Study Desk

In the eighth month of the second year of ^(a)Darius, the word of the Lord came to ^(b)Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of ^(c)Iddo saying,

"The Lord was very ^(d)angry with your fathers.

Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, "^(e)Return to Me," declares the Lord of hosts, "that I may return to you," says the Lord of hosts.

"Do not be ^(f)like your fathers, to whom the ^(g)former prophets proclaimed, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, "^(h)Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds."' But they did ⁽ⁱ⁾not listen or give heed to Me," declares the Lord .

"Your ^(j)fathers, where are they? And the ^(k)prophets, do they live forever?

But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, ^(l)overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, ‘^(m)As the Lord of hosts purposed to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has dealt with us.'"'"

On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, as follows:

I saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a ⁽ⁿ⁾red horse, and he was standing among the ^(o)myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, sorrel and ^(p)white horses behind him.

Then I said, "My ^(q)lord, what are these?" And the ^(r)angel who was speaking with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."

And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered and said, "These are those whom the Lord has sent to ^[a](s)patrol the earth."

So they answered the angel of the Lord who was ^(t)standing among the myrtle trees and said, "We have ^[b]patrolled the earth, and behold, ^(u)all the earth is ^[c]peaceful and quiet."

Then the angel of the Lord said, "O Lord of hosts, ^(v)how long will You ^(w)have no compassion for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which You have been ^(x)indignant these ^(y)seventy years?"

The Lord answered the ^(z)angel who was speaking with me with ^[d]gracious words, ^(aa)comforting words.

So the angel who was speaking with me said to me, "^(ab)Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, "I am ^(ac)exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion.

But I am very ^(ad)angry with the nations who are ^(ae)at ease; for while I was only a little angry, they ^[e](af)furthered the disaster."

Therefore thus says the Lord , "I will ^(ag)return to Jerusalem with compassion; My ^(ah)house will be built in it," declares the Lord of hosts, "and a measuring ^(ai)line will be stretched over Jerusalem."'

Again, proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, "My ^(aj)cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again ^(ak)comfort Zion and again ^(al)choose Jerusalem."'"

^[f]Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, there were four horns.

So I said to the angel who was speaking with me, "What are these?" And he answered me, "These are the ^(am)horns which have scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem."

Then the Lord showed me four ^(an)craftsmen.

I said, "What are these coming to do?" And he said, "These are the ^(ao)horns which have scattered Judah so that no man lifts up his head; but these craftsmen have come to terrify them, to ^(ap)throw down the horns of the nations who have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah in order to scatter it."

^[a]Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man with a ^(a)measuring line in his hand.

So I said, "Where are you going?" And he said to me, "To ^(b)measure Jerusalem, to see how wide it is and how long it is."

And behold, the ^(c)angel who was speaking with me was going out, and another angel was coming out to meet him,

and said to him, "Run, speak to that ^(d)young man, saying, ‘^(e)Jerusalem will be inhabited ^[b](f)without walls because of the ^(g)multitude of men and cattle within it.

For I,' declares the Lord , ‘will be a ^(h)wall of fire ^[c]around her, and I will be the ⁽ⁱ⁾glory in her midst.'"

"^[d]Ho there! ^(j)Flee from the land of the north," declares the Lord , "for I have ^(k)dispersed you as the four winds of the heavens," declares the Lord .

"Ho, Zion! ^(l)Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon."

For thus says the Lord of hosts, "After ^[e](m)glory He has sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the ^[f](n)apple of His eye.

For behold, I will ^(o)wave My hand over them so that they will be ^(p)plunder for their slaves. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me.

^(q)Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will ^(r)dwell in your midst," declares the Lord .

"^(s)Many nations will join themselves to the Lord in that day and will become My people. Then I will ^(t)dwell in your midst, and you will ^(u)know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.

The Lord will ^[g](v)possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again ^(w)choose Jerusalem.

"^[h](x)Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord ; for He is ^(y)aroused from His holy habitation."

Then he showed me ^(a)Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord , and ^[a](b)Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.

The Lord said to Satan, "^(c)The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has ^(d)chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a ^(e)brand plucked from the fire?"

Now Joshua was clothed with ^(f)filthy garments and standing before the angel.

He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, "^(g)Remove the filthy garments from him." Again he said to him, "See, I have ^(h)taken your iniquity away from you and ^[b]will ⁽ⁱ⁾clothe you with festal robes."

Then I said, "Let them put a clean ^(j)turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the Lord was standing by.

And the angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying,

"Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘If you will ^(k)walk in My ways and if you will perform My service, then you will also ^(l)govern My house and also have charge of My ^(m)courts, and I will grant you ^[c]free access among these who are standing here.

Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you—indeed they are men who are a ⁽ⁿ⁾symbol, for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the ^[d](o)Branch.

For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are ^(p)seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,' declares the Lord of hosts, ‘and I will ^(q)remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

‘In that day,' declares the Lord of hosts, ‘every one of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his ^(r)vine and under his fig tree.'"

Then ^(a)the angel who was speaking with me returned and ^(b)roused me, as a man who is awakened from his sleep.

He said to me, "^(c)What do you see?" And I said, "I see, and behold, a ^(d)lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its ^(e)seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it;

also ^(f)two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side."

Then I said to the angel who was speaking with me saying, "What are these, ^(g)my lord?"

So ^(h)the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, "⁽ⁱ⁾Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord."

Then he ^[a]said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to ^(j)Zerubbabel saying, ‘^(k)Not by might nor by power, but by My ^(l)Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts.

‘What are you, O great ^(m)mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with ⁽ⁿ⁾shouts of "Grace, grace to it!"'"

Also the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

"The hands of Zerubbabel have ^(o)laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will ^(p)finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to ^[b]you.

For who has despised the day of ^(q)small things? ^[c]But these ^(r)seven will be glad when they see the ^[d](s)plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel—these are the ^(t)eyes of the Lord which ^(u)range to and fro throughout the earth."

Then I said to him, "What are these ^(v)two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?"

And I answered the second time and said to him, "What are the two olive ^[e]branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden oil from themselves?"

So he answered me, saying, "^(w)Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, ^(x)my lord."

Then he said, "These are the two ^[f](y)anointed ones who are ^(z)standing by the ^(aa)Lord of the whole earth."