Zechariah 1
A Call to Return to the
LORD |
1 |
In the eighth month, in the second year
of Dari'us, came the word of the LORD unto
Zechari'ah, Ezra 4.24--5.1 ; 6.14 the
son of Berechi'ah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
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2 |
The LORD hath been
sore displeased with your fathers.
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3 |
Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith
the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the
LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith
the LORD of hosts.
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4 |
Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the
former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evildoings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto
me, saith the LORD.
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5 |
Your fathers, where are they? and
the prophets, do they live for ever?
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6 |
But my words and my statutes, which I
commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your
fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our
ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with
us.
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The Vision of the
Horses |
7 |
Upon the four and twentieth day of the
eleventh month, which is the month Sebat in the second year
of Dari'us, came the word of the LORD unto
Zechari'ah, the son of Berechi'ah, the son of Iddo the prophet,
saying,
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8 |
I saw by night, and behold a man riding
upon a red horse, Rev. 6.4 and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the
bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and
white. Rev. 6.2
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9 |
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 be.
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10 |
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.
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11 |
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.
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12 |
Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of
hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the
cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these
threescore and ten years?
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13 |
And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.
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14 |
So the angel that communed with me said
unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great
jealousy.
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15 |
And I am very sore displeased with the
heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased,
and they helped forward the affliction.
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16 |
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 a line shall be stretched upon Jerusalem.
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17 |
Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet
be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet
comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.
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The Vision of the Horns
and Carpenters |
18 |
Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw,
and behold four horns.
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19 |
And I said unto the angel that talked
with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and
Jerusalem.
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20 |
And the LORD showed
me four carpenters.
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21 |
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
fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter
it.
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