Bible in 90 Days
Chaldeans Used to Punish Judah
1 The (A)pronouncement which Habakkuk the prophet saw:
2 (B)How long, Lord, have I called for help,
And You do not hear?
I cry out to You, “Violence!”
Yet You do (C)not save.
3 Why do You make me (D)see disaster,
And make me look at destitution?
Yes, (E)devastation and violence are before me;
(F)Strife exists and contention arises.
4 Therefore the (G)Law [a]is ignored,
And justice [b]is never upheld.
For the wicked (H)surround the righteous;
Therefore justice comes out (I)confused.
5 “(J)Look among the nations! Watch!
Be horrified! (K)Be frightened speechless!
For I am accomplishing (L)a work in your days—
You would not believe it even if [c]you were told!
6 For behold, I am (M)raising up the Chaldeans,
That [d]grim and impetuous people
Who march [e]throughout the earth,
To (N)take possession of dwelling places that are not theirs.
7 They are terrifying and (O)feared;
Their (P)justice and [f]authority [g]originate with themselves.
8 Their (Q)horses are faster than leopards,
And quicker than (R)wolves in the evening.
Their [h]horsemen charge along,
Their [i]horsemen come from afar;
They fly like an (S)eagle [j]swooping down to devour.
9 All of them come for violence.
[k]Their horde of (T)faces moves forward.
They gather captives like sand.
10 They (U)make fun of kings,
And dignitaries are an object of laughter to them.
They (V)laugh at every fortress,
Then (W)heap up dirt and [l]capture it.
11 Then they fly along like the (X)wind and pass on.
But they will be held (Y)guilty,
They whose (Z)strength is their god.”
12 Are You not from (AA)time everlasting,
Lord, my God, my Holy One?
We will not die.
You, Lord, have (AB)appointed them to deliver judgment;
And You, O (AC)Rock, have destined them to punish.
13 Your eyes are too (AD)pure to look at evil,
And You cannot look at harm favorably.
Why do You (AE)look favorably
At those who deal (AF)treacherously?
Why are You (AG)silent when the wicked (AH)swallow up
Those more righteous than they?
14 Why have You made people like the fish of the sea,
Like crawling things that have no ruler over them?
15 The Chaldeans (AI)bring all of them up with a hook,
(AJ)Drag them away with their net,
And gather them together in their fishing net.
Therefore they rejoice and are joyful.
16 Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net
And [m]burn incense to their fishing net,
Because through (AK)these things their [n]catch is [o]large,
And their food is [p]plentiful.
17 Will they therefore empty their (AL)net,
And continually (AM)slay nations without sparing?
God Answers the Prophet
2 I will (AN)stand at my guard post
And station myself on the watchtower;
And I will (AO)keep watch to see (AP)what He will say to me,
And how I may reply [q]when I am reprimanded.
2 Then the Lord answered me and said,
“(AQ)Write down the vision
And inscribe it clearly on tablets,
So that one who [r]reads it may run.
3 For the vision is yet for the (AR)appointed time;
It [s]hurries toward the goal and it will not [t]fail.
Though it delays, (AS)wait for it;
For it will certainly come, it (AT)will not delay long.
4 “Behold, as for the (AU)impudent one,
His soul is not right within him;
But the (AV)righteous one will live by his [u]faith.
5 Furthermore, (AW)wine betrays an (AX)arrogant man,
So that he does not (AY)achieve his objective.
He (AZ)enlarges his appetite like Sheol,
And he is like death, never satisfied.
He also gathers to himself all the nations
And collects to himself all the peoples.
6 “Will all of these not (BA)take up a song of ridicule against him,
Even a saying and insinuations against him
And say, ‘(BB)Woe to him who increases what is not his—
For how long—
And makes himself [v]rich with debts!’
7 Will [w]your creditors not (BC)rise up suddenly,
And those who [x]collect from you awaken?
Indeed, you will become plunder for them.
8 Since you have (BD)looted many nations,
All the rest of the peoples will loot you—
Because of human bloodshed and violence [y]done to the land,
To the town and all its inhabitants.
9 “Woe to him who makes (BE)evil profit for his household,
To (BF)put his nest on high,
To be saved from the hand of catastrophe!
10 You have planned a (BG)shameful thing for your house
By bringing many peoples to an end;
So you are (BH)sinning against yourself.
11 For the (BI)stone will cry out from the wall,
And the rafter will answer it from the [z]framework.
12 “Woe to him who (BJ)builds a city with bloodshed,
And founds a town with [aa]violence!
13 Is it not indeed from the Lord of armies
That peoples (BK)labor merely for fire,
And nations become weary for nothing?
14 For the earth will be (BL)filled
With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
As the waters cover the sea.
15 “Woe to him who makes his neighbor drink;
[ab]To you who mix in your venom even to make your neighbors drunk,
So as to look at their genitalia!
16 You will be filled with disgrace rather than honor.
(BM)Drink, you yourself, and [ac]expose your own foreskin!
The (BN)cup in the Lord’s right hand will come around to you,
And (BO)utter disgrace will come upon your glory.
17 For the (BP)violence [ad]done to Lebanon will [ae]overwhelm you,
And the devastation of its animals [af]by which you terrified them,
(BQ)Because of human bloodshed and (BR)violence [ag]done to the land,
To the town and all its inhabitants.
18 “What (BS)benefit is a carved image when its maker has carved it,
Or a cast metal image, a (BT)teacher of falsehood?
For its maker (BU)trusts in his own handiwork
When he fashions speechless idols.
19 Woe to him who (BV)says to a piece of wood, ‘(BW)Awake!’
To a mute stone, ‘Arise!’
That is your teacher?
Behold, it is overlaid with (BX)gold and silver,
Yet there is (BY)no breath at all inside it.
20 But the (BZ)Lord is in His holy temple.
[ah]Let all the earth (CA)be silent before Him.”
God’s People Saved
3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to [ai]Shigionoth.
2 Lord, I have (CB)heard [aj]the report about You, and [ak]I was (CC)afraid.
Lord, (CD)revive (CE)Your work in the midst of the years,
In the midst of the years make it known.
In anger remember [al](CF)mercy.
3 God comes from (CG)Teman,
And the Holy One from Mount (CH)Paran. Selah
His (CI)splendor covers the heavens,
And the (CJ)earth is full of His praise.
4 His (CK)radiance is like the sunlight;
He has rays flashing from His hand,
And the hiding of His (CL)might is there.
5 Before Him goes (CM)plague,
And (CN)plague comes forth [am]after Him.
6 He stood and caused the earth to shudder;
He looked and (CO)caused the nations to jump.
Yes, the everlasting mountains were shattered,
The ancient hills [an]collapsed.
His paths are (CP)everlasting.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan under (CQ)distress,
The tent curtains of the land of (CR)Midian were trembling.
8 Did the Lord rage against the (CS)rivers,
Or was Your anger against the rivers,
Or was Your rage against the (CT)sea,
That You (CU)rode on Your horses,
On Your (CV)chariots of salvation?
9 You removed Your (CW)bow from its holder,
The arrows of Your word were [ao]sworn. Selah
You (CX)divided the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw You and quaked;
The downpour of waters swept by.
The deep (CY)raised its voice,
It lifted high its hands.
11 (CZ)Sun and moon stood in their lofty places;
They went away at the (DA)light of Your arrows,
At the radiance of Your flashing spear.
12 In indignation You (DB)marched through the earth;
In anger You [ap](DC)trampled the nations.
13 You went forth for the (DD)salvation of Your people,
For the salvation of Your (DE)anointed.
You smashed the (DF)head of the house of evil
To uncover him from [aq]foot to neck. Selah
14 You pierced with his (DG)own [ar]arrows
The head of his [as]leaders.
They (DH)stormed in to scatter [at]us;
Their arrogance was like those
Who (DI)devour the oppressed in secret.
15 You (DJ)trampled on the sea with Your horses,
On the (DK)foam of many waters.
16 I heard, and my [au]inner parts (DL)trembled;
At the sound, my lips quivered.
Decay enters my (DM)bones,
And in my place I tremble;
Because I [av]must (DN)wait quietly for the day of distress,
[aw]For the (DO)people to arise who will attack us.
17 Even if the (DP)fig tree does not blossom,
And there is no [ax]fruit on the vines,
If the yield of the (DQ)olive fails,
And the fields produce no food,
Even if the (DR)flock disappears from the fold,
And there are (DS)no cattle in the stalls,
18 Yet I will (DT)triumph in the Lord,
I will (DU)rejoice in the (DV)God of my salvation.
19 The Lord [ay]God is my (DW)strength,
And (DX)He has made my feet like deer’s feet,
And has me walk on my (DY)high places.
For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.
Day of Judgment on Judah
1 The word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of (DZ)Josiah son of (EA)Amon, king of Judah:
2 “I will completely (EB)remove all things
From the face of the [az]earth,” declares the Lord.
3 “I will remove (EC)human and animal life;
I will remove the (ED)birds of the sky
And the fish of the sea,
And the [ba](EE)ruins along with the wicked;
And I will eliminate mankind from the face of the [bb]earth,” declares the Lord.
4 “So I will (EF)stretch out My hand against Judah
And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
And I will (EG)eliminate the remnant of Baal from this place,
And the names of the (EH)idolatrous priests along with the other priests.
5 And those who bow down on the (EI)housetops to the heavenly [bc]lights,
And those who bow down and (EJ)swear to the Lord, but also swear by [bd](EK)Milcom,
6 And those who have (EL)turned back from following the Lord,
And those who have (EM)not sought the Lord nor inquired of Him.”
7 [be](EN)Be silent before the Lord [bf]God!
For the (EO)day of the Lord is near,
Because the Lord has prepared a (EP)sacrifice,
He has (EQ)consecrated His guests.
8 “Then it will come about on the day of the Lord’s sacrifice
That I will (ER)punish the princes, the king’s sons,
And all who clothe themselves with (ES)foreign garments.
9 And on that day I will punish all who leap on the temple threshold,
Who fill the house of their [bg]lord with (ET)violence and deceit.
10 And on that day,” declares the Lord,
“There will be the sound of a cry from the (EU)Fish Gate,
Wailing from the [bh](EV)Second Quarter,
And a loud crash from the (EW)hills.
11 Wail, you inhabitants of the [bi]Mortar,
Because all the [bj]people of (EX)Canaan will be destroyed;
All who weigh out (EY)silver will be eliminated.
12 And it will come about at that time
That I will (EZ)search Jerusalem with lamps,
And I will punish the people
Who are [bk](FA)stagnant in spirit,
Who say in their hearts,
‘The Lord will (FB)not do good nor harm!’
13 Their wealth will become (FC)plunder,
And their houses desolate;
Yes, (FD)they will build houses but not inhabit them,
And plant vineyards but not drink their wine.”
14 The (FE)great (FF)day of the Lord is near,
Near and coming very quickly;
Listen, the day of the Lord!
[bl]In it the warrior (FG)cries out bitterly.
15 That day is a day of anger,
A day of (FH)trouble and distress,
A day of destruction and desolation,
A day of (FI)darkness and gloom,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 A day of (FJ)trumpet and battle cry
Against the (FK)fortified cities
And the high corner towers.
17 I will bring (FL)distress on mankind
So that they will walk (FM)like those who are blind,
Because they have sinned against the Lord;
And their (FN)blood will be poured out like dust,
And their (FO)flesh like dung.
18 Neither their (FP)silver nor their gold
Will be able to save them
On the day of the Lord’s anger;
And (FQ)all the earth will be devoured
By the fire of His jealousy,
For He will (FR)make a complete end,
Indeed a horrifying one,
Of all the inhabitants of the earth.
Judgments on Judah’s Enemies
2 Gather yourselves together, yes, (FS)join together,
You nation (FT)without [bm]shame,
2 Before the decree [bn]takes effect—
The day passes (FU)like chaff—
Before the (FV)burning anger of the Lord comes upon you,
Before the (FW)day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you.
3 (FX)Seek the Lord,
All you (FY)humble of the [bo]earth
Who have practiced His [bp]ordinances;
(FZ)Seek righteousness, seek humility.
Perhaps you will (GA)remain hidden
On the day of the Lord’s anger.
4 For (GB)Gaza will be abandoned,
And Ashkelon will become a desolation;
The inhabitants of (GC)Ashdod will be driven out at noon,
And (GD)Ekron will be uprooted.
5 Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast,
The nation of the [bq](GE)Cherethites!
The word of the Lord is (GF)against you,
(GG)Canaan, land of the Philistines;
And I will (GH)eliminate you
So that there will be (GI)no inhabitant.
6 So the seacoast will become (GJ)grazing places,
With pastures for shepherds and folds for flocks.
7 And the coast will be
For the (GK)remnant of the house of Judah,
They will (GL)drive sheep to pasture on it.
In the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down at evening;
For the Lord their God will (GM)care for them
And (GN)restore their fortunes.
8 “I have heard the (GO)taunting of Moab
And the (GP)abusive speech of the sons of Ammon,
With which they have taunted My people
And (GQ)boasted against their territory.
9 Therefore, as I live,” declares the Lord of armies,
The God of Israel,
“(GR)Moab will assuredly be like (GS)Sodom,
And the sons of (GT)Ammon like (GU)Gomorrah—
Ground overgrown with weeds and full of salt mines,
And a permanent desolation.
The remnant of My people will (GV)plunder them,
And the remainder of My nation will inherit them.”
10 This they will have in return for their (GW)arrogance, because they have (GX)taunted and boasted against the people of the Lord of armies. 11 The Lord will be (GY)terrifying to them, for He will [br]starve (GZ)all the gods of the earth; and all the (HA)coastlands of the nations will (HB)bow down to Him, everyone from his own place.
12 “You also, (HC)Ethiopians, will be slain by My sword.”
13 And He will (HD)stretch out His hand against the north
And eliminate (HE)Assyria,
And He will make (HF)Nineveh a desolation,
Parched like the wilderness.
14 Flocks will lie down in her midst,
[bs]All animals that range in herds;
Both the [bt](HG)pelican and the hedgehog
Will spend their nights in [bu]the tops of her pillars;
[bv]Birds will sing in the window,
Devastation will be on the threshold;
For He has uncovered the cedar work.
15 This is the (HH)presumptuous city
That (HI)dwells securely,
Who says in her heart,
“(HJ)I am, and there is no one besides me.”
How she has become a (HK)desolation,
A resting place for animals!
(HL)Everyone who passes by her will [bw]hiss
And wave his hand in contempt.
Woe to Jerusalem and the Nations
3 Woe to her who is (HM)rebellious and (HN)defiled,
The (HO)oppressive city!
2 She (HP)obeyed no voice,
She (HQ)accepted no discipline.
She did not (HR)trust in the Lord,
She did not (HS)approach her God.
3 Her (HT)leaders within her are roaring lions,
Her judges are (HU)wolves at evening;
They have no bones to gnaw in the morning.
4 Her prophets are (HV)insolent, treacherous men;
Her (HW)priests have profaned the sanctuary.
They have done violence to the Law.
5 The Lord is (HX)righteous (HY)within her;
He will (HZ)do no injustice.
(IA)Every morning He brings His justice to light;
He [bx]does not fail.
But the [by]criminal (IB)knows no shame.
6 “I have eliminated nations;
Their corner towers are deserted.
I have (IC)laid waste their streets,
With no one passing by;
Their (ID)cities have been laid waste,
Without a person, (IE)without an inhabitant.
7 I said, ‘You will certainly revere Me,
You will (IF)accept discipline.’
So her dwelling will (IG)not be eliminated
In accordance with everything that I have stipulated for her.
Instead, they were eager to (IH)corrupt all their deeds.
8 “Therefore (II)wait for Me,” declares the Lord,
“For the day when I rise up as a witness.
Indeed, My decision is to (IJ)gather nations,
To assemble kingdoms,
To pour out on them My indignation,
All My burning anger;
For (IK)all the earth will be devoured
By the fire of My zeal.
9 For then I will [bz]restore to the peoples (IL)pure lips,
So that all of them may (IM)call on the name of the Lord,
To serve Him [ca]shoulder to shoulder.
10 From beyond the rivers of (IN)Ethiopia
My worshipers, [cb]My dispersed ones,
Will (IO)bring My offerings.
11 On that day you will (IP)feel no shame
Because of all your deeds
By which you have rebelled against Me;
For then I will remove from your midst
Your (IQ)proud, arrogant ones,
And you will never again be haughty
On My (IR)holy mountain.
A Remnant of Israel
12 But I will leave among you
A (IS)humble and lowly people,
And they will (IT)take refuge in the name of the Lord.
13 The (IU)remnant of Israel will (IV)do no wrong
And (IW)tell no lies,
Nor will a deceitful tongue
Be found in their mouths;
For they will (IX)feed and lie down
With no one to frighten them.”
14 Shout for joy, daughter of Zion!
(IY)Shout in triumph, Israel!
Rejoice and triumph with all your heart,
Daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away (IZ)His judgments against you,
He has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is (JA)in your midst;
You will no longer (JB)fear disaster.
16 (JC)On that day it will be said to Jerusalem:
“(JD)Do not be afraid, Zion;
(JE)Do not let your hands fall limp.
17 The Lord your God is (JF)in your midst,
A [cc](JG)victorious warrior.
He will (JH)rejoice over you with joy,
He will [cd]be quiet in His love,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.
18 I will gather those who are (JI)worried about the appointed feasts—
They [ce]came from you, Zion;
The disgrace of exile is a burden on [cf]them.
19 Behold, I am going to deal at that time
With all your (JJ)oppressors;
I will save (JK)those who limp
And gather the scattered,
And I will turn their (JL)shame into (JM)praise and fame
In all the earth.
20 At that time I will (JN)bring you in,
Even at the time when I gather you together;
Indeed, I will make you (JO)famous and praiseworthy
Among all the peoples of the earth,
When I (JP)restore your fortunes before your eyes,”
Says the Lord.
Haggai Begins Temple Building
1 In the (JQ)second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet (JR)Haggai to (JS)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, (JT)governor of Judah, and to (JU)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, 2 “This is what the Lord of armies [cg]says: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.”’” 3 Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 “Is it time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses while this house remains (JV)desolate?” 5 Now then, the Lord of armies says this: “[ch]Consider your ways! 6 You have (JW)sown much, only to [ci]harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but there is not enough for [cj]anyone to get warm; and the one who earns, earns wages to put into a money bag full of holes.”
7 The Lord of armies says this: “[ck]Consider your ways! 8 Go up to the [cl]mountains, bring wood, and (JX)rebuild the [cm]temple, that I may be (JY)pleased with it and be (JZ)honored,” says the Lord. 9 “(KA)You [cn]start an ambitious project, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I (KB)blow it away. Why?” declares the Lord of armies. “It is because of My house which (KC)remains desolate, while each of you runs to his own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the (KD)sky has withheld [co]its dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 And I called for a (KE)drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on (KF)mankind, on cattle, and on (KG)all the products of the labor of [cp]your hands.”
12 Then (KH)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and (KI)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, (KJ)obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, just as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people [cq](KK)showed reverence for the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the (KL)messenger of the Lord, spoke [cr]by the commission of the Lord to the people, saying, “‘(KM)I am with you,’ declares the Lord.” 14 So the Lord stirred up the spirit of (KN)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, (KO)governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the (KP)remnant of the people; and they came and (KQ)worked on the house of the Lord of armies, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of Darius the king.
The Builders Encouraged
2 On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came by (KR)Haggai the prophet, saying, 2 “Speak now to (KS)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, (KT)governor of Judah, and to (KU)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the (KV)remnant of the people, saying, 3 ‘Who is (KW)left among you who saw this [cs]temple in its (KX)former glory? And how do you see it now? [ct]Does it not seem to you like nothing [cu]in comparison? 4 But now [cv](KY)take courage, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord, ‘take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work; for (KZ)I am with you,’ declares the Lord of armies. 5 ‘As for the [cw](LA)promise which I [cx]made you when you came out of Egypt, [cy]My (LB)Spirit remains in your midst; (LC)do not fear!’ 6 For this is what the Lord of armies says: ‘(LD)Once more [cz]in a (LE)little while, I am going to (LF)shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. 7 I will shake (LG)all the nations; and [da]they will come with the (LH)wealth of all nations, and I will (LI)fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord of armies. 8 ‘The (LJ)silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord of armies. 9 ‘The latter (LK)glory of this house will be greater than the (LL)former,’ says the Lord of armies, ‘and in this place I will give (LM)peace,’ declares the Lord of armies.”
10 On the (LN)twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet, saying, 11 “The Lord of armies says this: ‘(LO)Now ask the priests for a [db]ruling: 12 If someone carries (LP)holy meat in the [dc]fold of his garment, and touches bread with [dd]this fold, or touches cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?’” And the priests answered, “No.” 13 Then Haggai said, “(LQ)If one who is unclean from a [de]corpse touches any of these things, will the latter become unclean?” And the priests answered, “It will become unclean.” 14 Then Haggai responded and said, “‘(LR)So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean. 15 But now, do [df](LS)consider from this day [dg]onward: before one (LT)stone was placed on another in the temple of the Lord, 16 [dh]from that time when one came to a grain heap of twenty measures, there would be only ten; and when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty [di]measures, there would be only twenty. 17 I struck you and every work of your hands with (LU)scorching wind, mildew, and hail; [dj]yet you did not come back to Me,’ declares the Lord. 18 ‘Do [dk](LV)consider from this day [dl]onward, from the (LW)twenty-fourth day of the ninth month; from the day when the temple of the Lord was (LX)founded, [dm]consider: 19 Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree, it has not produced fruit. Yet from this day on I will (LY)bless you.’”
20 Then the word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the (LZ)twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, 21 “Speak to (MA)Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, ‘I am going to (MB)shake the heavens and the earth. 22 And I will (MC)overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the (MD)power of the kingdoms of the [dn]nations; and I will (ME)overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the (MF)horses and their riders will go down, (MG)every one by the sword of another.’ 23 ‘On that day,’ declares the Lord of armies, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like a [do](MH)signet ring, for (MI)I have chosen you,’” declares the Lord of armies.
A Call to Repentance
1 In the eighth month of the second year of (MJ)Darius, the word of the Lord came to (MK)Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of (ML)Iddo saying, 2 “The Lord was very (MM)angry with your fathers. 3 Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “(MN)Return to Me,” declares the Lord of armies, “[dp]that I may return to you,” says the Lord of armies. 4 “Do not be (MO)like your fathers, to whom the (MP)former prophets proclaimed, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “(MQ)Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.”’ But they did (MR)not listen or pay attention to Me,” declares the Lord. 5 “Your (MS)fathers, where are they? And the (MT)prophets, do they live forever? 6 But did My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, not [dq](MU)overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, ‘(MV)Just as the Lord of armies planned to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has dealt with us.’”’”
Patrol of the Earth
7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, that is, the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, [dr]as follows: 8 I saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a (MW)red horse, and he was standing among the (MX)myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, [ds]sorrel, and (MY)white horses behind him. 9 Then I said, “What are these, my (MZ)lord?” And the (NA)angel who was speaking with me said to me, “I will show you what these are.” 10 And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees responded and said, “These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to [dt](NB)patrol the earth.” 11 So they responded to the angel of the Lord who was (NC)standing among the myrtle trees and said, “We have [du]patrolled the earth, and behold, (ND)all the earth is [dv]still and quiet.”
12 Then the angel of the Lord said, “Lord of armies, (NE)how long will You (NF)take no pity on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which You have been (NG)indignant for these (NH)seventy years?” 13 And the Lord responded to the (NI)angel who was speaking with me with [dw]gracious words, (NJ)comforting words. 14 So the angel who was speaking with me said to me, “(NK)Proclaim, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “I am (NL)exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion. 15 But I am very (NM)angry with the nations who are (NN)carefree; for while I was only a little angry, they [dx](NO)furthered the disaster.” 16 Therefore the Lord says this: “I will (NP)return to Jerusalem with compassion; My (NQ)house will be built in it,” declares the Lord of armies, “and a measuring (NR)line will be stretched over Jerusalem.”’ 17 Again, proclaim, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “My (NS)cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again (NT)comfort Zion and again (NU)choose Jerusalem.”’”
18 [dy]Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there were four horns. 19 So I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these?” And he said to me, “These are the (NV)horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” 20 Then the Lord showed me four (NW)craftsmen. 21 And I said, “What are these coming to do?” And he said, “These are the (NX)horns that have scattered Judah so that no one lifts up his head; but these craftsmen have come to frighten them, to (NY)throw down the horns of the nations who have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah in order to scatter it.”
God’s Favor to Zion
2 [dz]Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man with a (NZ)measuring line in his hand. 2 So I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To (OA)measure Jerusalem, to see how wide it is and how long it is.” 3 And behold, the (OB)angel who had been speaking with me was going out, and another angel was going out to meet him. 4 And he said to him, “Run, speak to that (OC)young man there, saying, ‘(OD)Jerusalem will be inhabited (OE)as open country because of the (OF)multitude of people and cattle within it. 5 But I,’ declares the Lord, ‘will be a (OG)wall of fire to her on all sides, and I will be the (OH)glory in her midst.’”
6 “[ea]You there! (OI)Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “because I have (OJ)spread you out like the four winds of the heavens,” declares the Lord. 7 “[eb]You, Zion! (OK)Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon.” 8 For the Lord of armies says this: “After (OL)glory He has sent me against the nations that plunder you, for the one who touches you, touches the [ec](OM)apple of His eye. 9 For behold, I am going to (ON)wave My hand over them so that they will be (OO)plunder for their slaves. Then you will know that the Lord of armies has sent Me. 10 (OP)Shout for joy and rejoice, daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will (OQ)dwell in your midst,” declares the Lord. 11 “And (OR)many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day and will become My people. Then I will (OS)dwell in your midst, and you will (OT)know that the Lord of armies has sent Me to you. 12 And the Lord will [ed](OU)possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again (OV)choose Jerusalem.
13 “[ee](OW)Be silent, all [ef]mankind, before the Lord; for He has (OX)roused Himself from His holy dwelling.”
Joshua, the High Priest
3 Then he showed me (OY)Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and [eg](OZ)Satan standing at his right to accuse him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “(PA)The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has (PB)chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a (PC)log snatched from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was clothed in (PD)filthy garments and was standing before the angel. 4 And he responded and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “(PE)Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have (PF)taken your guilt away from you and [eh]will (PG)clothe you with festive robes.” 5 Then I said, “Have them put a clean (PH)headband on his head.” So they put the clean headband on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the Lord was standing by.
6 And the angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying, 7 “The Lord of armies says this: ‘If you (PI)walk in My ways and perform My service, then you will both (PJ)govern My house and be in charge of My (PK)courtyards, and I will grant you [ei]free access among these who are standing here.
The Branch
8 Now listen, Joshua, you high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you—indeed they are men who are a (PL)sign: for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the [ej](PM)Branch. 9 For behold, the stone that I have put before Joshua; on one stone are (PN)seven eyes. Behold, I am going to engrave an inscription on it,’ declares the Lord of armies, ‘and I will (PO)remove the guilt of that land in one day. 10 On that day,’ declares the Lord of armies, ‘every one of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his (PP)vine and under his fig tree.’”
The Golden Lampstand and the Olive Trees
4 Then (PQ)the angel who had been speaking with me returned and (PR)woke me, like a person who is awakened from his sleep. 2 And he said to me, “(PS)What do you see?” And I said, “I see, and behold, a (PT)lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its (PU)seven lamps on it with seven [ek]spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it; 3 also (PV)two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side.” 4 Then I said to the angel who was speaking with me, saying, “What are these, (PW)my lord?” 5 So (PX)the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, “(PY)Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” 6 Then he said to [el]me, “This is the word of the Lord to (PZ)Zerubbabel, saying, ‘(QA)Not by might nor by power, but by My (QB)Spirit,’ says the Lord of armies. 7 ‘What are you, you great (QC)mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring out the top stone with (QD)shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”’”
8 Also the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have (QE)laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will (QF)finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of armies has sent me to [em]you. 10 For who has shown contempt for the day of (QG)small things? [en]But these (QH)seven will rejoice when they see the [eo](QI)plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel—they are the (QJ)eyes of the Lord (QK)roaming throughout the earth.”
11 Then I said to him, “What are these (QL)two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?” 12 And I responded the second time and said to him, “What are the two olive [ep]branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden oil from themselves?” 13 So he answered me, saying, “(QM)Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, (QN)my lord.” 14 Then he said, “These are the two [eq](QO)anointed ones, who are (QP)standing by the (QQ)Lord of the whole earth.”
The Flying Scroll
5 Then I raised my eyes again and looked, and behold, there was a flying (QR)scroll. 2 And he said to me, “(QS)What do you see?” And I said, “I see a flying scroll; its length is [er]twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits.” 3 Then he said to me, “This is the (QT)curse that is going forth over the face of the entire [es]land; everyone who (QU)steals certainly will be purged away according to [et]the writing on one side, and everyone who (QV)swears falsely will be purged away according to [eu]the writing on the other side. 4 I will (QW)make it go forth,” declares the Lord of armies, “and it will (QX)enter the house of the (QY)thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name; and it will spend the night within that house and (QZ)destroy it with its timber and stones.”
5 Then (RA)the angel who had been speaking with me went out and said to me, “Now raise your eyes and see what this is that is going forth.” 6 And I said, “What is it?” Then he said, “This is the [ev](RB)ephah going forth.” Again he said, “This is their [ew]appearance in all the [ex]land. 7 And behold, a lead cover was lifted up.” He continued, “And this is a woman sitting inside the ephah.” 8 Then he said, “This is (RC)Wickedness!” And he thrust her into the middle of the ephah and threw the lead weight on its [ey]opening. 9 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there two women were coming out with the wind in their wings; and they had wings like the wings of the (RD)stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens. 10 So I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “Where are they taking the ephah?” 11 Then he said to me, “To build a [ez]temple for her in the land of (RE)Shinar; and when it is prepared, she will be set there on her own pedestal.”
The Four Chariots
6 Now I raised my eyes again and looked, and behold, (RF)four chariots were going out from between the two mountains; and the mountains were bronze mountains. 2 With the first chariot were (RG)red horses, with the second chariot (RH)black horses, 3 with the third chariot (RI)white horses, and with the fourth chariot strong (RJ)spotted horses. 4 So I responded and said to the angel who was speaking with me, “(RK)What are these, my lord?” 5 The angel replied to me, “These are the (RL)four spirits of heaven, going out after taking their stand before the Lord of all the earth, 6 with one of which the black horses are going out to the (RM)north country; and the white ones are to go out after them, while the spotted ones are to go out to the (RN)south country.” 7 When the strong ones went out, they [fa]were eager to go to [fb](RO)patrol the earth. And He said, “Go, [fc]patrol the earth.” So they [fd]patrolled the earth. 8 Then He called out to me and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who are going to the land of the north have [fe](RP)appeased My wrath in the land of the north.”
9 The (RQ)word of the Lord also came to me, saying, 10 “(RR)Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah; and you shall go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have arrived from Babylon.
The Symbolic Crowns
11 Also take silver and gold, make an ornate (RS)crown, and set it on the head of (RT)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 Then say to him, ‘The Lord of armies says this: “Behold, there is a Man whose name is [ff](RU)Branch, for He will [fg](RV)branch out from where He is; and He will (RW)build the temple of the Lord. 13 Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will (RX)bear the majesty and sit and (RY)rule on His throne. So He will be a (RZ)priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two [fh]offices.”’ 14 Now the (SA)crown will become a reminder in the temple of the Lord to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and [fi]Hen the son of Zephaniah. 15 (SB)Those who are far away will come and [fj]build the temple of the Lord.” Then you will (SC)know that the Lord of armies has sent me to you. And it will take place if you completely (SD)obey [fk]the Lord your God.
7 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is (SE)Chislev. 2 Now the town of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and [fl]their men to [fm](SF)seek the favor of the Lord, 3 speaking to the (SG)priests who belong to the house of the Lord of armies, and to the prophets, saying, “Shall I weep in the (SH)fifth month [fn]and fast, as I have done these many years?” 4 Then the word of the Lord of armies came to me, saying, 5 “Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months [fo]these (SI)seventy years, was it actually for (SJ)Me that you fasted? 6 And when you eat and drink, [fp]do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? 7 Are these not the words which the Lord (SK)proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and (SL)carefree along with its cities around it, and the [fq](SM)Negev and the [fr]foothills were inhabited?’”
8 Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “This is what the Lord of armies has said: ‘(SN)Dispense true justice and practice (SO)kindness and compassion each to his brother; 10 and (SP)do not oppress the widow or the [fs]orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do (SQ)not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’ 11 But they (SR)refused to pay attention, and [ft](SS)turned a stubborn shoulder and [fu](ST)plugged their ears from hearing. 12 They also made their (SU)hearts as hard as (SV)a diamond [fv]so that they could not hear the Law and the (SW)words which the Lord of armies had sent by His Spirit through the (SX)former prophets; therefore great (SY)wrath came from the Lord of armies. 13 And just as (SZ)He called and they would not listen, so (TA)they called and I would not listen,” says the Lord of armies; 14 “but I [fw](TB)scattered them with a (TC)storm wind among all the nations whom they did not know. So the land was (TD)desolated behind them [fx]so that (TE)no one went back and forth, since they (TF)made the pleasant land desolate.”
The Coming Peace and Prosperity of Zion
8 Then the word of the Lord of armies came, saying, 2 “The Lord of armies says this: ‘I am (TG)exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.’ 3 The Lord says this: ‘I will return to Zion and (TH)dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of (TI)Truth, and the mountain of the Lord of armies will be called the Holy Mountain.’ 4 The Lord of armies says this: ‘(TJ)Old men and old women will again sit in the public squares of Jerusalem, each person with his staff in his hand because of [fy]age. 5 And the public squares of the city will be filled with (TK)boys and girls playing in its squares.’ 6 The Lord of armies says this: ‘If it is (TL)too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be (TM)too difficult in My sight?’ declares the Lord of armies. 7 The Lord of armies says this: ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the [fz](TN)east and from the land of the [ga]west; 8 and I will (TO)bring them back and they will (TP)live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be (TQ)My people, and I will be their God in [gb]truth and righteousness.’
9 “The Lord of armies says this: ‘Let your hands be (TR)strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the (TS)prophets, those who spoke in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of armies was laid, so that the temple might be built. 10 For before those days there was (TT)no wage for man nor any wage for animal; and for him who went out or came in there was no [gc](TU)peace because of [gd]his enemies, and I (TV)sent all the people against one another. 11 But now I will (TW)not [ge]treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ declares the Lord of armies. 12 ‘For there will be (TX)the seed of peace: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce, and the heavens will provide their (TY)dew; and I will give to the remnant of this people (TZ)all these things as an inheritance. 13 And it will come about that just as you were a (UA)curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a (UB)blessing. Do not fear; let your (UC)hands be strong.’
14 “For this is what the Lord of armies says: ‘Just as I (UD)determined to do harm to you when your fathers provoked Me to anger,’ says the Lord of armies, ‘and I have not (UE)relented, 15 so I have again determined in these days to (UF)do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. (UG)Do not fear! 16 These are the things which you shall do: speak the (UH)truth to one another; (UI)judge with truth and judgment for peace at your [gf]gates. 17 Also let none of you (UJ)devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love [gg](UK)perjury; for all these things are what I (UL)hate,’ declares the Lord.”
18 Then the word of the Lord of armies came to me, saying, 19 “The Lord of armies says this: ‘The fast of the (UM)fourth, the fast of the (UN)fifth, the fast of the (UO)seventh, and the fast of the (UP)tenth months will become (UQ)joy, jubilation, and [gh]cheerful festivals for the house of Judah; so (UR)love truth and peace.’
20 “The Lord of armies says this: ‘It will yet turn out that (US)peoples will come, that is, the inhabitants of many cities. 21 The inhabitants of one city will go to another, saying, “Let’s go at once to (UT)plead for the favor of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of armies; [gi]I also will go.” 22 So (UU)many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the Lord of armies in Jerusalem, and to (UV)plead for the favor of the Lord.’ 23 The Lord of armies says this: ‘In those days ten people from all the [gj]nations will [gk](UW)grasp the [gl]garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”
Prophecies against Neighboring Nations
9 The pronouncement of the word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach, with (UX)Damascus as its resting place (for the eyes of mankind, especially of all the tribes of Israel, are toward the Lord),
2 And (UY)Hamath also, which borders on it;
(UZ)Tyre and (VA)Sidon, [gm]though [gn]they are (VB)very wise.
3 For Tyre built herself a (VC)fortress,
And (VD)piled up silver like dust,
And (VE)gold like the mud of the streets.
4 Behold, the Lord will (VF)dispossess her
And throw her wealth into the sea;
And she will be (VG)consumed with fire.
5 Ashkelon will see it and be afraid.
Gaza too will writhe in great pain;
Also Ekron, because her hope has been ruined.
Moreover, the king will perish from Gaza,
And Ashkelon will not be inhabited.
6 And a people of mixed origins will live in (VH)Ashdod,
And I will eliminate the pride of the Philistines.
7 And I will remove their blood from their mouth
And their detestable things from between their teeth.
Then they also will be a remnant for our God,
And be like a [go]clan in Judah,
And Ekron will be like a Jebusite.
8 But I will camp around My house [gp]because of an army,
Because of (VI)him who passes by and returns;
And (VJ)no oppressor will pass over them anymore,
For now I have seen with My eyes.
9 (VK)Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your (VL)king is coming to you;
He is [gq](VM)righteous and (VN)endowed with salvation,
(VO)Humble, and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a (VP)colt, the [gr]foal of a donkey.
10 And I will (VQ)eliminate the chariot from Ephraim
And the (VR)horse from Jerusalem;
And the (VS)bow of war will be eliminated.
And He will speak (VT)peace to the nations;
And His (VU)dominion will be from sea to sea,
And from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.
Restoration of Judah and Ephraim
11 As for you also, because of the (VV)blood of My covenant with you,
I have set your (VW)prisoners free from the [gs]waterless pit.
12 Return to the [gt](VX)stronghold, you prisoners [gu]who have the (VY)hope;
This very day I am declaring that I will restore (VZ)double to you.
13 For I will (WA)bend Judah [gv]as My bow,
I will fill the bow with Ephraim.
And I will stir up your sons, Zion, against your sons, (WB)Greece;
And I will make you like a (WC)warrior’s sword.
14 Then the Lord will appear (WD)over them,
And His (WE)arrow will go forth like lightning;
And the Lord [gw]God will blow the (WF)trumpet,
And march in the (WG)storm winds of the south.
15 (WH)The Lord of armies will protect them.
And they will (WI)devour and trample on the (WJ)slingstones;
And they will drink and be (WK)boisterous as with wine;
And they will be filled like a sacrificial basin,
Drenched like the (WL)corners of the altar.
16 And the Lord their God will (WM)save them on that day
As the flock of His people;
For they are like the precious stones of a (WN)crown,
Sparkling on His land.
17 For how great will [gx]their (WO)loveliness and (WP)beauty be!
Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine, the virgins.
God Will Bless Judah and Ephraim
10 Ask for (WQ)rain from the Lord at the time of the spring rain—
The Lord who (WR)makes the [gy]storm winds;
And He will give them (WS)showers of rain, vegetation in the field to each person.
2 For the [gz](WT)household idols speak deception,
And the (WU)diviners see [ha]an illusion
And tell (WV)deceitful dreams;
They comfort in vain.
Therefore the people [hb]wander like (WW)sheep,
They are wretched because there is no shepherd.
3 “My (WX)anger is kindled against the shepherds,
And I will punish the [hc]male goats;
For the Lord of armies has (WY)visited His flock, the house of Judah,
And will make them like His majestic horse in battle.
4 From [hd]them will come the (WZ)cornerstone,
From [he]them the tent peg,
From [hf]them the bow of (XA)battle,
From [hg]them every tyrant, all of them together.
5 And they will be like warriors,
(XB)Trampling down the enemy in the mud of the streets in battle;
And they will fight, because the Lord will be with them;
And the (XC)riders on horses will be put to shame.
6 And I will (XD)strengthen the house of Judah,
And I will (XE)save the house of Joseph,
And I will [hh](XF)bring them back,
Because I have had (XG)compassion on them;
And they will be as though I had (XH)not rejected them,
For I am the Lord their God and I will (XI)answer them.
7 Ephraim will be like a warrior,
And their heart will be joyful as if from wine;
Indeed, their (XJ)children will see it and be joyful,
[hi]Their heart will rejoice in the Lord.
8 I will (XK)whistle for them and gather them together,
For I have redeemed them;
And they will be as (XL)numerous as they [hj](XM)were before.
9 When I [hk]scatter them among the peoples,
They will (XN)remember Me in distant countries,
And they with their children will live and come back.
10 I will (XO)bring them back from the land of Egypt
And gather them from Assyria;
And I will bring them into the land of (XP)Gilead and Lebanon
[hl]Until (XQ)no room can be found for them.
11 And they will pass through the (XR)sea of distress
And He will strike the waves in the sea,
So that all the depths of the (XS)Nile will dry up;
And the pride of (XT)Assyria will be brought down,
And the scepter of (XU)Egypt will depart.
12 And I will (XV)strengthen them in the Lord,
And in His name (XW)they will walk,” declares the Lord.
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