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1. Zechariah son of Berekiah received a message from the Lord. This was in the eighth month of the second year that Darius was king in Persia. (Zechariah was the son of Berekiah, who was the son of Iddo the prophet.) This is that message:
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1. In the eighth H8066 month H2320 , in the second H8147 year H8141 of Darius H1867 , came H1961 the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 unto H413 Zechariah H2148 , the son H1121 of Berechiah H1296 , the son H1121 of Iddo H5714 the prophet H5030 , saying H559 ,
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2. The Lord became very angry with your ancestors.
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2. The LORD H3068 hath been sore displeased H7107 H7110 with H5921 your fathers H1 .
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3. So you must tell the people what the Lord says, "Come back to me, and I will come back to you." This is what the Lord All-Powerful said.
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3. Therefore say H559 thou unto H413 them, Thus H3541 saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 ; Turn H7725 ye unto H413 me, saith H5002 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 , and I will turn H7725 unto H413 you, saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 .
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4. "Don't be like your ancestors. In the past the prophets spoke to them and said, 'The Lord All-Powerful wants you to change your evil way of living. Stop doing evil things!' But your ancestors did not listen to me." This is what the Lord said.
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4. Be H1961 ye not H408 as your fathers H1 , unto H413 whom H834 the former H7223 prophets H5030 have cried H7121 , saying H559 , Thus H3541 saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 ; Turn H7725 ye now H4994 from your evil H7451 ways H4480 H1870 , and from your evil H7451 doings H4611 : but they did not H3808 hear H8085 , nor H3808 hearken H7181 unto H413 me, saith H5002 the LORD H3068 .
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5. "Your ancestors are gone, and those prophets did not live forever.
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5. Your fathers H1 , where H346 are they H1992 ? and the prophets H5030 , do they live H2421 forever H5769 ?
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6. The prophets were my servants. I used them to tell your ancestors about my laws and teachings. Your ancestors finally learned their lesson and said, 'The Lord All-Powerful did what he said he would do. He punished us for the way we lived and for all the evil things we did.' So they came back to God."
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6. But H389 my words H1697 and my statutes H2706 , which H834 I commanded H6680 H853 my servants H5650 the prophets H5030 , did they not H3808 take hold H5381 of your fathers H1 ? and they returned H7725 and said H559 , Like as H834 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 thought H2161 to do H6213 unto us , according to our ways H1870 , and according to our doings H4611 , so H3651 hath he dealt H6213 with H854 us.
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7. On the 24 day of the eleventh month (Shebat) of the second year that Darius was king of Persia, Zechariah received another message from the Lord. (This was Zechariah son of Berekiah, son of Iddo.) This is the message:
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7. Upon the four H702 and twentieth H6242 day H3117 of the eleventh H6249 H6240 month H2320 , which H1931 is the month H2320 Sebat H7627 , in the second H8147 year H8141 of Darius H1867 , came H1961 the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 unto H413 Zechariah H2148 , the son H1121 of Berechiah H1296 , the son H1121 of Iddo H5714 the prophet H5030 , saying H559 ,
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8. At night I saw a man riding a red horse. He was standing among some myrtle bushes in the valley. Behind him, there were red, brown, and white horses.
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8. I saw H7200 by night H3915 , and behold H2009 a man H376 riding H7392 upon H5921 a red H122 horse H5483 , and he H1931 stood H5975 among H996 the myrtle trees H1918 that H834 were in the bottom H4699 ; and behind H310 him were there red H122 horses H5483 , speckled H8320 , and white H3836 .
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9. I said, "Sir, what are these horses for?" Then the angel speaking to me said, "I will show you what these horses are for."
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9. Then said H559 I , O my lord H113 , what H4100 are these H428 ? And the angel H4397 that talked H1696 with me said H559 unto H413 me, I H589 will show H7200 thee what H4100 these H428 be .
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10. Then the man standing among the myrtle bushes said, "The Lord sent these horses to go here and there on earth."
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10. And the man H376 that stood H5975 among H996 the myrtle trees H1918 answered H6030 and said H559 , These H428 are they whom H834 the LORD H3068 hath sent H7971 to walk to and fro H1980 through the earth H776 .
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11. Then the horses spoke to the Lord's angel standing among the myrtle bushes and said, "We have walked here and there on the earth, and everything is calm and quiet."
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11. And they answered H6030 H853 the angel H4397 of the LORD H3068 that stood H5975 among H996 the myrtle trees H1918 , and said H559 , We have walked to and fro H1980 through the earth H776 , and, behold H2009 , all H3605 the earth H776 sitteth still H3427 , and is at rest H8252 .
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12. Then the Lord's angel said, "Lord All- Powerful, how long before you comfort Jerusalem and the cities of Judah? You have shown your anger at these cities for 70 years now."
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12. Then the angel H4397 of the LORD H3068 answered H6030 and said H559 , O LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 , how long H5704 H4970 wilt thou H859 not H3808 have mercy on H7355 H853 Jerusalem H3389 and on the cities H5892 of Judah H3063 , against which H834 thou hast had indignation H2194 these H2088 threescore and ten H7657 years H8141 ?
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13. Then the Lord answered the angel who was talking with me. He spoke good, comforting words.
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13. And the LORD H3068 answered H6030 H853 the angel H4397 that talked H1696 with me with good H2896 words H1697 and comfortable H5150 words H1697 .
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14. Then the angel told me to tell the people this: The Lord All-Powerful says: "I have a strong love for Jerusalem and Zion.
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14. So the angel H4397 that communed H1696 with me said H559 unto H413 me, Cry H7121 thou, saying H559 , Thus H3541 saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 ; I am jealous H7065 for Jerusalem H3389 and for Zion H6726 with a great H1419 jealousy H7068 .
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15. And I am very angry at the nations that feel so safe. I was only a little angry, and I used them to punish my people. But they caused too much damage."
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15. And I H589 am very H1419 sore displeased H7107 H7110 with H5921 the heathen H1471 that are at ease H7600 : for H834 I H589 was but a little H4592 displeased H7107 , and they H1992 helped H5826 forward the affliction H7451 .
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16. So the Lord says, "I will come back to Jerusalem and comfort her." The Lord All-Powerful says, "Jerusalem will be rebuilt, and my house will be built there."
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16. Therefore H3651 thus H3541 saith H559 the LORD H3068 ; I am returned H7725 to Jerusalem H3389 with mercies H7356 : my house H1004 shall be built H1129 in it, saith H5002 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 , and a line H6957 shall be stretched forth H5186 upon H5921 Jerusalem H3389 .
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17. The angel also said, "The Lord All-Powerful says, 'My towns will be rich again. I will comfort Zion. I will again choose Jerusalem to be my special city.'"
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17. Cry H7121 yet H5750 , saying H559 , Thus H3541 saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 ; My cities H5892 through prosperity H4480 H2896 shall yet H5750 be spread abroad H6327 ; and the LORD H3068 shall yet H5750 comfort H5162 H853 Zion H6726 , and shall yet H5750 choose H977 Jerusalem H3389 .
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18. Then I looked up and I saw four horns.
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18. Then lifted I up H5375 H853 mine eyes H5869 , and saw H7200 , and behold H2009 four H702 horns H7161 .
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19. So I asked the angel who was talking with me, "What do these horns mean?" He said, "These are the horns that forced the people of Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem to go to foreign countries."
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19. And I said H559 unto H413 the angel H4397 that talked H1696 with me, What H4100 be these H428 ? And he answered H559 H413 me, These H428 are the horns H7161 which H834 have scattered H2219 H853 Judah H3063 , H853 Israel H3478 , and Jerusalem H3389 .
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20. The Lord showed me four workers.
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20. And the LORD H3068 showed H7200 me four H702 carpenters H2796 .
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21. I asked him, "What are these four workers coming to do?" He said, "The horns represent the nations that attacked the people of Judah and forced them to go to foreign countries. The horns 'threw' the people of Judah to the foreign countries. The horns didn't show mercy to anyone. But these four workers have come to frighten the horns and throw them away."
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21. Then said H559 I, What H4100 come H935 these H428 to do H6213 ? And he spoke H559 , saying H559 , These H428 are the horns H7161 which H834 have scattered H2219 H853 Judah H3063 , so that no H3808 man H376 did lift up H5375 his head H7218 : but these H428 are come H935 to frighten H2729 them , to cast out H3034 H853 the horns H7161 of the Gentiles H1471 , which lifted up H5375 their horn H7161 over H413 the land H776 of Judah H3063 to scatter H2219 it.
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