1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of יהוה unto N65Zechariah (Zekharyah), the son of Berekhyah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
2 “יהוה hath been sore displeased with your fathers.
3 Therefore say you unto them, ‘Thus saith יהוה of hosts (YHWH Tsevaot): ‘Return you unto Me,’ saith יהוה of hosts (YHWH Tsevaot), ‘and I will return unto you,’ saith יהוה of hosts (YHWH Tsevaot).
4 Be you not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, ‘Thus saith יהוה of hosts (YHWH Tsevaot): “Turn you now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings.”’ But they did not hear, nor hearken unto Me,” saith יהוה.
5 “Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?
6 But My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers?” “And they returned and said: ‘Like as יהוה of hosts (YHWH Tsevaot) thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath He dealt with us.’”’”
7 Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of יהוה unto Zechariah (Zekharyah), the son of Berekhyah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying:
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.”
9 Then said I, “O my lord (adoni), what are these?” And the angel that talked with me said unto me, “I will shew you what these be.”
10 And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, “These are they whom יהוה hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.”
11 And they answered the angel of יהוה that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, “We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.”
12 Then the angel of יהוה answered and said, “O יהוה of hosts (YHWH Tsevaot), how long wilt you not have mercy on Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) and on the cities of Judah (Yehudah), against which you have had indignation these threescore and ten years?”
13 And יהוה answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.
14 So the angel that communed with me said unto me, “Proclaim you, saying, ‘Thus saith יהוה of hosts (YHWH Tsevaot): “I am zealous for Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) and for Zion (Tsiyon) with a great zeal.
15 And I am very sore displeased with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.”
16 Therefore thus saith יהוה: “I am returned to Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) with mercies; My house shall be built in it,” saith יהוה of hosts (YHWH Tsevaot), “and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem (Yerushalayim).”’
17 “Proclaim yet, saying, ‘Thus saith יהוה of hosts (YHWH Tsevaot): “My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and יהוה shall yet comfort Zion (Tsiyon), and shall yet choose Jerusalem (Yerushalayim).”’”
18 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.
19 And I said unto the angel that talked with me, “What be these?” And he answered me, “These are the horns which have scattered Judah (Yehu-dah), Yisrael, and Jerusalem (Yerushalayim).”
20 And יהוה shewed me four carpenters.
21 Then said I, “What come these to do?” And he spake, saying, “These are the horns which have scattered Judah (Yehudah), so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles (Goyim), which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah (Yehudah) to scatter it.”