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Saturday, July 26th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Brenton's Septuagint

Zechariah 1:3

And thou shalt say to them, Thus saith the Lord Almighty: Turn to me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn to you, saith the Lord of hosts.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Repentance;   Thompson Chain Reference - Penitence-Impenitence;   Repentance;   The Topic Concordance - Turning;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Apocalyptic literature;   Zechariah, book of;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Convert, Conversion;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Zechariah, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Zechariah, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Apocalyptic Literature;   Zechariah, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Turning;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Zechariah, Prophecy of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Joshua (3);   Zechariah, Book of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - James, General Epistle of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So tell the people, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: Return to me—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies—and I will return to you, says the Lord of Armies.
Hebrew Names Version
Therefore tell them: Thus says the LORD of Hosts: 'Return to me,' says the LORD of Hosts, 'and I will return to you,' says the LORD of Hosts.
King James Version (1611)
Therefore say thou vnto them, Thus saith the Lord of hostes; Turne ye vnto me, saith the Lord of hostes, and I will turne vnto you, saith the Lord of hostes.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
Therefore say to them, Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.
New American Standard Bible
"Therefore say to them, 'This is what the LORD of armies says: "Return to Me," declares the LORD of armies, "that I may return to you," says the LORD of armies.
New Century Version
So tell the people: This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: ‘Return to me, and I will return to you,' says the Lord All-Powerful.
Amplified Bible
"Therefore say to the Jews, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts (armies), "Return to Me," declares the LORD of hosts, "and I shall return to you.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Therefore say thou vnto them, Thus sayth the Lord of hostes, Turne ye vnto me, saith the Lord of hostes, and I will turne vnto you, saith the Lord of hostes.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Return to Me," declares the LORD of hosts, "that I may return to you," says the LORD of hosts.
Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, "Return to Me," declares Yahweh of hosts, "that I may return to you," says Yahweh of hosts.
Berean Standard Bible
So tell the people that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: 'Return to Me,' declares the LORD of Hosts, 'and I will return to you,' says the LORD of Hosts.
Complete Jewish Bible
Therefore, tell them that Adonai -Tzva'ot says this: ‘"Return to me," says Adonai -Tzva'ot, "and I will return to you," says Adonai -Tzva'ot.
Darby Translation
And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Return unto me, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I will return unto you, saith Jehovah of hosts.
Easy-to-Read Version
So you must tell the people what the Lord All-Powerful says, "Come back to me, says the Lord All-Powerful, and I will come back to you." This is what the Lord All-Powerful said.
George Lamsa Translation
Therefore say to them, Thus says the LORD of hosts: Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts.
Good News Translation
but now I say to you, ‘Return to me, and I will return to you.
Lexham English Bible
You must say to them: ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts: "Return to me," declares Yahweh of hosts, "and I will return to you," says Yahweh of hosts.
Literal Translation
And you say to them, So says Jehovah of Hosts: Turn back to Me, says Jehovah of Hosts, and I will turn back to you, says Jehovah of Hosts.
American Standard Version
Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Return unto me, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I will return unto you, saith Jehovah of hosts.
Bible in Basic English
And you are to say to them, These are the words of the Lord of armies: Come back to me, says the Lord of armies, and I will come back to you.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts: Return unto Me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And say thou vnto them, thus sayth the Lorde of hoastes: Turne you vnto me saith the Lord of hoastes, & I wil turne vnto you, sayth the Lord of hoastes.
English Revised Version
Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts: Return unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.
World English Bible
Therefore tell them: Thus says Yahweh of Hosts: 'Return to me,' says Yahweh of Hosts, 'and I will return to you,' says Yahweh of Hosts.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thou schalt seie to hem, The Lord of oostis seith these thingis. Be ye conuertid to me, seith the Lord of oostis, and Y schal be conuertid to you, seith the Lord of oostis.
Update Bible Version
Therefore you say to them, Thus says Yahweh of hosts: Return to me, says Yahweh of hosts, and I will return to you, says Yahweh of hosts.
Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore say thou to them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye to me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn to you, saith the LORD of hosts.
New English Translation
Therefore say to the people: The Lord who rules over all says, "Turn to me," says the Lord who rules over all, "and I will turn to you," says the Lord who rules over all.
New King James Version
Therefore say to them, "Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Return to Me," says the LORD of hosts, "and I will return to you," says the LORD of hosts.
New Living Translation
Therefore, say to the people, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven's Armies says: Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Heaven's Armies.'
New Life Bible
So tell them, ‘The Lord of All says, "Return to Me, that I may return to you.
New Revised Standard
Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
therefore shalt thou say unto them, Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, Return ye unto me, urgeth Yahweh of hosts, - that I may return unto you, saith Yahweh of hosts.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And thou shalt say to them: Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Turn ye to me, saith the Lord of hosts: and I will turn to you, saith the Lord of hosts.
Revised Standard Version
Therefore say to them, Thus says the LORD of hosts: Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts.
Young's Literal Translation
And thou hast said unto them, Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, turn back unto Me, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, And I turn back unto you, said Jehovah of Hosts.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And saye thou vnto them: thus saieth the LORDE of hoostes. Turne you vnto me (saieth the LORDE of hoostes) and I wil turne me vnto you, saieth the LORDE of hoostes.

Contextual Overview

1 In the eighth month, in the second year of the reign of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zacharias, the son of Barachias, the son of Addo, the prophet, saying, 2 The Lord has been very angry with your fathers. 3 And thou shalt say to them, Thus saith the Lord Almighty: Turn to me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn to you, saith the Lord of hosts. 4 And be ye not as your fathers, whom the prophets before charged, saying, Thus saith the Lord Almighty: Turn ye from your evil ways, and from your evil practices: but they hearkened not, and attended not to hearken to me, saith the Lord. 5 Where are your fathers, and the prophets? Will they live for ever? 6 But do ye receive my words and mine ordinances, all that I command by my Spirit to my servants the prophets, who lived in the days of your fathers; and they answered and said, As the Lord Almighty determined to do to us, according to our ways, and according to our practices, so has he done to us.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Turn: Deuteronomy 4:30, Deuteronomy 4:31, Deuteronomy 30:2-10, 1 Kings 8:47, 1 Kings 8:48, 2 Chronicles 15:4, 2 Chronicles 30:6-9, Nehemiah 9:28, Isaiah 31:6, Isaiah 55:6, Isaiah 55:7, Jeremiah 3:12-14, Jeremiah 3:22, Jeremiah 4:1, Jeremiah 25:5, Jeremiah 35:15, Lamentations 3:39-41, Ezekiel 33:11, Hosea 6:1, Hosea 14:1, Joel 2:12, Malachi 3:7, Luke 15:18-20, James 4:8-10

and: Jeremiah 12:15, Jeremiah 29:12-14, Jeremiah 31:18-20, Hosea 14:4, Micah 7:19, Micah 7:20, Luke 15:21, Luke 15:22

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 17:13 - all 2 Chronicles 30:7 - like Ezra 5:1 - in the name Job 22:23 - return Proverbs 29:1 - General Isaiah 1:16 - put away Jeremiah 18:11 - return Lamentations 3:40 - turn Ezekiel 18:19 - When Hosea 12:6 - turn Amos 4:6 - yet Zechariah 1:4 - Turn Zechariah 7:7 - cried Malachi 2:2 - ye will not hear Matthew 21:34 - he sent Mark 12:2 - a servant Luke 20:10 - sent

Cross-References

Job 36:30
behold he will stretch his bow against him, and he covers the bottom of the sea.
Job 38:19
And in what kind of a land does the light dwell? and of what kind is the place of darkness?
Psalms 33:6
By the word of the Lord the heavens were established; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
Psalms 33:9
For he spoke, and they were made; he commanded, and they were created.
Psalms 97:11
Light is sprung up for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.
Psalms 104:2
who dost robe thyself with light as with a garment; spreading out the heaven as a curtain.
Psalms 118:27
God is the Lord, and he has shined upon us: celebrate the feast with thick branches, binding the victims even to the horns of the altar.
Psalms 148:5
Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he spoke, and they were made; he commanded, and they were created.
Isaiah 45:7
I am he that prepared light, and formed darkness; who make peace, and create evil; I am the Lord God, that does all these things.
Isaiah 60:19
And thou shalt no more have the sun for a light by day, nor shall the rising of the moon lighten thy night; but the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and God thy glory.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Therefore say thou unto them,.... This is an order from the Lord to Zechariah, to say unto them, in the name of the Lord:

thus saith the Lord of hosts; of the hosts above and below, of angels and of men, of heaven and earth, and all that is therein: this is said, that the greater regard might be had to his words:

turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts; by repentance, and acknowledgment of former sins; by reformation for the future; by attending to the worship and service of God, and seeking to glorify him. So the Targum, "return to my worship": this is not the condition of what follows, but what follows is the motive and encouragement to this:

and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts; to dwell among them, manifest himself unto and protect them. Three times the phrase, "the Lord of hosts", is used in this verse: it may be with respect to the three Persons in the Godhead, Father, Son, and Spirit; who manifest themselves unto, and take up their abode with, such as love the Lord, and keep his commandments; see John 14:21.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Therefore say thou - Literally, “And thou sayest,” that is, this having been so, it follows that thou sayest or must say, “Turn ye unto Me.” In some degree they had turned to God, for whose sake they had returned to their land; and again when, after some negligence Haggai 1:2-11, they renewed the building of the temple, and God had said, “I am with you” Haggai 1:13. But there needed yet a more inward, more complete turning, whereon God promises a yet nearer presence, as Malachi repeats the words Malachi 3:7, and James exhorts, “Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you” James 4:8. Those who have turned to God need ever to turn more into the center of the narrow way. As the soul opens itself more to God, God, whose communication of Himself is ever hindered only by our closing the door of our hearts against Him, enters more into it. “If a man love Me, he will keep My words, and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him” John 14:23.

Osorius: “People are said to be converted, when leaving behind them deceitful goods, they give their whole mind to God, bestowing no less pains and zeal on divine things than before on the nothings of life.”

Conc. Trid. Sess. vi. c. 5: “When it is said in Holy Scripture, “Turn unto Me and I will turn unto you,” we are admonished as to our own freedom; when we answer, “Turn us, Lord, unto Thee, and we shall be turned,” we confess that we are forecome by the grace of God.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Zechariah 1:3. Turn ye unto me — This shows that they had power to return, if they would but use it.

And I will turn unto you — I will show you mercy and grant you salvation, if you will use the grace I have already given you. Men are lost, because they turn not unto God; but no man is lost because he had not power to return. God gives this, and he will require it.


 
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