3
"Therefore say to them, 'Thussays the LORD of hosts, "5Return to Me," declares the LORD of hosts, "that I may return to you," says the LORD of hosts.
4
"Do not be 6like your fathers, to whom the 7formerprophetsproclaimed, saying, 'Thussays the LORD of hosts, "8Returnnow from your evilways and from your evildeeds."' But they did 9not listen or giveheed to Me," declares the LORD.
5
"Your 10fathers, where are they? And the 11prophets, do they liveforever?
6
"But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, 12overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, '13As the LORD of hostspurposed to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has dealt with us.' ""'
Patrol of the Earth
7 On the twenty-fourth*day of the eleventh*month, which is the monthShebat, in the secondyear of Darius, the word of the LORDcame to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, as follows:
8
I saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a 14redhorse, and he was standingamong the 15myrtletreeswhich were in the ravine, with red, sorrel and 16whitehorsesbehind him.
9
Then I said, "My 17lord, what are these?" And the 18angel who was speaking with me said to me, "I will show you whatthese are."
10
And the man who was standingamong the myrtletreesanswered and said, "These are those whom the LORD has sent to [a]19patrol the earth."
11
So they answered the angel of the LORD who was 20standingamong the myrtletrees and said, "We have [b]patrolled the earth, and behold, 21all the earth is [c]peaceful and quiet."
12
Then the angel of the LORDsaid, "O LORD of hosts, 22howlong* will You 23havenocompassion for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which You have been24indignantthese25seventyyears?"
13
The LORDanswered the 26angel who was speaking with me with [d]graciouswords, 27comfortingwords.
14
So the angel who was speaking with me said to me, "28Proclaim, saying, 'Thussays the LORD of hosts, "I am 29exceedinglyjealous for Jerusalem and Zion.
15
"But I am very30angry with the nations who are 31at ease; for while I was only a littleangry, they [e]32furthered the disaster."
16
'Thereforethussays the LORD, "I will 33return to Jerusalem with compassion; My 34house will be built in it," declares the LORD of hosts, "and a measuring35line will be stretchedoverJerusalem."'
17
"Again, proclaim, saying, 'Thussays the LORD of hosts, "My 36cities will againoverflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again37comfortZion and again38chooseJerusalem.""'
18
[f]Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, there were fourhorns.
19
So I said to the angel who was speaking with me, "What are these?" And he answered me, "These are the 39hornswhich have scatteredJudah, Israel and Jerusalem."
21
I said, "What are thesecoming to do?" And he said, "These are the 41hornswhich have scatteredJudahso that nomanlifts up his head; but these craftsmen have come to terrify them, to 42throwdown the horns of the nations who have lifted up their hornsagainst the land of Judah in order to scatter it."