Zechariah 1:12-21

Contemporary English Version

¹² At this, the angel said, “Lord All-Powerful, for 70 years you have been angry with Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. When are you ever going to have mercy on them?”

¹³ The Lord's answer was kind and comforting. ¹⁴ So the angel told me to announce:

I, the Lord All-Powerful, am very protective of Jerusalem. ¹⁵ For a while I was angry at the nations, but now I am furious, because they have made things worse for Jerusalem and are not the least bit concerned. ¹⁶ And so, I will have pity on Jerusalem. The city will be completely rebuilt, and my temple will stand again. ¹⁷ I also promise that my towns will prosper—Jerusalem will once again be my chosen city, and I will comfort the people of Zion.

Second Vision: Animal Horns

¹⁸ Next, I saw four animal horns.^{[a] 19-21} The angel who was sent to explain was there, and so I asked, “What do these mean?”

His answer was, “These horns are the nations that scattered the people of Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem, and took away their freedom.”

Then the Lord showed me four blacksmiths, and I asked, “What are they going to do?”

He replied, “They are going to terrify and crush those horns.”