus saith the Lord, I wil returne vnto Ierusalem with tender mercie: mine house shall be builded in it, saith the Lord of hostes, and a line shall be stretched vpon Ierusalem. 17Cry yet, and speake, Thus saith the Lord of hostes, My cities shall yet be broken with plentie: the Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet chuse Ierusalem.

The Vision of the Horns and the Craftsmen

18Then lift I vp mine eyes and sawe, and beholde, foure hornes. 19And I said vnto the Angel that talked with me, What be these? And hee answered me, These are the hornes which haue scattered Iudah, Israel, and Ierusalem. 20And the Lord shewed me foure carpenters. 21Then said I, What come these to doe? And he answered, and said, These are the hornes, which haue scattered Iudah, so that a man durst not lift vp his head: but these are come to fray them, and to cast out the hornes of the Gentiles, which lift vp their horne ouer the land of Iudah, to scatter it.