Lectionary Calendar
Friday, July 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible
THE MESSAGE
Zechariah 1:9
I said, "Sir, what are these horses doing here? What's the meaning of this?" The Angel-Messenger said, "Let me show you."
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Concordances:
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- InternationalParallel Translations
Christian Standard Bible®
I asked, “What are these, my lord?”
I asked, “What are these, my lord?”
Hebrew Names Version
Then I asked, 'My lord, what are these?'" The angel who talked with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."
Then I asked, 'My lord, what are these?'" The angel who talked with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."
King James Version (1611)
Then said I, O my Lord, what are these? And the Angel that talked with me, said vnto me, I wil shew thee what these be.
Then said I, O my Lord, what are these? And the Angel that talked with me, said vnto me, I wil shew thee what these be.
King James Version
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.
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.
English Standard Version
Then I said, ‘What are these, my lord?' The angel who talked with me said to me, ‘I will show you what they are.'
Then I said, ‘What are these, my lord?' The angel who talked with me said to me, ‘I will show you what they are.'
New American Standard Bible
Then I said, "What are these, my lord?" And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."
Then I said, "What are these, my lord?" And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."
New Century Version
I asked, "What are these, sir?" The angel who was talking with me answered, "I'll show you what they are."
I asked, "What are these, sir?" The angel who was talking with me answered, "I'll show you what they are."
Amplified Bible
Then I said, "O my lord, what are these?" And the angel who was speaking with me said, "I will show you what these are."
Then I said, "O my lord, what are these?" And the angel who was speaking with me said, "I will show you what these are."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then sayd I, O my Lorde, what are these? And the Angel that talked with me, sayde vnto me, I wil shew thee what these be.
Then sayd I, O my Lorde, what are these? And the Angel that talked with me, sayde vnto me, I wil shew thee what these be.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then I said, "My lord, what are these?" And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."
Then I said, "My lord, what are these?" And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."
Legacy Standard Bible
Then I said, "My lord, what are these?" And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."
Then I said, "My lord, what are these?" And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."
Berean Standard Bible
"What are these, my lord?" I asked. And the angel who was speaking with me replied, "I will show you what they are."
"What are these, my lord?" I asked. And the angel who was speaking with me replied, "I will show you what they are."
Contemporary English Version
An angel was there to explain things to me, and I asked, "Sir, who are these riders?" "I'll tell you," the angel answered.
An angel was there to explain things to me, and I asked, "Sir, who are these riders?" "I'll tell you," the angel answered.
Complete Jewish Bible
I asked, "What are these, my Lord?" The angel speaking with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."
I asked, "What are these, my Lord?" The angel speaking with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."
Darby Translation
And I said, My lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these are.
And I said, My lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these are.
Easy-to-Read Version
I said, "Sir, what are these horses for?" Then the angel speaking to me said, "I will show you what these horses are for."
I said, "Sir, what are these horses for?" Then the angel speaking to me said, "I will show you what these horses are for."
George Lamsa Translation
Then I said, O my LORD, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said to me, I will show you what they are.
Then I said, O my LORD, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said to me, I will show you what they are.
Good News Translation
I asked him, "Sir, what do these horses mean?" He answered, "I will show you what they mean.
I asked him, "Sir, what do these horses mean?" He answered, "I will show you what they mean.
Lexham English Bible
And I asked, "What are these, my lord?" And the angel who was talking with me said, "I will show you what these are."
And I asked, "What are these, my lord?" And the angel who was talking with me said, "I will show you what these are."
Literal Translation
Then I said, My lord, what are these? And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, I will show you what these are .
Then I said, My lord, what are these? And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, I will show you what these are .
American Standard Version
Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will show thee what these are.
Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will show thee what these are.
Bible in Basic English
Then I said, O my lord, what are these? And the angel who was talking to me said to me, I will make clear to you what they are.
Then I said, O my lord, what are these? And the angel who was talking to me said to me, I will make clear to you what they are.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then said I: 'O my lord, what are these?' And the angel that spoke with me said unto me: 'I will show thee what these are.'
Then said I: 'O my lord, what are these?' And the angel that spoke with me said unto me: 'I will show thee what these are.'
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then sayde I, O my Lorde, what are these? And the angel that talked with me, sayde vnto me: I will shewe thee what these be.
Then sayde I, O my Lorde, what are these? And the angel that talked with me, sayde vnto me: I will shewe thee what these be.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And I said, What are these, my lord? And the angel spoke with me said to me, I will shew thee what these things are.
And I said, What are these, my lord? And the angel spoke with me said to me, I will shew thee what these things are.
English Revised Version
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.
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.
World English Bible
Then I asked, 'My lord, what are these?'" The angel who talked with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."
Then I asked, 'My lord, what are these?'" The angel who talked with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Y seide, My lord, who ben these? And an aungel of the Lord seide to me, that spak in me, Y schal schewe to thee what these ben.
And Y seide, My lord, who ben these? And an aungel of the Lord seide to me, that spak in me, Y schal schewe to thee what these ben.
Update Bible Version
Then I said, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said to me, I will show you what these are.
Then I said, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said to me, I will show you what these are.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then said I, O my lord, what [are these]? And the angel that talked with me said to me, I will show thee what these [are].
Then said I, O my lord, what [are these]? And the angel that talked with me said to me, I will show thee what these [are].
New English Translation
Then I asked one nearby, "What are these, sir?" The angelic messenger who replied to me said, "I will show you what these are."
Then I asked one nearby, "What are these, sir?" The angelic messenger who replied to me said, "I will show you what these are."
New King James Version
Then I said, "My lord, what are these?" So the angel who talked with me said to me, "I will show you what they are."
Then I said, "My lord, what are these?" So the angel who talked with me said to me, "I will show you what they are."
New Living Translation
I asked the angel who was talking with me, "My lord, what do these horses mean?" "I will show you," the angel replied.
I asked the angel who was talking with me, "My lord, what do these horses mean?" "I will show you," the angel replied.
New Life Bible
I asked, "My lord, what are these?" And the angel who was speaking with me said, "I will show you what these are."
I asked, "My lord, what are these?" And the angel who was speaking with me said, "I will show you what these are."
New Revised Standard
Then I said, "What are these, my lord?" The angel who talked with me said to me, "I will show you what they are."
Then I said, "What are these, my lord?" The angel who talked with me said to me, "I will show you what they are."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said I, What are these, my lord? And the messenger who was speaking with me, said unto me, I, will shew thee what these, are.
Then said I, What are these, my lord? And the messenger who was speaking with me, said unto me, I, will shew thee what these, are.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I said: What are these, my lord? and the angel that spoke in me, said to me: I will shew thee what these are:
And I said: What are these, my lord? and the angel that spoke in me, said to me: I will shew thee what these are:
Revised Standard Version
Then I said, 'What are these, my lord?' The angel who talked with me said to me, 'I will show you what they are.'
Then I said, 'What are these, my lord?' The angel who talked with me said to me, 'I will show you what they are.'
Young's Literal Translation
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 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].'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde I: O my LORDE, what are these? And the angel that talked with me, sayed vnto me: I will shewe the what these be.
Then sayde I: O my LORDE, what are these? And the angel that talked with me, sayed vnto me: I will shewe the what these be.
Contextual Overview
7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month in the second year of the reign of Darius, the Message of God was given to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, son of Iddo: 8 One night I looked out and saw a man astride a red horse. He was in the shadows in a grove of birches. Behind him were more horses—a red, a chestnut, and a white. 9 I said, "Sir, what are these horses doing here? What's the meaning of this?" The Angel-Messenger said, "Let me show you." 10 Then the rider in the birch grove spoke up, "These are the riders that God sent to check things out on earth." 11 They reported their findings to the Angel of God in the birch grove: "We have looked over the whole earth and all is well. Everything's under control." 12 The Angel of God reported back, "O God -of-the-Angel-Armies, how long are you going to stay angry with Jerusalem and the cities of Judah? When are you going to let up? Isn't seventy years long enough?" 13 God reassured the Angel-Messenger—good words, comforting words—who then addressed me: "Tell them this. Tell them that God -of-the-Angel-Armies has spoken. This is God 's Message: ‘I care deeply for Jerusalem and Zion. I feel very possessive of them. But I'm thoroughly angry with the godless nations that act as if they own the whole world. I was only moderately angry earlier, but now they've gone too far. I'm going into action. 16"‘I've come back to Jerusalem, but with compassion this time.' This is God speaking. ‘I'll see to it that my Temple is rebuilt.' A Decree of God -of-the-Angel-Armies! ‘The rebuilding operation is already staked out.' Say it again—a Decree of God -of-the-Angel-Armies: ‘My cities will prosper again, God will comfort Zion again, Jerusalem will be back in my favor again.'"
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
what: Zechariah 1:19, Zechariah 4:4, Zechariah 4:11, Zechariah 6:4, Daniel 7:16, Daniel 8:15, Revelation 7:13, Revelation 7:14
the angel: Zechariah 2:3, Zechariah 4:5, Zechariah 5:5, Zechariah 6:4, Zechariah 6:5, Genesis 31:11, Daniel 8:16, Daniel 9:22, Daniel 9:23, Daniel 10:11-14, Revelation 17:1-7, Revelation 19:9, Revelation 19:10, Revelation 22:8-16
Reciprocal: Daniel 8:13 - one saint Zechariah 1:14 - the angel Zechariah 3:1 - he
Cross-References
Genesis 1:1
First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don't see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.
First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don't see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.
Genesis 1:6
God spoke: "Sky! In the middle of the waters; separate water from water!" God made sky. He separated the water under sky from the water above sky. And there it was: he named sky the Heavens; It was evening, it was morning— Day Two.
God spoke: "Sky! In the middle of the waters; separate water from water!" God made sky. He separated the water under sky from the water above sky. And there it was: he named sky the Heavens; It was evening, it was morning— Day Two.
Genesis 1:9
God spoke: "Separate! Water-beneath-Heaven, gather into one place; Land, appear!" And there it was. God named the land Earth. He named the pooled water Ocean. God saw that it was good.
God spoke: "Separate! Water-beneath-Heaven, gather into one place; Land, appear!" And there it was. God named the land Earth. He named the pooled water Ocean. God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:11
God spoke: "Earth, green up! Grow all varieties of seed-bearing plants, Every sort of fruit-bearing tree." And there it was. Earth produced green seed-bearing plants, all varieties, And fruit-bearing trees of all sorts. God saw that it was good. It was evening, it was morning— Day Three.
God spoke: "Earth, green up! Grow all varieties of seed-bearing plants, Every sort of fruit-bearing tree." And there it was. Earth produced green seed-bearing plants, all varieties, And fruit-bearing trees of all sorts. God saw that it was good. It was evening, it was morning— Day Three.
Genesis 1:29
Then God said, "I've given you every sort of seed-bearing plant on Earth And every kind of fruit-bearing tree, given them to you for food. To all animals and all birds, everything that moves and breathes, I give whatever grows out of the ground for food." And there it was.
Then God said, "I've given you every sort of seed-bearing plant on Earth And every kind of fruit-bearing tree, given them to you for food. To all animals and all birds, everything that moves and breathes, I give whatever grows out of the ground for food." And there it was.
Jonah 1:9
He told them, "I'm a Hebrew. I worship God , the God of heaven who made sea and land."
He told them, "I'm a Hebrew. I worship God , the God of heaven who made sea and land."
2 Peter 3:5
They conveniently forget that long ago all the galaxies and this very planet were brought into existence out of watery chaos by God's word. Then God's word brought the chaos back in a flood that destroyed the world. The current galaxies and earth are fuel for the final fire. God is poised, ready to speak his word again, ready to give the signal for the judgment and destruction of the desecrating skeptics.
They conveniently forget that long ago all the galaxies and this very planet were brought into existence out of watery chaos by God's word. Then God's word brought the chaos back in a flood that destroyed the world. The current galaxies and earth are fuel for the final fire. God is poised, ready to speak his word again, ready to give the signal for the judgment and destruction of the desecrating skeptics.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Then said I, O my Lord,.... These are the words of the Prophet Zechariah to the angel that showed him this vision:
what are these? what is the meaning of this vision? particularly who are meant by the horses, red, speckled, and white, and those upon them?
And the angel that talked with me; who seems to be different from the Angel of the Lord, the man among the myrtle trees, Zechariah 1:8 he was one of the ministering spirits; see
Revelation 17:1:
said unto me, I will show thee what these [be]; that is, give an interpretation of the vision, and point out the persons intended by the horses.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
What are these? - He asks, not who, but what they import.
The angel that talked with me - Literally, âspake in me.â The very rare expression seems meant to convey the thought of an inward speaking, whereby the words should be borne directly into the soul, without the intervention of the ordinary outward organs. God says to Moses, âIf there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, will make Myself known unto him in a vision, I will speak (literally) in him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so - In him will I speak mouth to mouth Numbers 12:6-9;â and Habakkuk says of the like inward teaching, âI will watch to see, what He will speak in meâ . It is the characteristic title of one attendant-angel, who was Godâs expositor of the visions to Zechariah (Zechariah 1:13-14, Zechariah 1:19, (Zechariah 2:2 Hebrew) Zechariah 2:3; (7) Zechariah 4:1, Zechariah 4:4-5; Zechariah 5:5, Zechariah 5:10; Zechariah 6:4). Dionysius: âBy his ministry God showed me things to come, in that that angel formed in the spirit and imaginative power of Zechariah phantasms or images of things which were foreshown him, and gave him to understand what those images signified.â
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Zechariah 1:9. O my lord, what are these — The angel here mentioned was distinct from those mentioned in the eighth verse; he who talked with the prophet, Zechariah 1:13.
