1In 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,
2The LORD hath been sorely {sore} displeased with your fathers.
3Therefore, 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.
4Be {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.
5Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?
6But 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, 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. 7Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month 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, 8I 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, sorrel {speckled}, and white. 9Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel who talked with me said unto me, I will show thee what these are {be}. 10And the Man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth. 11And they answered the Angel of the LORD 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. 12Then 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? 13And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comforting {comfortable} words. 14So the angel that talked {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. 15And I am very much {sore} displeased with the nations {heathen} that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction. 16Therefore, thus saith the LORD; I am 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. 17Cry 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. 18Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns. 19And I said unto the angel who talked with me, What are {be} these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. 20And the LORD showed me four artisans {carpenters}. 21Then said I, What come these to do? And he spoke, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head; but these are come to terrify {fray} them, to cast out the horns of the nations {Gentiles}, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it. King James Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2023 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |