Third Millennium Bible TMB
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 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,
1
In the eighth month of Darius' second year as king, the LORD spoke his word to the prophet Zechariah, who was the son of Berechiah and the grandson of Iddo. He said,
2 "The LORD hath been sorely displeased with your fathers.
2
"The LORD was very angry with your ancestors.
3 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.
3
Tell the people, 'This is what the LORD of Armies says: Return to me, declares the LORD of Armies, and I will return to you, says the LORD of Armies.'
4 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.
4
Don't be like your ancestors, who heard the earlier prophets preach to them, 'This is what the LORD of Armies says: Turn from your evil ways and your evil deeds.' But they didn't listen or pay attention to me, declares the LORD.
5 Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live for ever?
5
Your ancestors--where are they now? And the prophets--are they still alive?
6 But My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? And they returned and said,`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.'"
6
Didn't my warnings and my laws, which I've commanded my servants the prophets [to preach], finally catch up with your ancestors? Then your ancestors turned away from their sins and said, 'The LORD of Armies has done to us what he had planned to do. He has dealt with us as our ways and deeds deserve.'"
7 Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, 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:
7
On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month (the month of Shebat) in Darius' second year as king, the LORD spoke his word to the prophet Zechariah, who was the son of Berechiah and the grandson of Iddo.
8 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.
8
During that night I saw a man riding on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, chestnut, and white horses.
9 Then said I, "O my lord, what are these?" And the angel that talked with me said unto me, "I will show thee what these be."
9
"What do these horses mean, sir?" I asked. The angel who was speaking with me answered, "I will show you what they mean."
10 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 throughout the earth."
10
The man standing among the myrtle trees explained, "They're the horses the LORD has sent to patrol the earth."
11 And they answered the angel of the LORD who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, "We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth sitteth still and is at rest."
11
Then they reported to the Messenger of the LORD standing among the myrtle trees, "We have patrolled the earth. The whole world is at rest and in peace."
12 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?"
12
Then the Messenger of the LORD said, "LORD of Armies, how much longer until you show compassion to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah? You've been angry with them for 70 years."
13 And the LORD answered the angel who talked with me, with good words and comforting words.
13
The LORD responded to the angel who was speaking with me, using kind and comforting words.
14 So the angel who 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.
14
The angel who was speaking with me said, "Announce: This is what the LORD of Armies says: I'm very jealous about Jerusalem and Zion,
15 And I am very sorely displeased with the heathen who are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.'
15
and I'm very angry with the nations who think they are at ease. I was only a little angry, but they made things worse.
16 Therefore thus saith the LORD: `I have 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.'
16
This is what the LORD of Armies says: I have returned to Jerusalem with compassion. My house will be rebuilt in it, declares the LORD of Armies. A measuring line will be used to rebuild Jerusalem.
17 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.'"
17
"Announce again: This is what the LORD of Armies says: My cities will overflow with prosperity once more. The LORD will again comfort Zion and will again choose Jerusalem."
18 Then I lifted up mine eyes and saw, and behold, four horns.
18
I looked up and saw four animal horns.
19 And I said unto the angel who talked with me, "What are these?" And he answered me, "These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem."
19
So I asked the angel who was speaking with me, "What do these horns mean?" He said to me, "These are the horns [of the nations] that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem."
20 And the LORD showed me four carpenters.
20
Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.
21 Then said I, "What come these to do?" And he spoke, saying, "These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man lifted up his head; but these have come to frighten them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles who lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it."
21
I asked, "What are they going to do?" He answered, "Those horns scattered Judah so widely that no one could lift up his head. But the craftsmen have come to terrify them, to throw down the horns of the nations. The nations raised their horns to scatter the land of Judah."
Third Millennium Bible (TMB), New Authorized Version, Copyright 1998 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc., Gary, SD 57237. All rights reserved.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.