THE PROPHET
ZECHARIAH
Zechariah 1 ©
The prophet exhorts the Jews to true repentance, that they may not incur the like judgment with their fathers, v. 1, etc. After that he describes two visions, the former of a Man on a red horse, bringing news that Jerusalem would be built again, 7. The latter, of four horns and four smiths, signifying, that the enemies of God’s people would be defeated, 18, etc.
IN 1the eighth month, in the second year 2of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of 3Berechiah, the son of Iddo 4the prophet, saying,
The LORD hath been 5sore displeased with your fathers.
Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; 6Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.
7Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom 8thea 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 9hearken unto me, saith the LORD.
Your fathers, 10where are they? and the prophets, 11do they live 12for ever?
But my words and my statutes, which I 13commanded my servants the prophets, 14did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, 15Like asb the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.
¶Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is 16the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of 17Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
I saw by night, and behold 18a man riding 19upon a red horse, and 20he stood among the myrtle trees 21that were in the bottom;c and 22behind him were there 23red horses, speckled, and white.
Then said I, O my lord, 24what are these? And the angel that talked 25with me said unto me, I will shew thee 26what these be.
And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom 27the LORD 28hath sent 29to walk to and fro through the earth.
And they 30answered 31the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through 32the earth, and, behold, 33all the earth 34sitteth still, and is at rest.
¶Then 35the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on 36Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation 37these threescore and ten years?
And the LORD answered the angel that talked 38with me with 39good words and 40comfortable words.
So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous 41for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.
And I am very sore displeased 42with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little 43displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.
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 44a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.
45Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; 46My cities 47through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet 48choose Jerusalem.
¶Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold 49four horns.
And I said unto the angel that talked with me, 50What be these? And he answered me, 51These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.
And the LORD shewed me four 52carpenters.
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 frayd53them, to cast out 54the horns of the Gentiles, 55which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.