Zechariah 1; Zechariah 2; Zechariah 3; Zechariah 4; Revelation 18

1 A message came to the prophet Zechariah from the Lord. It was the eighth month of the second year that Darius was king of Persia. Zechariah was the son of Berekiah. Berekiah was the son of Iddo. Here is what Zechariah said.

2 The LORD who rules over all was very angry with our people years ago.

3 And now he says to us, "Return to me. Then I will return to you," announces the Lord.

4 "Do not be like your people years ago. The earlier prophets gave them my message. I said, 'Stop doing what is evil. Turn away from your sinful practices.' But they would not listen to me. They would not pay any attention," announces the Lord.

5 "Where are those people now? And what about my prophets? Do they live forever?

6 I commanded my servants the prophets what to say. I told them what I planned to do. But your people refused to obey me. So I had to punish them. "Then they had a change of heart. They said, 'The LORD who rules over all has punished us because of how we have lived. He was fair and right to do that. He has done to us just what he decided to do.' "

7 During the second year that Darius was king, a message came to me from the Lord. It was the 24th day of the 11th month. That's the month of Shebat.

8 I had a vision at night. I saw a man riding a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a valley. Behind him were red, brown and white horses.

9 An angel was talking with me. I asked him, "Sir, what are these?" He answered, "I will show you what they are."

10 Then the man who was standing among the myrtle trees said, "They are the messengers the LORD has sent out. He told them to go all through the earth."

11 They brought a report to the angel of the Lord. He was standing among the myrtle trees. They said to him, "We have gone all through the earth. We've found the whole world enjoying peace and rest."

12 Then the angel of the LORD spoke up. He said, "Lord, you rule over all. How long will you keep from showing your tender love to Jerusalem? How long will you keep it from the towns of Judah? You have been angry with them for 70 years."

13 So the LORD replied with kind and comforting words. He spoke them to the angel who talked with me.

14 Then the angel said, "Announce this message. Say, 'The LORD who rules over all says, "I am very jealous for my people in Jerusalem and Zion.

15 But I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry with my people. But the nations went too far and tried to wipe them out."

16 " 'So the LORD says, "I will return to Jerusalem. I will show its people my tender love. My temple will be rebuilt there. Workers will use a measuring line when they rebuild Jerusalem," announces the Lord.

17 " 'He says, "My towns will be filled with good things once more. I will comfort Zion. And I will choose Jerusalem again." ' "

18 Then I looked up and saw four animal horns.

19 I spoke to the angel who was talking with me. "What are these horns?" I asked. He said, "They are the powerful nations that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem."

20 Then the LORD showed me four skilled workers.

21 I asked, "What are they coming to do?" He answered, "They are the powerful nations that scattered the people of Judah. That made them helpless. But the workers have come to terrify the horns. They will destroy the power of those nations. They had used their power to scatter Judah's people."

1 Then I looked up and saw a man. He was holding a measuring line.

2 "Where are you going?" I asked. "To measure Jerusalem," he answered. "I want to find out how wide and how long it is."

3 Then the angel who was talking with me left. Another angel came over to him.

4 He said to him, "Run! Tell that young man Zechariah, 'Jerusalem will be like a city that does not have any walls around it. It will have huge numbers of people and animals in it.

5 And I myself will be like a wall of fire around it,' announces the Lord. 'I will be the city's glory.' "

6 "Israel, I have scattered you in all four directions," announces the Lord. "Come quickly! Run away from the land of the north," announces the Lord.

7 "Come, people of Zion who are in Babylonia! Escape, you who live in the city of Babylon!"

8 The LORD rules over all. His angel says to Israel, "The LORD has sent me to honor him. He wants me to punish the nations that have robbed you of everything. After all, anyone who hurts you hurts those the LORD loves and guards.

9 So I will raise my powerful hand to strike your enemies down. Their own slaves will rob them of everything. Then you will know that the LORD who rules over all has sent me.

10 " 'People of Zion, shout and be glad! I am coming to live among you,' announces the Lord.

11 'At that time many nations will join themselves to me. And they will become my people. I will live among you.' says the Lord. Then you will know that the LORD who rules over all has sent me to you.

12 "He will receive Judah as his share in the holy land. And he will choose Jerusalem again.

13 "All you people of the world, be still because the LORD is coming. He is getting ready to come down from his holy temple in heaven."

1 Then the LORD showed me the high priest Jeshua. He was standing in front of the angel of the Lord. Satan was standing to the right of Jeshua. He was there to bring charges against the high priest.

2 The LORD said to Satan, "May the LORD correct you! He has chosen Jerusalem. So may he correct you! Isn't this man Jeshua like a burning stick pulled out of the fire?"

3 Jeshua stood in front of the angel. He was wearing clothes that were very dirty.

4 The angel spoke to those who were standing near him. He said, "Take his dirty clothes off." He said to Jeshua, "I have taken your sin away. I will put fine clothes on you."

5 I added, "Put a clean turban on his head." So they did. And they dressed him while the angel of the LORD stood by.

6 Then the angel spoke to Jeshua. He said,

7 "The LORD who rules over all says, 'You must live the way I want you to. And you must do what I want you to do. Then you will rule in my temple. You will be in charge of my courtyards. And I will give you a place among these who are standing here.

8 " 'High priest Jeshua, pay attention! I want you other priests who are sitting with Jeshua to listen also. All of you men are signs of things to come. I am going to bring my servant the Branch.

9 Look at the stone I have put in front of Jeshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone. I will carve a message on it,' says the LORD who rules over all. 'And I will remove the sin of this land in one day.

10 " 'At that time each of you will invite your neighbors to visit you. They will sit under your vines and fig trees,' announces the Lord."

1 Then the angel who was talking with me returned. He woke me up. It was as if I had been asleep.

2 "What do you see?" he asked me. "I see a solid gold lampstand," I answered. "It has a bowl on top of it. There are seven lamps on it. Seven tubes lead to each of them.

3 There are two olive trees by the lampstand. One is on its right side. The other is on its left."

4 I asked the angel who was talking with me, "Sir, what are these?"

5 He answered, "Don't you know what they are?" "No, sir," I replied.

6 So he said to me, "A message came to Zerubbabel from the Lord. He said, 'Your strength will not get my temple rebuilt. Your power will not do it either. Only the power of my Spirit will do it,' says the LORD who rules over all.

7 "So nothing can stop Zerubbabel from completing the temple. Even a mountain of problems will be smoothed out by him. When the temple is finished, he will put its most important stone in place. Then the people will shout, 'God bless it! God bless it!' "

8 A message came to me from the Lord. His angel said,

9 "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple. His hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD who rules over all has sent me to you.

10 "Do not look down on the small amount of work done on the temple so far. People will be filled with joy when they see Zerubbabel holding the most important stone. "The seven eyes on the stone are the eyes of the LORD himself. He looks out over the whole earth."

11 Then I said to the angel, "I see two olive trees. One is on the right side of the lampstand. The other is on the left. What are those trees?"

12 I continued, "I also see two olive branches. They are next to the two gold pipes that pour out golden olive oil. What are those branches?"

13 He answered, "Don't you know what they are?" "No, sir," I said.

14 So he told me, "They are Zerubbabel and Jeshua. The Lord of the whole earth has anointed them to serve him."

1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority. His glory filled the earth with light.

2 With a mighty voice he shouted, "Fallen! Babylon the Great has fallen! She has become a place where demons live. She has become a den for every evil spirit. She has become a nest for every 'unclean' and hated bird.

3 All the nations have drunk the strong wine of her terrible sins. The kings of the earth took part in her evil ways. The traders of the world grew rich from her great wealth."

4 Then I heard another voice from heaven. It said, "Come out of her, my people. Then you will not take part in her sins. You will not suffer from any of her plagues.

5 Her sins are piled up to heaven. God has remembered her crimes.

6 Do to her as she has done to others. Pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double dose of what she has mixed for others.

7 Give her as much pain and suffering as the glory and wealth she gave herself. She brags to herself, 'I rule like a queen. I am not a widow. I will never be sad.'

8 But she will be plagued by death, sadness and hunger. In a single day they will all catch up with her. She will be burned up by fire. The Lord God who judges her is mighty.

9 "The kings of the earth who committed terrible sins with her will sob. They will be sad because they used to share her riches. They will see the smoke rising as she burns.

10 They will be terrified by her suffering. Standing far away, they will exclaim, " 'How terrible! How terrible it is for you, great city! How terrible for you, Babylon, city of power! In just one hour you have been destroyed!'

11 "The traders of the world will cry and be sad over her. No one buys what they sell anymore.

12 Here is what they had for sale. Gold, silver, jewels, pearls. Fine linen, purple, silk, bright red cloth. Every kind of expensive wood. All sorts of articles made out of ivory, valuable wood, bronze, iron and marble.

13 Cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense. Wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat. Cattle, sheep, horses, carriages, human slaves.

14 "The merchants will say, 'The pleasure you longed for has left you. All your riches and glory have disappeared forever.'

15 The traders who sold these things and became rich because of her will stand far away. Her suffering will terrify them. They will cry and be sad.

16 They will cry out, " 'How terrible! How terrible it is for you, great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and bright red! How terrible for you, great city, gleaming with gold, jewels and pearls!

17 In just one hour your great wealth has been destroyed!' "Every sea captain and all who travel by ship will stand far away. So will the sailors and all who earn their living from the sea.

18 They will see the smoke rising as Babylon burns. They will ask, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?'

19 They will throw dust on their heads. They will cry and be sad. They will cry out, " 'How terrible! How terrible it is for you, great city! All who had ships on the sea became rich because of her wealth! In just one hour she has been destroyed!

20 Heaven, be glad for this! God's people, be glad! Apostles and prophets, be glad! God has judged her for the way she treated you.' "

21 Then a mighty angel picked up a huge rock. It was the size of a large millstone. He threw it into the sea. Then he said, "That is how the great city of Babylon will be thrown down. Never again will it be found.

22 The songs of musicians will never be heard in you again. Gone will be the music of harp, flute and trumpet. No worker of any kind will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again.

23 The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voices of brides and grooms will never be heard in you again. Your traders were among the world's most important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led down the wrong path.

24 You were guilty of the murder of prophets and God's people. You were guilty of the blood of all who have been killed on the earth."