| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying, | 1In the eighth month of Darius' second year, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah, son of Berechiah son of Iddo, as follows: |
| 2“The LORD was very angry with your fathers. | 2The LORD was very angry with your ancestors. |
| 3Therefore say to them, Thus declares the LORD of hosts: Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. | 3Therefore say to the people: The LORD who rules over all says, "Turn to me," says the LORD who rules over all, "and I will turn to you," says the LORD who rules over all. |
| 4Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the LORD. | 4"Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the former prophets called out, saying, 'The LORD who rules over all says, "Turn now from your evil wickedness,"' but they would by no means obey me," says the LORD. |
| 5Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? | 5"As for your ancestors, where are they? And did the prophets live forever? |
| 6But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? So they repented and said, ‘As the LORD of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so has he dealt with us.’” | 6But have my words and statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, not outlived your fathers? Then they paid attention and confessed, 'The LORD who rules over all has indeed done what he said he would do to us, because of our sinful ways.'" |
| 7On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying, | 7On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month Shebat, in Darius' second year, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah son of Iddo, as follows: |
| 8“I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses. | 8I was attentive that night and saw a man seated on a red horse that stood among some myrtle trees in the ravine. Behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses. |
| 9Then I said, ‘What are these, my lord?’ The angel who talked with me said to me, ‘I will show you what they are.’ | 9Then I asked one nearby, "What are these, sir?" The angelic messenger who replied to me said, "I will show you what these are." |
| 10So the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, ‘These are they whom the LORD has sent to patrol the earth.’ | 10Then the man standing among the myrtle trees spoke up and said, "These are the ones whom the LORD has sent to walk about on the earth." |
| 11And they answered the angel of the LORD who was standing among the myrtle trees, and said, ‘We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth remains at rest.’ | 11The riders then agreed with the angel of the LORD, who was standing among the myrtle trees, "We have been walking about on the earth, and now everything is at rest and quiet." |
| 12Then the angel of the LORD said, ‘O LORD of hosts, how long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which you have been angry these seventy years?’ | 12The angel of the LORD then asked, "LORD who rules over all, how long before you have compassion on Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah which you have been so angry with for these seventy years?" |
| 13And the LORD answered gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me. | 13The LORD then addressed good, comforting words to the angelic messenger who was speaking to me. |
| 14So the angel who talked with me said to me, ‘Cry out, Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion. | 14Turning to me, the messenger then said, "Cry out that the LORD who rules over all says, 'I am very much moved for Jerusalem and for Zion. |
| 15And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little, they furthered the disaster. | 15But I am greatly displeased with the nations that take my grace for granted. I was a little displeased with them, but they have only made things worse for themselves. |
| 16Therefore, thus says the LORD, I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it, declares the LORD of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. | 16"'Therefore,' says the LORD, 'I have become compassionate toward Jerusalem and will rebuild my temple in it,' says the LORD who rules over all. 'Once more a surveyor's measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.' |
| 17Cry out again, Thus says the LORD of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.’” | 17Speak up again with the message of the LORD who rules over all: 'My cities will once more overflow with prosperity, and once more the LORD will comfort Zion and validate his choice of Jerusalem.'" |
| 18And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four horns! | 18Once again I looked and this time I saw four horns. |
| 19And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these?” And he said to me, “These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” | 19So I asked the angelic messenger who spoke with me, "What are these?" He replied, "These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem." |
| 20Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen. | 20Next the LORD showed me four blacksmiths. |
| 21And I said, “What are these coming to do?” He said, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no one raised his head. And these have come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter it.” | 21I asked, "What are these going to do?" He answered, "These horns are the ones that have scattered Judah so that there is no one to be seen. But the blacksmiths have come to terrify Judah's enemies and cut off the horns of the nations that have thrust themselves against the land of Judah in order to scatter its people." |
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