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, 2 The
LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers. 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. 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. 5 Your
fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever? 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 the LORD of hosts 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 the LORD unto Zechariah,
the son of Berechiah, 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, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said
unto me, I will shew thee what these be. 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 through the earth.
11
And 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. 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? 13 And
the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable
words. 14 So
the angel that 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. 15 And
I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but
a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction. 16 Therefore
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. 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. 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, Israel, and Jerusalem. 20 And
the LORD 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, so that no man did lift up his head: but these
are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted
up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.