Chapter 1

In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, hath a word of Yehovah been unto Zechariah, son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, the prophet, saying:

`Yehovah was wroth against your fathers -- wrath!

And thou hast said unto them, Thus said Yehovah of Hosts, turn back unto Me, An affirmation of Yehovah of Hosts, And I turn back unto you, said Yehovah of Hosts.

Ye shall not be as your fathers, To whom the former prophets called, saying: Thus said Yehovah of Hosts, Turn back I pray you, From your evil ways and from your evil doings, And they did not hearken, Nor attend to Me -- an affirmation of Yehovah.

Your fathers -- where are they? And the prophets -- to the age do they live?

Only, My words, and My statutes, That I commanded My servants the prophets, Have they not overtaken your fathers, And they turn back and say: As Yehovah of Hosts designed to do to us, According to our ways, and according to our doings, So He hath done to us?`

On the twenty and fourth day of the eleventh month, (it is the month of Sebat,) in the second year of Darius, hath a word of Yehovah been unto Zechariah, son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, the prophet, saying:

I have seen by night, and lo, one riding on a red horse, and he is standing between the myrtles that are in the shade, and behind him are horses, red, bay, and white.

And I say, `What are these, my lord?` And the messenger who is speaking with me saith unto me, `I -- I do shew thee what these are.`

And the one who is standing between the myrtles doth answer and say, `These are they whom Yehovah hath sent to walk up and down in the land.`

And they answer the messenger of Yehovah who is standing between the myrtles, and say, `We have walked up and down in the land, and lo, all the land is sitting still, and at rest.`

And the messenger of Yehovah answereth and saith, `Yehovah of Hosts! till when dost Thou not pity Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, that Thou hast abhorred these seventy years?`

And Yehovah answereth the messenger, who is speaking with me, good words, comfortable words.

And the messenger who is speaking with me, saith unto me, `Call, saying: Thus said Yehovah of Hosts: I have been zealous for Jerusalem, and for Zion with great zeal.

And with great wrath I am wroth against the nations who are at ease, For I was a little wroth, and they assisted -- for evil.

Therefore, thus said Yehovah: I have turned to Jerusalem with mercies, My house is built in it, An affirmation of Yehovah of Hosts, And a line is stretched over Jerusalem.

Again call, saying: Thus said Yehovah of Hosts, Again do my cities overflow from good, And Yehovah hath again comforted Zion, And He hath fixed again on Jerusalem.`

And I lift up mine eyes, and look, and lo, four horns.

And I say unto the messenger who is speaking with me, `What are these?` And he saith unto me, `These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.`

And Yehovah doth shew me four artizans.

And I say, `What are these coming in to do?` And He speaketh, saying: `These are the horns that have scattered Judah, so that no one hath lifted up his head, and these come in to trouble them, to cast down the horns of the nations who are lifting up a horn against the land of Judah -- to scatter it.`