Zechariyah (Book of Zechariah)
Category: Judaism
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The Jewish Publication Society of America Version (JPS) of the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible) was the first Bible translation published by the Jewish Publication Society of America and the first translation of the Tanakh into English by a committee of Jews. The full publication title is The Holy Scriptures According to the Masoretic Text: A New Translation with the Aid of Previous Versions and with Constant Consultation of Jewish Authorities.

Zechariyah
(Book of Zechariah)

זְכַרְיָה


Nevi’im - נביאים


Zechariyah - Chapter 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: ‘The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.

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.

Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying: Thus saith the LORD of hosts: Return ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings; but they did not hear, nor attend unto Me, saith the LORD.

Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?

But My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? so that they turned and said: Like as the LORD of hosts purposed to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath He dealt with us.’ {S}

Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, 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 — I saw in the 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 there were horses, red, sorrel, and white.

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.’

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.’

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.’

Then the angel of the LORD spoke and said: ‘O LORD of hosts, how long wilt Thou not have compassion on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which Thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?

And the LORD answered the angel that spoke with me with good words, even comforting words — so the angel that spoke with me said unto me: ‘Proclaim thou, saying: Thus saith the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy; and I am very sore displeased with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, and they helped for evil.

Therefore thus saith the LORD: I return to Jerusalem with compassions: My house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth over Jerusalem.

Again, proclaim, saying: Thus saith the LORD of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.’ {S}


Zechariyah - Chapter 2

And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.

And I said unto the angel that spoke with me: ‘What are these?’ And he said unto me: ‘These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.’ {S}

And the LORD showed me four craftsmen.

Then said I: ‘What come these to do?’ And he spoke, saying: ‘These — the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head — these then are come to frighten them, to cast down the horns of the nations, which lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.’ {S}

And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.

Then said I: ‘Whither goest thou?’ And he said unto me: ‘To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.’

And, behold, the angel that spoke with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him, and said unto him: ‘Run, speak to this young man, saying: ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein.

For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and I will be the glory in the midst of her. {P}

Ho, ho, flee then from the land of the north, saith the LORD; for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD.

Ho, Zion, escape, thou that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.’ {S}

For thus saith the LORD of hosts who sent me after glory unto the nations which spoiled you: ‘Surely, he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.

For, behold, I will shake My hand over them, and they shall be a spoil to those that served them’; and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me. {S}

‘Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD.

And many nations shall join themselves to the LORD in that day, and shall be My people, and I will dwell in the midst of thee’; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee.

And the LORD shall inherit Judah as His portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.

Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD; for He is aroused out of His holy habitation. {S}


Zechariyah - Chapter 3

And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.

And the LORD said unto Satan: ‘The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan, yea, the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee; is not this man a brand plucked out of the fire?’

Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.

And he answered and spoke unto those that stood before him, saying: ‘Take the filthy garments from off him.’ And unto him he said: ‘Behold, I cause thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with robes.’

And I said: ‘Let them set a fair mitre upon his head.’ So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments; and the angel of the LORD stood by.

And the angel of the LORD forewarned Joshua, saying: ‘Thus saith the LORD of hosts: If thou wilt walk in My ways, and if thou wilt keep My charge, and wilt also judge My house, and wilt also keep My courts, then I will give thee free access among these that stand by.

Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before thee; for they are men that are a sign; for, behold, I will bring forth My servant the Shoot.

For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone are seven facets; behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts: And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig-tree.


Zechariyah - Chapter 4

And the angel that spoke with me returned, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep.

And he said unto me: ‘What seest thou?’ And I said: ‘I have seen, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon; there are seven pipes, yea, seven, to the lamps, which are upon the top thereof; and two olive-trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.’

And I answered and spoke to the angel that spoke with me, saying: ‘What are these, my lord?’

Then the angel that spoke with me answered and said unto me: ‘Knowest thou not what these are?’ And I said: ‘No, my lord.’

Then he answered and spoke unto me, saying: ‘This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying: Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

Who art thou, O great mountain before Zerubbabel? thou shalt become a plain; and he shall bring forth the top stone with shoutings of Grace, grace, unto it.’ {P}

Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying: ‘The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.

For who hath despised the day of small things? even they shall see with joy the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel, even these seven, which are the eyes of the LORD, that run to and fro through the whole earth.’

Then answered I, and said unto him: ‘What are these two olive-trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?’

And I answered the second time, and said unto him: ‘What are these two olive branches, which are beside the two golden spouts, that empty the golden oil out of themselves?’

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