Bible in 90 Days
Learning How to Trust God
1 This is the message that was given to Habakkuk the prophet.
Habakkuk Complains
2 Lord, I continue to ask for help.
How long will you ignore me?
I cry out to you about violence,
but you do not save us!
3 Why do you let me see wrong things?
Why do you put up with evil?
People are destroying things and hurting others while I am looking.
They are arguing and fighting.
4 People are not forced to obey the teachings.
No one receives a fair trial.
Evil people gain while good people lose.
The judges no longer make fair decisions.
The Lord Answers
5 “You and your people, look at the nations!
Watch them and be amazed.
I will do something in your lifetime that will amaze you.
You won’t believe it even when you are told about it.
6 I will use the Babylonian people to punish the evil people.
The Babylonians are cruel and powerful fighters.
They march across the earth.
They take lands that don’t belong to them.
7 The Babylonians frighten other people.
They do what they want to do.
They are good only to themselves.
8 Their horses are faster than leopards
and more cruel than wolves at sunset.
Their horse soldiers attack quickly.
They come from places that are far away.
They attack quickly, like an eagle swooping down for food.
9 They all come to fight.
Their armies march quickly like a whirlwind in the desert.
Their prisoners are as many as the grains of sand.
10 The Babylonian soldiers laugh at kings.
They make fun of rulers.
They laugh at all the strong, walled cities.
They build dirt roads up to the top of the walls.
They capture the cities.
11 Then they leave like the wind and move on.
They are guilty of worshiping their own strength.”
Habakkuk Complains Again
12 Lord, you are the Lord who lives forever.
You are my God, my holy God.
You will not let those who trust you die.
Lord, you have chosen the Babylonians to punish people.
Our Rock, you created them to punish the people.
13 Your eyes are too good to look at evil.
You cannot stand to see people do wrong.
So how can you put up with those evil people?
How can you be quiet when wicked people defeat people who are better than they are?
14 You treat people like fish in the sea.
You treat them like sea animals without a leader.
15 The enemy catches all of them with hooks.
He catches them in his net.
He drags them in.
He is glad that he has caught them.
16 The enemy offers sacrifices to his net.
He burns incense to worship it.
This is because his net lets him live like a rich man.
His net lets him enjoy the best food.
17 Will he keep on taking riches with his net?
Will he go on destroying people without showing mercy?
2 I will stand like a guard to watch.
I will stand on the tower.
I will wait to see what the Lord will say to me.
I will wait to learn how to answer his complaint.
The Lord Answers
2 The Lord answered me:
“Write down what I show you.
Write it clearly on stone tablets
so whoever reads it can run to tell others.
3 It is not yet time for the message to come true.
But that time is coming soon.
The message will come true.
It may seem like a long time before it happens.
But be patient and wait for it.
These things will happen.
They will not be delayed.
4 See, the nation that is evil and trusts in itself will fail.
But those who do right because they trust in God will live.
5 “Wine can trick a person.
In the same way the Babylonians are fooled by their pride.
Their desire for wealth is like a grave’s desire for death.
They always want more and more.
And, like death, they collect other nations for themselves.
They make them their own people.
6 But all the nations the Babylonians have hurt will laugh at them.
They will make fun of the Babylonians.
They will say, ‘How terrible it will be for the nation that steals many things.
How long will that nation get rich by forcing others to pay them?’
7 “One day the people you have taken money from will turn against you.
They will realize what is happening and make you shake with fear.
Then they will hurt you.
8 You have stolen from many nations.
So the people who are left will take much from you.
This is because you have killed many people.
You have destroyed countries and cities and everyone in them.
9 “How terrible it will be for the nation that becomes rich by doing wrong.
They do those things to live in a safe place.
They think they will be safe from harm.
10 You have made plans to destroy many people.
This has made your own houses ashamed of you.
Because of it, you will lose your lives.
11 The stones of the walls will cry out against you.
Even the wooden boards that support the roof will agree that you are wrong.
12 “How terrible it will be for the nation that kills people to build a city.
How terrible for that nation that wrongs others to start a town.
13 The Lord of heaven’s armies will send fire
to destroy what those people have built.
All the nations’ work will be for nothing.
14 Then people everywhere will know the Lord’s greatness.
This news will spread like water covering the sea.
15 “How terrible for the nation that becomes angry and makes others suffer.
In anger they knock other people to the ground.
And they treat them as if they are naked and drunk.
16 You Babylonians will receive the Lord’s anger, not respect.
This anger will be like a cup of poison in the Lord’s right hand.
You will taste this anger and fall to the ground like a drunk person.
You will drink from this cup.
You will receive disgrace, not respect.
17 You hurt many people in Lebanon.
Now you will be hurt.
You killed many animals there.
And now you must be afraid.
You will be afraid because of what you did
to those cities and the people who lived in them.
The Message About Idols
18 “An idol does no good, because a man made it.
It is only a statue that teaches lies.
The person who made it expects his own work to help him.
But it can’t even speak!
19 How terrible it will be for the nation that says to a wooden statue, ‘Come to life!’
How terrible it will be when this nation says to a stone that cannot speak, ‘Get up!’
These things cannot tell them what to do.
That idol is only a statue covered with gold and silver.
There is no life in it.
20 The Lord is in his Holy Temple.
So all the earth should be silent in his presence.”
Habakkuk’s Prayer
3 This is the prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, on shigionoth.
2 Lord, I have heard the news about you.
Lord, I am amazed at the powerful things you have done.
Do great things once again in our time.
Make those things happen again in our own days.
Even when you are angry,
remember to be gentle with us.
3 God is coming from Teman in the south.
The Holy One comes from Mount Paran.[a] Selah
The Lord’s greatness covers the heavens.
His praise fills the earth.
4 He is like a bright light.
Rays of light shine from his hand.
And there he hides his power.
5 Sickness goes before him,
and fever follows behind him.
6 The Lord stands and shakes the earth.
He looks, and the nations shake with fear.
The mountains, which stood for ages, break into pieces.
The old hills fall down.
God has always done this.
7 I saw that the tents of Cushan were in trouble.
The tents of Midian trembled.
8 Lord, were you angry at the rivers?
Were you angry at the streams?
Were you angry with the sea
when you rode your horses and chariots to victory?[b]
9 You uncovered your bow.
You commanded many arrows to be brought to you. Selah
You split the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw you and shook with fear.
The rushing water flowed by.
The sea made a loud noise,
and its waves rose high.
11 The sun and moon stood still in the sky.
They stopped when they saw the flash of your flying arrows.
They stopped when they saw the gleam of your shining spear.
12 In anger you marched on the earth.
In anger you punished the nations.
13 You came to save your people.
You came to save your chosen one.
You crushed the leader of the wicked ones.
You took everything away from them. Selah
14 With the enemy’s own spear you stabbed the leader of his army.
His soldiers rushed out like a storm to scatter us.
They were happy as if
they were robbing the poor people in secret.
15 But you marched through the sea with your horses,
stirring the great waters.
16 I hear these things, and my body trembles.
My lips tremble when I hear the sound.
My bones feel weak.
My legs shake.
But I will wait patiently for the day of disaster.
That day is coming to the people who attack us.
17 Fig trees may not grow figs.
There may be no grapes on the vines.
There may be no olives growing on the trees.
There may be no food growing in the fields.
There may be no sheep in the pens.
There may be no cattle in the barns.
18 But I will still be glad in the Lord.
I will rejoice in God my Savior.
19 The Lord God gives me my strength.
He makes me like a deer, which does not stumble.
He leads me safely on the steep mountains.
For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.
The Lord’s Judgment
1 This is the message of the Lord that came through Zephaniah. It came while Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah. Zephaniah was the son of Cushi, who was the son of Gedaliah. Gedaliah was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Hezekiah.
2 “I will destroy everything
on earth,” says the Lord.
3 “I will destroy the people and animals.
I will destroy the birds in the air
and the fish of the sea.
I will ruin the evil people.
I will remove all the people from the earth,” says the Lord.
The Future of Judah
4 “I will punish Judah
and all the people living in Jerusalem.
I will remove from this place
all signs of Baal and his priests.
5 I will destroy those who worship
the stars from the roofs.[c]
I will destroy those who worship and make promises
by both the Lord and the god Molech.
6 I will destroy those who turned away from the Lord.
They quit following the Lord and consulting him.
7 Be silent before the Lord God.
His day for judging people is coming soon.
The Lord has prepared to sacrifice Judah.
He has appointed the invited guests to feast on Judah.
8 On that day the Lord will sacrifice Judah.
I, the Lord, will punish the princes and the king’s sons.
And I will punish all
those who wear foreign clothes.
9 On that day I will punish those who worship Dagon.
I will punish those who hurt others
and tell lies in the temples of their gods.
10 “On that day this will happen,” says the Lord.
“A cry will be heard at the Fish Gate.
A wail will come from the new area of the city.
A loud crash will echo from the hills.
11 The people living in the market area will wail.
All the merchants will be dead.
All the silver traders will be gone.
12 At that time I, the Lord, will search Jerusalem with lamps.
I will punish those who are settled and satisfied with themselves.
They are like wine left to settle.
They think, ‘The Lord never does anything.
He won’t help us or punish us.’
13 Their wealth will be stolen.
Their houses will be destroyed.
They may build houses,
but they will never live in them.
They may plant vineyards,
but they will never drink any wine from them.
The Lord’s Day of Judging
14 “The Lord’s day of judging is coming soon.
That great day is near and coming fast.
The cry will be very sad on that day.
Even soldiers will cry.
15 That day will be a day of anger.
It will be a day of terror and trouble.
It will be a day of destruction and ruin.
It will be a day of darkness and gloom.
It will be a day of clouds and blackness.
16 It will be a day of alarms and battle cries.
‘Attack the strong, walled cities!
Attack the corner towers!’
17 I will make life hard on the people.
They will walk around like blind men.
This is because they have sinned against the Lord.
Their blood will be poured out like dust.
And their bodies will be dumped like trash.
18 On that day God will show his anger.
Then neither their silver nor gold will save them.
The Lord’s anger will be like fire.
And the whole world will be burned up.
Suddenly he will bring an end
to everyone on earth.”
God Asks People to Change
2 Gather together,
you unwanted people.
2 Do it before it’s too late.
Do it before you are blown away like chaff.
Do it before the Lord’s terrible anger reaches you.
Do it before the day of the Lord’s anger comes to you.
3 All you who are not proud, come to the Lord.
You who obey his laws, come to him.
Do what is right. Learn to be humble.
Maybe you will escape
on the day the Lord shows his anger.
Philistia Will Be Punished
4 No one will be left in the city of Gaza.
The city of Ashkelon will be destroyed.
Ashdod will be empty by noon.
And the people of Ekron will be chased away.
5 How terrible it will be for you who live by the Mediterranean Sea,
you Philistines!
This message from the Lord is for you,
people of Canaan, land of the Philistines.
“I will destroy you.
No one will be left.”
6 You live in the land by the Mediterranean Sea.
It will be a place for shepherds and sheep.
7 Your land will belong to the descendants of Judah who are left alive.
There they will let their sheep eat grass.
At night they will sleep
in the houses of Ashkelon.
The Lord their God will come to be with them.
He will give them back their riches.
Moab and Ammon Will Be Punished
8 “I heard the country of Moab insult my people.
The country of Ammon threatened to take their land.”
9 So the Lord of heaven’s armies, the God of Israel, says,
“As surely as I live,
Moab will be destroyed like Sodom.
Ammon will be destroyed like Gomorrah.[d]
Their land will be covered with weeds and salt.
It will be destroyed forever.
Those of my people who are left alive will take whatever they want from them.
Those who are left from my nation will take their land.”
10 This is what Moab and Ammon get for being proud.
This will happen because they insulted and made fun of the people of the Lord of heaven’s armies.
11 Those people will be afraid of the Lord.
He will destroy all the gods of the earth.
Then those people in faraway places
will worship the Lord in their own countries.
Cush and Assyria Will Be Destroyed
12 “You Cushites also
will be killed by my sword.”
13 Then the Lord will turn against the north
and punish Assyria.
He will destroy Nineveh.
It will be dry like a desert.
14 Sheep and goats will lie down there.
Wild animals will live there.
The owls and crows will sit
on the stone pillars that are left standing.
Their calls will be heard through the windows.
Trash will be in the doorways.
The wooden boards of the buildings will be gone.
15 This is the happy and safe city.
It thinks there is no one else as strong as it is.
But that city will be destroyed.
Only animals will stay there.
Those who pass by will make fun
and shake their fists.
Jerusalem Will Be Punished
3 How terrible it will be for Jerusalem that hurts its own people.
It’s a wicked, stubborn city.
2 Her people don’t listen.
They can’t be taught to do right.
They don’t trust the Lord.
They don’t worship their God.
3 Their officers are like roaring lions.
Their rulers are like hungry wolves that attack in the evening.
In the morning nothing is left of those they attacked.
4 Their prophets are proud.
They cannot be trusted.
Their priests don’t respect holy things.
They break God’s teachings.
5 But the Lord is good, and he is there in that city.
He does no wrong.
Every morning he governs the people fairly.
Every day he can be trusted by his people.
But evil people are not ashamed of the bad things they do.
6 “I have destroyed other nations.
Their towers have fallen.
I made their streets empty.
No one goes there anymore.
Their cities are ruined.
No one lives there anymore.
7 I said, ‘Maybe now Jerusalem will respect me.
Maybe now my people will let me teach them to do right.’
Then the place where they lived would not be destroyed.
Then I would not have punished them.
They got up early in order to do evil.
Everything they did was bad.
8 Just wait,” says the Lord.
“Some day I will hold court and be the judge.
I will gather nations.
I will assemble kingdoms.
I will pour out my anger on them.
My anger will be very strong.
My anger will be like fire.
And the whole world will be burned up.
A New Day for God’s People
9 “Then I will make the people of all nations speak a pure language.
All of them will speak the name of the Lord.
And they will worship me together.
10 People will come from where the Nile River begins.
My scattered people will come with gifts for me.
11 Then Jerusalem will not be ashamed
of the wrongs done against me.
I will remove from this city
those who like to brag.
There will never be any more proud people
on my holy mountain in Jerusalem.
12 Only the meek and humble will
stay in my city.
And they will trust in the Lord.
13 Those who are left alive of Israel won’t do wrong.
They won’t tell lies.
They won’t trick people with their words.
They will be like sheep that eat and lie down.
No one will bother them.”
A Happy Song
14 Sing, Jerusalem.
Israel, shout for joy!
Jerusalem, be happy.
Rejoice with all your heart.
15 The Lord has stopped punishing you.
He has sent your enemies away.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is with you.
You will never again be afraid of being harmed.
16 On that day Jerusalem will be told,
“Don’t be afraid, city of Jerusalem.
Don’t be so discouraged that you can’t do anything.
17 The Lord your God is with you.
The mighty One will save you.
The Lord will be happy with you.
You will rest in his love.
He will sing and be joyful about you.”
18 “I will take away the sadness planned for you.
It would have made you very ashamed.
19 At that time I will punish
all those who harmed you.
I will save my people who are hurt.
I will gather my people who are scattered.
I will give them praise and honor
in every place where they were disgraced.
20 At that time I will gather you.
At that time I will bring you back home.
I will give you honor and praise
from people everywhere.
That will happen when I give you back your riches.
You will see this with your own eyes,” says the Lord.
It Is Time to Build the Temple
1 The prophet Haggai spoke the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel and to Joshua. Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel was governor of Judah. Joshua son of Jehozadak was high priest. This message came in the second year that Darius was king of Persia. It came on the first day of the sixth month of that year. This was the message:
2 “This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: ‘The people say the right time has not come to rebuild the Temple of the Lord.’”
3 Then Haggai the prophet spoke the word of the Lord: 4 “The Temple is still in ruins. Is it right for you to be living in fancy houses?”
5 This is why the Lord of heaven’s armies says: “Think about what you have done. 6 You have planted much, but you harvest little. You eat, but you do not become full. You drink, but you are still thirsty. You put on clothes, but you are not warm enough. You earn money, but then you lose it all. It is as if you put it into a purse full of holes.”
7 This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: “Think about what you have done. 8 Go up to the mountains. Bring back wood and build the Temple. Then I will be pleased with it and be honored,” says the Lord. 9 The Lord of heaven’s armies says: “You look for much, but you find little. When you bring it home, I destroy it. Why? Because you are busy working on your own houses. But my house is still in ruins! 10 Because of what you have done, the sky holds back its rain. And the ground holds back its crops. 11 I have called for a dry time in the land. There will be no rain in the mountains for the grain, new wine and olive oil. It will be a dry time for the plants which the earth produces. It will be a dry time for men and farm animals. The dry time will make your hard work useless.”
12 Zerubbabel was the son of Shealtiel. And Joshua, the high priest, was the son of Jehozadak. Zerubbabel and Joshua obeyed the Lord their God. And they obeyed the message from Haggai the prophet. All the rest of the people who were left alive also obeyed. This was because they realized that the Lord their God had sent Haggai. And they feared the Lord.
13 The Lord sent a message to Haggai, the Lord’s messenger. Haggai gave this message to the people. He said: “The Lord says, ‘I am with you.’” 14 The Lord made Zerubbabel and Joshua excited about building the Temple. Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel was the governor of Judah. Joshua son of Jehozadak was the high priest. The Lord made all the rest of the people who were left alive excited, too. They came and worked on the Temple of their God, the Lord of heaven’s armies. 15 They began on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month. This was in the second year that Darius was king of Persia.
The Beauty of the Temple
2 The Lord spoke his word through Haggai the prophet on the twenty-first day of the seventh month. This is what the Lord said: 2 “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah. Speak also to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. And speak to the rest of the people who were left alive. Say: 3 ‘Do any of you who are still alive remember how beautiful the Temple was before it was destroyed? What does it look like now? The truth is it means nothing to you!’ 4 But the Lord says: ‘Zerubbabel, be brave. Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, be brave. And all you people who live in the land, be brave,’ says the Lord. ‘Work, because I am with you,’ says the Lord of heaven’s armies. 5 ‘I made a promise to you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit is still with you. So don’t be afraid.’
6 “This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: ‘In a short time I will shake the heavens and earth once again. And I will shake the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all the nations. All the nations will bring their wealth. Then I will fill this Temple with glory,’ says the Lord of heaven’s armies. 8 ‘The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,’ says the Lord of heaven’s armies. 9 ‘The new Temple will be more beautiful than the one that was destroyed,’ says the Lord of heaven’s armies. ‘And in this place I will give peace to the people,’ says the Lord of heaven’s armies.”
10 The Lord spoke his word to Haggai the prophet. This was on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. It was in the second year that Darius was king of Persia. This is what the Lord said: 11 “This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: ‘Ask the priests what the teachings say. 12 A person might carry meat made holy for the Lord in the fold of his clothes. And that fold might touch bread, cooked food, wine, olive oil or some other food. Will the thing the fold touches be made holy for the Lord, too?’”
The priests answered, “No.”
13 Then Haggai said, “A person who touches a dead body will become unclean. If he touches any of these foods, will it become unclean, too?”
The priests answered, “Yes. It would become unclean.”
14 Then Haggai answered, “The Lord says this: ‘This is also true for the people of this nation. They are unclean, and everything they do with their hands is unclean to me. If these people offer something at the altar to me, it is also unclean.
15 “‘Think about this from now on! Think about how it was before you started piling stones on top of stones. Think about how it was before you started building the Temple of the Lord. 16 A person used to come to a pile of grain expecting to find 20 basketfuls. But there were only 10. And a person used to come to the wine vat to take out 50 jarfuls. But only 20 were there. 17 I destroyed your work with diseases, mildew and hail. But you still did not come to me.’ The Lord says this. 18 ‘It is the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. On this day the people finished working on the foundation of the Temple of the Lord. From now on, think about these things: 19 Do you have seeds for your crops already in the barn? No! Your vines and trees are not giving fruit yet, either. You don’t have any figs, pomegranates or olives yet. But from now on I will bless you!’”
The Lord Makes a Promise to Zerubbabel
20 Then the Lord spoke his word a second time to Haggai. It was on the twenty-fourth day of the month. This is what the Lord said: 21 “Tell Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah: ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will destroy the foreign kingdoms. I will take away the power of the kingdoms of the nations. I will destroy the chariots and their riders. The horses will fall with their riders. People will kill each other with swords.’ 23 The Lord of heaven’s armies says this: ‘On that day I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant.’ The Lord says this: ‘I will make you important like my signet ring. This is because I have chosen you!’ says the Lord of heaven’s armies.”
The Lord Calls His People Back
1 It was the eighth month of the second year Darius was king of Persia. The Lord spoke his word to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah. Berekiah was the son of Iddo. The Lord said:
2 “The Lord was very angry with your ancestors. 3 So tell the people: This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: ‘Return to me, and I will return to you.’ 4 Don’t be like your ancestors. In the past the prophets spoke to them. They said: This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: ‘Stop your evil ways and evil actions.’ But they wouldn’t listen or pay attention to me, says the Lord. 5 Your ancestors are dead. And those prophets didn’t live forever. 6 I commanded my words and laws to my servants the prophets. They preached to your ancestors, who returned to me. They said, ‘The Lord of heaven’s armies did as he said he would. He punished us for the way we lived and for what we did.’”
The Vision of the Horses
7 It was on the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is called Shebat. It was Darius’s second year as king. The Lord spoke his word to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah. Berekiah was the son of Iddo.
8 During the night I had a vision. I saw a man riding a red horse. He was standing among some myrtle trees in the ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses.
9 I asked, “What are these, sir?”
The angel who was talking with me answered. He said, “I’ll show you what they are.”
10 Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained. He said, “They are the ones the Lord sent through all the earth.”
11 Then they spoke to the Lord’s angel. He was standing among the myrtle trees. They said, “We have gone through all the earth. Everything is calm and quiet.”
12 Then the Lord’s angel asked, “Lord of heaven’s armies, how long before you show mercy to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah? You have been angry with them for 70 years now.” 13 Then the Lord answered the angel who was talking with me. His words were comforting and good.
14 Then the angel told me, “Announce this: This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: ‘I have a strong love for Jerusalem. 15 And I am very angry with the nations that feel so safe. I was only a little angry, but they made things worse for my people.’
16 “So this is what the Lord says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy. My Temple will be rebuilt,’ says the Lord of heaven’s armies. ‘And the measuring line will be used to rebuild Jerusalem.’
17 “Also announce: This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: ‘My towns will be rich again. I will comfort Jerusalem again. I will still choose Jerusalem.’”
The Vision of the Horns
18 Then I looked up and saw four animal horns. 19 I asked the angel who was talking with me, “What are these?”
He said, “These are the strong nations that scattered the people of Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.”
20 Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. 21 I asked, “What are they coming to do?”
He answered, “They have come to scare and throw down the horns. Those horns scattered the people of Judah. No one could even lift up his head. The horns stand for the strong nations that attacked the people of Judah and scattered them.”
The Vision of the Measuring Line
2 Then I looked up. And I saw a man holding a line for measuring things. 2 I asked him, “Where are you going?”
He said to me, “I am going to measure Jerusalem. I will see how wide and how long it is.”
3 Then the angel who was talking with me left. And another angel came out to meet him. 4 The second angel said to him, “Run and tell that young man this: ‘Jerusalem will become a city without walls because there will be so many people and cattle in it. 5 I will be a wall of fire around it,’ says the Lord. ‘And I will be the glory within it.’
6 “Hurry! Run away from Babylon. I have scattered you in all directions,” says the Lord.
7 “Hurry, people of Jerusalem! Escape from Babylon.” 8 This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: “Whoever hurts you hurts what is precious to me.”
So the Lord will honor me. And he will send me to speak against those nations who scattered you. 9 “I will raise my hand against them. Their slaves will rob them.”
Then you will know that the Lord of heaven’s armies sent me.
10 “Shout and be glad, Jerusalem. I am coming, and I will live among you,” says the Lord. 11 “At that time people from many nations will come to the Lord. And they will become my people. I will live among you. And you will know that the Lord of heaven’s armies has sent me to you. 12 Judah will be the Lord’s special part of the holy land. And Jerusalem will be his chosen city again. 13 Be silent, everyone. The Lord is coming out of the holy place where he lives.”
The Vision of the High Priest
3 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest. He was standing in front of the Lord’s angel. And Satan was standing by Joshua’s right side to accuse him. 2 The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord says you are guilty, Satan. The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem says you are guilty. This man was like a burning stick pulled from the fire.”
3 Joshua was standing in front of the angel. And Joshua was wearing dirty clothes. 4 Then the angel spoke to those standing near him. He said, “Take those dirty clothes off Joshua.”
Then the angel said to Joshua, “Look, I have taken away your sin. And I am giving you new clothes.”
5 Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head. They also dressed him while the Lord’s angel stood there.
6 Then the Lord’s angel said to Joshua, “This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: 7 ‘Do as I tell you and serve me. Then you will be in charge of my Temple. You will take care of my courtyards. And I will let you be with these angels who are standing here.
8 “‘Listen, high priest Joshua and the people with you. You stand for things that will happen. I am going to bring my servant called the Branch. 9 Look, I put this stone in front of Joshua. The stone has seven sides. I will carve a message on it,’ says the Lord of heaven’s armies. ‘And in one day I will take away the sin of this land.’
10 “The Lord of heaven’s armies says, ‘In that day, each of you will invite your neighbor to join you. And you will sit together under your own grapevine and under your own fig tree.’”
The Vision of the Lampstand
4 Then the angel who was talking with me came back. He woke me up as if I had been asleep. 2 He asked me, “What do you see?”
I said, “I see a solid gold lampstand. There is a bowl at the top. And there are seven lamps. There are also seven places for wicks. 3 There are two olive trees by it. One is on the right of the bowl. And one is on the left.”
4 I asked the angel who talked with me, “Sir, what are these?”
5 The angel said, “Don’t you know what they are?”
“No, sir,” I said.
6 Then he told me, “This is the message from the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘You will not succeed by your own strength or by your own power. The power will come from my Spirit,’ says the Lord of heaven’s armies.
7 “No mountain can stand in Zerubbabel’s way. It will be flattened. Then he will bring out the topmost stone. There will be shouts of ‘It’s beautiful! It’s beautiful!’”
8 Then the Lord spoke his word to me again. He said: 9 “Zerubbabel has laid the foundation of this Temple. He will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of heaven’s armies has sent me to you.
10 “The people should not think that small beginnings are unimportant. They will be happy when they see Zerubbabel with tools, building the Temple.
“(These seven lamps stand for the eyes of the Lord. They look back and forth across the earth.)”
11 Then I asked the angel, “What are the two olive trees on the right and left of the lampstand?”
12 I also asked him, “What are the two branches full of olives? The olive oil flows through the two gold pipes to the lamps.”
13 He answered, “Don’t you know what they are?”
“No, sir,” I said.
14 So he said, “They stand for two men. They have been appointed to serve the Lord of all the earth.”
The Vision of the Flying Scroll
5 I looked up again. And I saw a flying scroll.
2 The angel asked me, “What do you see?”
I answered, “I see a flying scroll. It is 30 feet long and 15 feet wide.”
3 And he said to me, “This is the curse that will go all over the land. One side says every thief will be sent away. The other side says everyone who makes false promises will be sent away. 4 The Lord of heaven’s armies says, ‘I will send it to the houses of thieves. I will also send it to those who use my name to make false promises. The scroll will stay in that person’s house. And it will destroy the house with its wood and stones.’”
The Vision of the Woman
5 Then the angel who was talking with me came forward. He said to me, “Look up and see what is coming.”
6 I asked, “What is it?”
He answered, “It is a measuring basket.” He also said, “It stands for the people’s sins in all the land.”
7 Then the lid made of lead was raised. There was a woman sitting in the basket. 8 The angel said, “The woman stands for wickedness.” Then he pushed her back into the basket. And he put the lid back down.
9 Then I looked up. I saw two women. They had wind in their wings. Their wings were like those of a stork. They lifted up the basket into the sky.
10 I spoke to the angel who was talking with me. I asked, “Where are they taking the basket?”
11 He answered, “They are going to Babylonia. They will build a temple for it. When the temple is ready, they will set the basket there in its place.”
The Vision of the Four Chariots
6 I looked up again. I saw four chariots coming from between two mountains. They were mountains of bronze. 2 Red horses pulled the first chariot. Black horses pulled the second chariot. 3 White horses pulled the third chariot. And strong, spotted horses pulled the fourth chariot. 4 I spoke to the angel who was talking with me. I asked, “What are these, sir?”
5 He said, “These are going to the four directions on earth. They have just come from the presence of the Lord of the whole world. 6 The chariot pulled by the black horses will go north. The white horses will go west. And the spotted horses will go south.”
7 The powerful horses were trying to go through all the earth. So he said, “Go through all the earth.” And they did.
8 Then he called to me, “Look. The horses that went north have calmed the Lord’s anger that came from there to punish.”
A Crown for Joshua
9 The Lord spoke his word to me. He said: 10 “Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah were captives in Babylon. Get silver and gold from them. Go that same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. 11 Make the silver and gold into a crown. And put it on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak. Joshua is the high priest. 12 Tell him this is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: ‘There is a man whose name is the Branch. He will branch out from where he is. He will build the Temple of the Lord. 13 One man[e] will build the Temple of the Lord. And the other[f] will receive the honor of a king. One man will sit on his throne and rule. And the other will be a priest on his throne. And these two men will work together in peace.’ 14 The crown will be kept in the Temple of the Lord. It will remind Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Josiah son of Zephaniah of God’s king. 15 People living far away will come and build the Temple of the Lord. Then you will know the Lord of heaven’s armies has sent me to you. This will happen if you completely obey the Lord your God.”
The People Should Show Mercy
7 It was the fourth year of King Darius’s rule. It was on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is called Kislev. The Lord spoke his word to Zechariah. 2 The city of Bethel sent Sharezer, Regem-Melech and their men to ask the Lord a question. 3 They went to the prophets and priests. They were at the Temple of the Lord of heaven’s armies. The men said, “For years the fifth month of each year has been a special time for us. We have shown our sadness and gone without food in this month. Should we continue to do this?”
4 The Lord of heaven’s armies spoke his word to me. He said, 5 “Tell the priests and the people in the country this: ‘For 70 years you went without food and cried in the fifth and seventh months. But that was not really for me. 6 And when you ate and drank, it was really for yourselves. 7 The Lord used the earlier prophets to say the same thing. Jerusalem and the surrounding towns were at peace and wealthy then. People lived in the southern area and the western mountain slopes.’”
8 And the Lord spoke his word to Zechariah again: 9 “This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: ‘Do what is right and fair. Be kind and merciful to each other. 10 Don’t hurt widows and orphans, foreigners or the poor. Don’t even think of doing evil to somebody else.’
11 “But they refused to pay attention. They were stubborn and would not listen. 12 They made their hearts as hard as rock. They would not listen to the teachings of the Lord of heaven’s armies. And they would not hear his words through the earlier prophets. So the Lord of heaven’s armies became very angry.
13 “The Lord of heaven’s armies says, ‘When I called to them, they would not listen. So when they called to me, I would not listen. 14 I scattered them like a hurricane to other countries. These were countries they did not know. This good land was left so ruined that no one could live there.’”
The Lord Will Bless Jerusalem
8 The Lord of heaven’s armies spoke his word to me again. 2 This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: “I have a very strong love for Jerusalem. My strong love for her is like a fire burning in me.”
3 This is what the Lord says: “I will return to Jerusalem. I will live in Jerusalem. Then it will be called the City of Truth. And the mountain of the Lord of heaven’s armies will be called the Holy Mountain.”
4 This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: “Old men and old women will again sit along Jerusalem’s streets. Each will carry a cane because of his age. 5 And the streets will be filled with boys and girls playing.”
6 This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: “Those who are left alive then may think it is too difficult to happen. But it is not too difficult for me,” says the Lord of heaven’s armies. 7 This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: “I will save my people from countries in the east and west. 8 I will bring them back. And they will live in Jerusalem. They will be my people. And I will be their good and loyal God.”
9 This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: “Be strong, you who are hearing these words today. The prophets spoke these words when the foundation was laid for the building of the Temple. 10 Before that time there was no money to hire men or animals. People could not safely come and go because of the enemies. I had turned everyone against his neighbor. 11 But I will not do to these people who are left alive what I did in the past,” says the Lord of heaven’s armies.
12 “Their seeds will come up. Their grapevines will have fruit. The ground will give good crops. And the sky will send rain. I will give all this to those who are left alive. 13 Judah and Israel, your names have been used as curses. But I will save you. And you will be a blessing. So don’t be afraid. Be strong.”
14 This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: “Your ancestors made me angry. So I planned to punish you. I had no mercy,” says the Lord of heaven’s armies. 15 “But now I am planning to do good to Jerusalem and Judah. So don’t be afraid. 16 But do these things: Tell each other the truth. In the courts judge with truth and complete fairness. 17 Do not make plans to hurt your neighbors. And don’t make false promises. I hate all these things,” says the Lord.
18 The Lord of heaven’s armies spoke his word to me again. 19 This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: “You have special days when you give up eating. These days are in the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months. Those days will become good, joyful, happy feasts in Judah. But you must love truth and peace.”
20 This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: “Many people from many cities will still come to Jerusalem. 21 People from one city will say to those from another city, ‘We are going to pray to the Lord. We want to ask the Lord of heaven’s armies for help. Come and go with us.’ 22 Many people and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem. They will worship the Lord of heaven’s armies. They will pray to the Lord.”
23 This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: “At that time, ten men from different countries with different languages will come. They will take hold of one Jew by his coat. They will say to him, ‘Let us go with you. We have heard that God is with you.’”
Punishment on Israel’s Enemies
9 This message is the word of the Lord.
The message is against the land of Hadrach.
And it is against the city of Damascus.
The tribes of Israel and all people
belong to the Lord.
2 The Lord’s message is also against the city of Hamath, which is on the border of the land of Hadrach.
The Lord’s message is against Tyre and Sidon, with their skill.
3 Tyre has built a strong, walled city.
The people have piled up silver like dust.
They have as much gold as mud in the streets.
4 But the Lord will take away all she has.
He will destroy her power on the sea.
That city will be destroyed by fire.
5 The city of Ashkelon will see it and be afraid.
The people of Gaza will shake with fear.
And the people of Ekron will lose hope.
No king will be left in Gaza.
And no one will live in Ashkelon anymore.
6 Foreigners will live in Ashdod.
And I will destroy the pride of the Philistines.
7 I will stop them from drinking blood.
They will not eat any other forbidden food.
Those left alive will belong to God.
They will be leaders in Judah.
And Ekron will become part of my people like the Jebusites.
8 I will protect my Temple
from armies who come and go.
No one will hurt my people again
because now I am guarding it.
The King Is Coming
9 Rejoice, people of Jerusalem.
Shout for joy, people of Jerusalem.
Your king is coming to you.
He does what is right, and he saves.
He is gentle and riding on a donkey.
He is on the colt of a donkey.
10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
and the horses from Jerusalem.
The bows used in war will be broken.
The king will talk to the nations about peace.
His kingdom will go from sea to sea,
and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.
11 My people, I made an agreement with you
and sealed it with the blood of sacrifices.
Because of this, I will set your prisoners free from captivity,
which is like a dry pit.
12 You prisoners who have hope,
return to your place of safety.
Today I am telling you
that I will give you back twice as much as before.
13 I will use Judah like a bow.
And Ephraim will be like the arrows.
Jerusalem, I will use your men
to fight the men of Greece.
I will make you like the sword of a warrior.
14 Then the Lord will appear to them.
He will shoot his arrows like lightning.
The Lord God will blow the trumpet.
And he will march in the storms of the south.
15 The Lord of heaven’s armies will protect them.
They will destroy the enemy with slingshots.
They will drink and shout like drunk men.
They will be filled like a bowl
used for sprinkling blood at the corners of the altar.
16 On that day the Lord their God will save them
as if his people were sheep.
They will shine in his land
like jewels in a crown.
17 They will be so pretty and beautiful.
The young men will grow strong on the grain.
And the young women will grow strong on new wine.
The Lord’s Promises
10 Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime.
The Lord makes the clouds.
He sends the showers.
And he gives everyone green fields.
2 Idols tell lies.
Fortune-tellers see false visions.
They tell about false dreams.
The comfort they give is worth nothing.
So the people are like lost sheep.
They are abused because there is no shepherd.
3 The Lord says, “I am angry at my shepherds.
I will punish the leaders.
I, the Lord of heaven’s armies, will care
for my flock, which is the people of Judah.
I will make them like my proud war horses.
4 From Judah will come the cornerstone
and the tent peg.
From him will come the battle bow.
From him will come every ruler.
5 They will be like soldiers
marching to battle through muddy streets.
The Lord is with them.
So they will fight and defeat the horsemen.
6 “I will strengthen the people of Judah.
And I will save the people of Joseph.
I will bring them back
because I care for them.
It will be as though
I had never left them.
I am the Lord their God,
and I will answer their calls for help.
7 The people of Ephraim will be strong like soldiers.
They will be glad as when they have drunk wine.
Their children will see it and rejoice.
They will be happy in the Lord.
8 I will call my people
and gather them together.
I will save them.
And there will be as many of them as there used to be.
9 I have scattered them among the nations.
But in those faraway places, they will remember me.
They and their children will live and return.
10 I will bring them back from Egypt.
I will gather them from Assyria.
I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon.
There won’t be enough room in the land for them all.
11 They will come through their sea of trouble.
The waves of the sea will be calm.
And the Nile River will dry up.
I will defeat Assyria’s pride.
I will destroy Egypt’s power over other countries.
12 I will make my people strong.
And they will live as I say,” says the Lord.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.