Bible in 90 Days
Habakkuk’s Oracle
1 The pronouncement[a] that the prophet Habakkuk[b] perceived.
The Prophet’s First Complaint
2 “How long, Lord, must I cry out for help,
but you won’t listen?
I’m crying out to you, ‘Violence!’
but you aren’t providing deliverance.
3 Why are you forcing me to look at iniquity
and to stare at wickedness?
Social havoc and oppression are all around me;
there are legal conflicts, and disputes abound.
4 Therefore, the Law has become paralyzed,
and justice never comes about.
Because criminals outnumber[c] the righteous,
whenever judgments are issued, they come out crooked.”
God’s Response: The Coming Chaldean Invasion
5 “Look out at the nations and pay attention!
Be astounded! Be really astounded!
Because something is happening in your lifetime
that you won’t believe, even if it were described down to the smallest detail.[d]
6 Watch out! For I am bringing in the Chaldeans,[e]
that cruel and impetuous[f] people,
who sweep across the earth
dispossessing people[g] from homes not their own.
7 They are terrible and fearsome;
their brand of justice and sense of honor derive only from themselves!
8 Their horses are swifter than leopards,
and more cunning than wolves that attack at night.
Their horsemen are galloping
as they approach from far away.
They swoop in like ravenous vultures.[h]
9 “They all come to oppress—
hordes of them, their faces pressing onward—
they take prisoners as numerous as[i] the desert sand!
10 They make fun of kings,
deriding those who rule.
They laugh at all of the fortified places,
constructing ramps to seize them.
11 Then like[j] the wind sweeping by
they will pass through—
they’re guilty because they say[k] their power is their god.”
The Prophet’s Second Complaint
12 “Haven’t you existed forever,
Lord my God, my Holy One?
We won’t die!
Lord, you’ve prepared them[l] for judgment;
Rock, you’ve sentenced them[m] to correction.
13 Your eyes are too pure to gaze upon evil;
and you cannot tolerate wickedness.
So why do you tolerate the treacherous?
And why do you stay silent
while the wicked devour those who are more righteous than they are?
14 “You have fashioned mankind like fish in the ocean,
like creeping things that have no ruler.
15 The adversary[n] captures them with a hook,
gathering them up in a fishing net.
He collects them with a dragnet,
rejoicing and gloating over his catch.[o]
16 Therefore he sacrifices to his fishing net,
and burns incense in the presence of his dragnet,
because by them his assets increase
and he gets plenty of food.
17 Is he to continue to empty his fishing net?
Will he ever stop killing entire[p] nations without mercy?”
Habakkuk Waits for God’s Answer
2 “I will stand at my guard post
and station myself on a tower.
I will wait and see what the Lord[q] will say about me
and what I[r] will answer when he reprimands me.[s]”
God’s Reply to the Prophet’s Complaint
2 When he answered, the Lord told me:
“Write out the revelation,
engraving it clearly on the tablets,
so that a courier may run with it.[t]
3 For the revelation pertains to an appointed time—
it speaks truthfully[u] about the end.
Though it delays, wait for it,
because it will surely come about—
it will not be late!
4 “Notice their[v] arrogance—
they have no inward uprightness[w]—
but the righteous will live by their faith.
5 Moreover, just as wine leads astray the proud and powerful man,
he[x] remains restless;
he[y] has expanded his appetite—
like the afterlife[z] or death itself, he[aa] is never satisfied.
He[ab] gathers to himself all of the nations,
taking captive all of the people for himself.”
Judgment on the Plunderer of Nations
6 “Will not all of these ridicule him
with mocking scorn? They will say,
‘Woe to the one who hordes for himself what isn’t his.
How long will you enrich yourself by extortion?’[ac]
7 Won’t your creditors revolt unexpectedly?
Won’t those who make you tremble wake up?
As a result, you’ll become their prey!
8 Because you plundered many nations,
all of their remnants will plunder you.
Human blood has been shed,[ad]
and violence has been done to[ae] the land,
to the city, and to all who live in it.”
Judgment on Those who Think They are Safe
9 “Woe to the one who amasses profit upon unjust profit
in order to establish his household,
so he can establish a secure place[af] on the heights
and escape from the power of evil.
10 You have brought shame to yourself[ag] by killing many people—
you are forfeiting your own life.
11 Indeed, the stone will cry out from the wall
and the rafter will respond from the woodwork.”
Judgment on the Lawless
12 “Woe to the one who founds a city upon bloodshed,
and constructs a city by lawlessness.
13 Is it not because of the Lord of the Heavenly Armies
that people grow tired putting out fires,[ah]
and nations weary themselves over nothing?
14 Indeed, the earth will be filled
with knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
as water fills[ai] the sea.”
Judgment on the Violent
15 “Woe to the one who supplies his neighbor with a drink!
You are forcing your bottle[aj] on him,[ak]
making him drunk so you can see them naked.
16 You are filled with dishonor instead of glory.
So go ahead,[al] drink and be naked!
The Lord[am] will turn against you,
and utter disgrace will debase your reputation.[an]
17 Indeed, the violence done to Lebanon will overtake you,
and the destruction of the beasts will terrorize you—[ao]
because you shed human blood
and did violence to[ap] the land, to the city, and to all who live in it.”
Judgment on the Idol Maker
18 “Where is the benefit in owning[aq] a carved image,
that motivates its maker to carve[ar] it?
It is only a cast image—
a teacher that lies—
because the engraver entrusts himself to his carving,
crafting speechless idols.
19 “Woe to the one who says to a tree, ‘Wake up!’
or ‘Arise!’ to a speechless stone.
Idols[as] like this can’t teach, can they?
Look, even though it is overlaid with gold and silver,
there’s no breath in it at all.”
The Lord’s Final Counsel to Habakkuk
20 “The Lord is in his holy Temple.
All the earth—be quiet in his presence.”
Habakkuk’s Prayer of Faith
3 A prayer by the prophet Habakkuk, set to music.[at]
2 Lord, as I listen to what has been said about you,
I am afraid.
Lord, revive your work throughout all of our lives—
reveal yourself[au] throughout all of our lives—
when you[av] are angry,
remember compassion.
3 God comes from Teman[aw]—
the Holy One from Mount Paran.[ax]
His glory spreads throughout the heavens,
and praises about him fill the earth.
4 His radiance is like sunlight;
beams of light shine[ay] from his hand,
where his strength lays hidden.
5 Before him pestilence walks,
and disease follows behind him.[az]
6 He stood up and shook the land;
with his stare he startled the nations.
The age-old mountains were shattered,
and the ancient hilltops bowed down.
His ways are eternal.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,
and the tent curtains of the land of Midian in anguish.
8 Was the Lord displeased with the rivers?
Was your anger directed[ba] against the watercourses
or your wrath against the sea?
Indeed, you rode upon your horses,
upon your chariots of deliverance.
9 Your bow was exposed,
and your[bb] arrows targeted by command.
You split the earth with rivers.
10 When the mountains looked upon you, they trembled;
the overflowing water passed by,
the ocean shouted,
and its waves[bc] surged upward.
11 The sun and moon stand still in their orbits;
at the glint of your arrows they speed along,
even at the gleam of your flashing spear.
12 You march through the land in righteous[bd] indignation;
you tread down the nations in anger.
13 You marched out to deliver your people,
to deliver with your anointed.
You struck the head of the house of the wicked;
you stripped him naked from head to foot.
14 With his own lances you pierced the heads of his warriors,
who came out like a windstorm to scatter us[be]—
their joy is to devour the afflicted who are in hiding.
15 You rode on the sea with your horses,
even riding[bf] the crested waves of mighty waters.
Habakkuk’s Response
16 I heard and I trembled within.
My lips quivered at the noise.
My legs gave way beneath me,[bg]
and I trembled.
Nevertheless, I await the day of distress
that will dawn on our invaders.
17 Even though the fig tree does not blossom,
and there are no grapes on the vines;
even if the olive harvest fails,
and the fields produce nothing edible;
even if the flock is snatched from the sheepfold,
and there is no herd in the stalls—
18 as for me, I will rejoice in the Lord.
I will find my joy in the God who delivers me.
19 The Lord God is my strength—
he will make my feet like those of a deer,
equipping me to tread on my mountain heights.
For the choir director:
On my stringed instruments.
The Imminent Destruction of Judah
1 This message from the Lord came to Cushi’s son Zephaniah,[bh] the grandson of Gedaliah and great-grandson of Hezekiah’s son Amariah, during the reign[bi] of Amon’s son Josiah, king of Judah:
2 “I’ll utterly sweep away everything from[bj] the land,”
declares the Lord.
3 “I’ll consume both human beings and animals—
I’ll consume the birds of the sky,
the fish in the sea,
and the wicked along with their sin,[bk]
when I eliminate human beings from the land,”
declares the Lord.
4 “I will also stretch out my hand against Judah,
and upon all inhabitants of Jerusalem.
I’ll wipe out every trace of Baal from this place,
and the name[bl] of the pagan priests[bm],
along with my own[bn] priests.
5 I’ll wipe out[bo] those who worship the stars
that they view[bp] from their housetops,
those who bow down and swear to the Lord
and who also swear by Milcom,[bq]
6 those who turn away from the Lord,
don’t seek the Lord,
and never ask for his help.[br]”
The Approaching Day of the Lord
7 Remain silent in the presence of the Lord God,
because the Day of the Lord approaches,
and because the Lord has prepared a sacrifice
for those whom he has invited to be consecrated.
8 “It will come about during[bs] the Lord’s sacrifice
that I’ll punish the officials,[bt] the royal descendants,
and all who wear foreign clothing.[bu]
9 At the same time, I’ll punish every idol worshipper,[bv]
especially those who are filling their master’s temple with violence and deceit.
10 When all of this happens,”[bw] declares the Lord,
“a loud shriek will come[bx] from the Fish Gate,
and howling from the Mishneh[by] Quarter,
along with great destruction from the hills.”
Divine Judgment on the Business Community
11 “Wail, you who live in the market district,
because all of the merchants will be crushed
and all of their customers[bz] will be eliminated.[ca]
12 And it will come about that I will search Jerusalem with candles,[cb]
punishing the self-satisfied and complacent,
who say to themselves,
‘The Lord will do neither good nor evil.’
13 Therefore their possessions will be seized as plunder
and their homes left in ruins.
They may build houses,
but they won’t live in them.
They may plant vineyards,
but they won’t drink their wine.”
Zephaniah’s Description of the Day of the Lord
14 “The great Day of the Lord approaches—
How it comes, hurrying faster and faster!
The sound of the Day of the Lord there
includes the bitter cry of the mighty soldier.
15 That day will be filled with wrath,
a day of trouble and tribulation,
a day of desolation and devastation,
a day of doom and gloom,
a day of clouds and shadows,[cc]
16 a day of trumpet and battle cry
against fortified cities and watch[cd] towers.
17 “And I’ll bring so much distress to people
that they will walk around like the blind.
Because they have sinned against the Lord,
their blood will be poured out like dust
and their intestines will spill out[ce] like manure.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold will deliver them
in the Day of the Lord’s wrath;
but the entire land will be consumed
by the fire of his jealousy,
for he will bring the inhabitants of the land to a sudden end.”
A Plea for Repentance to the People
2 “Gather together!
Yes, indeed, gather together,
you shameless nation!
2 Before the decree is carried out,
before the day flies away like chaff,
before the fierce anger of the Lord visits you,
before the Day of the Lord’s wrath surprises[cf] you,
3 seek the Lord, all you humble people of the land,
who do what he commands.
Seek righteousness!
Seek humility!
Maybe you will be protected in the Day of the Lord’s anger.”
The Coming Destruction of Philistine Cities
4 “For Gaza will be forsaken,[cg]
and Ashkelon deserted—
Ashdod will be emptied at high noon;
even Ekron will be uprooted.[ch]
5 Woe to those who live along the coast,
the people of Philistia![ci]
This message from the Lord is being spoken against you,
Canaan, land of the Philistines:
‘I’ll destroy you until no one lives there!’
6 The Philistine[cj] coast will become meadows
for shepherds and sheep pens.
7 The survivors of Judah will find pasture on it;
at twilight they will lie down in the houses of Ashkelon,
for the Lord their God will visit them,
restoring their prosperity.”[ck]
The Lord’s Rebuke to Moab and Ammon
8 “I’ve heard Moab’s insults
and the curses from those Ammonites[cl]
by which they defame my people
and boast about their territory.
9 Therefore as I’m alive and living,” declares the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel,
“Moab will surely become like Sodom,
and the Ammonites[cm] like Gomorrah,
a place overrun by weeds and salty marshes,
unpopulated forever.
The survivors of my people will confiscate their property,
and those who remain of my nation will inherit what was theirs.[cn]
10 This they[co] will have in lieu of their pride,
because they have insulted and mocked the people of the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.
11 The Lord will incite them to terror,
because he will cause all the gods of the earth to waste away.
They will worship him,
every person in his own home,
including even the coastlands of the nations.”
The Lord’s Rebuke to Cush and Nineveh
13 “And the Lord[cr] will attack[cs] the north, destroying Assyria.
He will turn Nineveh into a desolate ruin,
as dry as a desert wilderness.
14 Flocks will lie down in her midst,
along with animals of every kind.
Desert owls and screeching owls will nest at the top of the pillars,
hooting through the vacant[ct] windows,
‘Ruin sits at these doorsills,’
for he will expose even the cedar framework.
15 This is that carefree city that lived irresponsibly,
that told herself, ‘Me first!’[cu]
and, ‘There will be no one else!’
How ruined she has become—
a habitat for wild animals!
Everyone who passes by her will sneer at her
and make obscene gestures!”[cv]
The Lord’s Rebuke to Jerusalem
3 Woe to this filthy, polluted, and oppressive city!
2 It won’t obey anyone.[cw]
It won’t accept discipline.
It does not trust in the Lord.
It does not approach God.
3 Its national officials[cx] are roaring lions;
its judges are like wolves of the night
that don’t leave the bones for the morning.
4 Its prophets are arrogant and treacherous.
Its priests have contaminated the sanctuary.
They give perverse interpretations of the Law.[cy]
5 The righteous Lord who lives[cz] within her will do no wrong;
he will bring justice to light morning by morning.
He never fails,
but the unjust are shameless.
The Integrity of God’s Justice
6 “I have destroyed[da] nations—
their fortifications are deserted.
I have turned their main thoroughfares into wastelands
where no one will travel.
Their cities are desolate;
as a result, not one man remains—
no, not even a single resident.
7 I have said, ‘If only you would fear me,
if only you would take my instructions to heart.’
Then their houses would not have been torn down.
I have chastened them,
but they were eager to corrupt everything they were doing.”
The Future Deliverance of Israel
8 “Just you wait!” declares the Lord.
“The day will come when I stand up as a prosecutor,[db]
for I am determined to assemble the nations
and to gather the kingdoms,
in order to pour out my indignation upon them—
all of my fierce anger.
All the earth will be consumed by the fire of my jealousy.
9 Indeed, then I will return my people to a pure language[dc]
so that they all may call upon the name of the Lord,
serving him with a united will.[dd]
10 “From beyond the rivers of Sudan[de] my worshipers[df]—
including my dispersed people—
will present offerings to me.
11 When this happens,[dg] you will not be ashamed of your actions
by which you sinned against me,
because I will remove from among you those who revel in pride.
Arrogance will have no place in my holy mountain.
12 I will keep a humble and gentle people among you,
and they will trust in the name of the Lord.
13 The survivors of Israel will not practice lawlessness
nor tell lies,
nor will a deceitful message be found in their mouths,
because they will eat and rest,
with no one to cause fear.”
Israel’s Future Joys
14 “Sing aloud, daughter of Zion!
Shout out, Israel!
Rejoice with all of your heart, daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has acquitted you;[dh]
turning back your adversaries.
Israel’s king, the Lord, is among you;
you will not fear disaster anymore.
16 “When all of this happens,[di] it will be told Jerusalem,
‘Don’t be afraid!”
and to Zion,
‘Don’t lose courage!”[dj]
17 The Lord your God among you is powerful—
he will save
and he will take joyful delight in you.
In his love he will renew you[dk] with his love;
he will celebrate with singing because of you.
18 I will gather the afflicted from the solemn assembly;
those who were with you,
who were bearing a burden of disgrace.
19 “Watch how I deal with everyone who oppresses you!
At that time I will rescue the one who is lame,
and I will draw to me[dl] the one who has been driven away.
I will honor[dm] them with praise
and with a good reputation in every land
where they have been put to shame.
20 At that time I will gather you;
at that time I will bring you home.[dn]
Indeed, I will give you a good reputation,
making you praiseworthy among all of the people of the world,
when I restore your prosperity before your eyes,” says the Lord.
Call to Rebuild the Temple
1 On the first day of the sixth month of the second year of the reign of[do] King Darius, this message from the Lord came by[dp] Haggai[dq] the prophet to Shealtiel’s son Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, and to Jehozadak’s son Joshua, the high priest:
2 “This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: ‘These people keep saying, “No, the right[dr] time for rebuilding the Lord’s Temple has not yet come.”’”
3 Then this message from the Lord came by[ds] Haggai the prophet: 4 “Is it the right[dt] time for all of you to live in your own paneled houses while this house remains in ruins?”
Consequences of Not Rebuilding
5 “Now this is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, says: ‘Carefully consider your ways:
6 You have sowed much
but have reaped little.
You have eaten
but don’t have enough to become satisfied.
You have drunk
but don’t have enough to become intoxicated.
You have clothed yourself
but don’t have enough to keep warm.
And the hired laborer deposits his salary
in a bag full of holes!’”
Command to Rebuild the Temple
7 “This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: ‘Carefully consider your ways: 8 Go up into the mountains, bring timber, and reconstruct my house. Then I will be pleased with it and I will be honored,’ says the Lord. 9 ‘You turned away in pursuit of abundance, but look at how little you found![du] What you did manage to bring home, I blew away! And why?’ declares the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. ‘It’s because of my house! It lies in ruins while each of you runs off to his own house! 10 That is why the heavens keep withholding dew from you, and the earth withholds her fruit. 11 I sent a drought on the land, on the mountains, on your grain, on your new wines, on your oil—on everything the ground produces—on men, on livestock, and on everything you do![dv]’”
The People Obey
12 Then Shealtiel’s son Zerubbabel, Jehozadak’s son Joshua the high priest, and all the rest[dw] of the people obeyed the Lord their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord. 13 Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with a special commission[dx] from the Lord: “‘I am with you,’ declares the Lord.”
14 Then the Lord revitalized the spirit of Shealtiel’s son Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, the spirit of Jehozadak’s son Joshua the high priest, and the spirit of all the rest[dy] of the people, so they came and began to work on the house of their God, the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. 15 This took place on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month of the second year of the reign of[dz] King Darius.
The Future Glory of the Lord’s House
2 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, this message from the Lord came by[ea] Haggai the prophet: 2 “Speak to Shealtiel’s son Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, to Jehozadak’s son Joshua, the high priest, and to the rest[eb] of the people, asking, 3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? And what does it look like now? From what you can see, it seems like nothing, doesn’t it? 4 Now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord. ‘Go to work, because I am with you,’ declares the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. 5 ‘My Spirit continues to dwell among you, according to[ec] the covenant I established when you came out from Egypt. Don’t be afraid!’
6 “For this is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: ‘Once more, in a little while, I will make the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the dry land to shake. 7 I will shake all nations, and the One desired by all nations will come. Then I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.
8 “The silver belongs to me, as does the gold,”[ed] declares the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. 9 “The glory of this present house will be greater than was the former,” declares the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. “And in this place I will grant peace,” declares the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.”
God’s Promise to His Sinful People
10 On the twenty-fourth day[ee] of the ninth month[ef] of the second year of the reign of[eg] King Darius, this message from the Lord came to Haggai the prophet: 11 “This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: ‘Ask the priests about what the Law says: 12 “If a man carries consecrated meat in the folds of his garment, and if his garment touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other edible thing,[eh] will these things become consecrated?”’”[ei]
The priests answered, “No.”
13 So Haggai responded, “If someone who is unclean[ej] because of contact with a dead body were to touch any of these things, would they become unclean?”[ek]
The priests responded, “They would be unclean.”[el]
14 Then Haggai answered, “‘That’s how I look at this people and this nation,’ declares the Lord. ‘And that’s how it is with everything they undertake[em] and with what they offer there—it is unclean.[en] 15 Pay attention[eo] from now on to how things used to be before one stone had been laid upon another in the Temple of the Lord. 16 When someone came to a pile of grain to get 20 measures,[ep] there were only ten. Or when someone approached the wine press to siphon out 50 measures, there were only 20. 17 I punished you and everything that you undertook[eq]—with scorching wind, with mildew, and with hail, and you still did not return[er] to me,’ declares the Lord. 18 ‘Pay attention from now on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month,[es] when the foundation of the Lord’s Temple was laid. Pay attention! 19 Is there seed left in the granary? Up until now, neither the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, nor the olive tree has borne fruit, but from this very day I will bless you.’”[et]
God’s Promise to Zerubbabel
20 This message from the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah. Tell him, ‘I’m going to shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will overthrow royal thrones. I will annihilate the strength of national governments. I will overthrow chariots along with those who drive them. Both[eu] horses and their riders will fall, each one by means of his comrade’s weapon.[ev] 23 On that day,’ declares the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will set you in place like a signet ring. For I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.”
A Call to Return
1 In the eighth month of the second year[ew] of the reign of[ex] Darius, this message from the Lord came to Berechiah’s son Zechariah,[ey] the grandson of Iddo the prophet: 2 “The Lord was very angry with your ancestors. 3 So tell them, ‘This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: “Return to me,” declares the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, “and I will return to you.[ez] 4 Don’t be like your ancestors, to whom the former prophets proclaimed: ‘This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: “It’s time to turn from your evil lifestyles[fa] and from your evil actions,” ‘but they would neither listen nor pay attention to me,’” declares the Lord.’ 5 “Your ancestors—where are they? And the prophets—do they live forever? 6 But my words and my statutes that I gave as commands to my servants the prophets—did they not overwhelm your ancestors? And they returned to me:[fb] ‘The Lord of the Heavenly Armies acted toward us just as he planned to do—in keeping with our lifestyles[fc] and in keeping with our actions.’”
The Vision of Horses
7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month (the month Shebat) in the second year of the reign of[fd] Darius, this message from the Lord came to Berechiah’s son Zechariah, the grandson of Iddo the prophet: 8 “I stared into the night, and there was a man mounted on a red horse! The horse[fe] was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him there were red, brown,[ff] and white horses.”
9 Then I asked, “Who are these, sir?”[fg]
The messenger who was talking to me answered, “I will tell you who these are.”
10 The man who stood among the myrtle trees answered, “These are the ones whom the Lord sent out to wander throughout the earth.”
11 Then they reported to the angel of the Lord who stood among the myrtle trees, “We have wandered throughout the earth—and look!—the entire earth is at rest. Everything is quiet and peaceful.”[fh]
12 And the angel of the Lord replied, “Lord of the Heavenly Armies, how long will it be until you show mercy to Jerusalem and to the cities of Judah, with whom you have been angry for these past seventy years?”
13 So the Lord answered the angel who was speaking to me with kind and comforting words.
The Lord’s Concern for Zion
14 Then the angel who was speaking to me told me, “Announce this: ‘This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: “I have a deep concern for Jerusalem, a great concern for Zion. 15 I am deeply angry with the nations who are complacent, with whom I was only a little displeased—but they made things worse!” 16 ‘Therefore this is what the Lord says: “I have returned to Jerusalem with compassionate intentions. My Temple will be rebuilt there,” declares the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, “and the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.”’”
The Future Prosperity of Zion
17 “Also announce the following: ‘This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: “My cities will again overflow with prosperity. The Lord will comfort Zion once more and will choose Jerusalem again.”’”
The Vision of Four Horns
18 [fi]Then I looked up and saw four horns. 19 I asked the angel who was talking to me, “What are those?”
So he answered me, “Those are the forces[fj] that have dispersed Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
The Vision of Four Artisans
20 Then the Lord showed me four artisans.
21 Then I asked, “What have they come to do?”
He answered, “Those horns that dispersed Judah—so that no one could lift up his head—those artisans[fk] are coming to disrupt the power[fl] of nations, tearing them down now that they’ve come to power and dispersed the land of Judah.”
The Vision of the Measuring Line
2 [fm]Then I looked up and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 I asked, “Where are you going?”
He responded, “To measure Jerusalem in order to determine its width and length.”
3 Look! That angel who was talking to me left, and another angel came forward to meet him. 4 That other angel told him, “Run and tell that young man: ‘Jerusalem will be an inhabited city without walls due to the number of people and livestock within it. 5 I myself will be an encircling rampart of fire,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be the glory in her midst.’
6 “‘Come now! Come now! Flee from the land of the north,’ declares the Lord, ‘for I have dispersed you like the four winds of heaven,’ declares the Lord.
7 “‘Come now, Zion! Escape, you who are living with the residents of Babylon. 8 For this is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: “In pursuit of glory I was sent to the nations who plundered you, because whoever injures you injures the pupil of my eye. 9 And look, I will shake my fist over them, and they will become plunder for their former[fn] slaves. And you will know that the Lord of the Heavenly Armies sent me.”’”
The Lord will Live in Zion
10 “Sing and rejoice, daughter of Zion! Take note! I am coming to live in your midst,” declares the Lord. 11 “Many nations will cling to the Lord at that time[fo] and will become my people. I will live in your midst, and you will know that the Lord of the Heavenly Armies has sent me to you. 12 The Lord will take possession of Judah as his own property in the Holy Land—and he will choose Jerusalem again. 13 Be silent, every living thing, in the presence of the Lord, because he is emerging[fp] from his Holy Place.”
The Vision of the High Priest
3 Then I saw Joshua the High Priest standing in the presence of the angel of the Lord, with Satan[fq] standing at his right to oppose him.
2 The Lord told Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan—in fact, may the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! This man is a burning brand plucked from the fire, is he not?”
3 Now Joshua was wearing filthy clothes as he stood in the presence of the angel.
4 So the angel[fr] continued to tell those who were standing in his presence, “Remove his filthy clothes.”
And he told Joshua,[fs] “Look how I’ve removed your iniquity. Now I’m clothing you with fine garments.”
5 Then I said, “Let them place a pure diadem[ft] on his head.”
So they placed the pure diadem[fu] on his head and clothed him with fine garments while the angel of the Lord was standing beside them.[fv]
The Lord’s Charge to Joshua
6 Then the angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: 7 “This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: ‘If you will live according to my ways, and if you will keep what I have entrusted to you,[fw] then you will also administer my Temple, and you will also guard my courtyards. And I will give you access to these who serve[fx] here.
8 “‘Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and those companions of yours who sit with you,[fy] for these men are a sign that I am presenting my servant, the Branch.[fz] 9 Look, the stone that I put in place in Joshua’s presence—on that one stone are seven eyes.[ga] And look, I will do the engraving myself,’ declares the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, ‘and I will remove the perversity of that land in a single day. 10 At that time,’[gb] declares the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, ‘you will invite each of your neighbors to join you[gc] under the vine and fig tree.’”
The Vision of the Golden Menorah
4 Then the angel who had been speaking with me returned and woke me up as if I had been asleep. 2 Then he asked me, “What do you see?”
So I said, “I have been watching—and look!—there is a menorah made completely of gold with a bowl on top of it. And there are seven lights on it, along with seven feeder channels to the lamps, which are also on top of it. 3 Two olive trees are near it, one on the right side of the bowl and one on the left.”
4 Then I asked the angel who had been speaking with me, “Sir,[gd] what are these?”
5 The angel who had been speaking with me answered by asking, “You don’t know what these mean, do you?”
So I responded, “No, sir.”
The Lord’s First Charge to Zerubbabel
6 Then he replied to me, “This is this message from the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by valor nor by strength, but only by my Spirit,’ says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. 7 ‘Who are you, great mountain? You will become a plain in Zerubbabel’s presence, and he will position the capstone, exulting over it, “How beautiful! How beautiful!”’”
The Lord’s Second Charge to Zerubbabel
8 Then this message from the Lord came to me again: 9 “Zerubbabel’s hands have laid the foundation of this Temple, and his hands will finish it, so that you will know that the Lord of the Heavenly Armies has sent me to all of you. 10 For who has despised the time[ge] of insignificant things? They will rejoice to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.[gf] These seven lights[gg] represent the eyes of the Lord, which are looking throughout all of the earth.”
The Two Anointed Ones
11 Then I asked the angel,[gh] “What are these two olive trees, one[gi] on the right of the menorah and one[gj] on the left?” 12 I also asked him a second question: “What are these two olive branches on either side of[gk] the two golden feeder channels that carry the golden oil to the seven lights?”[gl]
13 The angel[gm] replied, “You don’t know what these are, do you?”
I responded to him, “No, sir.”
14 He said, “These are the two anointed ones,[gn] who stand continuously beside the Lord of the whole earth.”
The Vision of the Flying Scroll
5 Then I looked up and saw a flying scroll! 2 And the angel[go] asked me, “What do you see?”
I answered him, “I’m looking at a flying scroll. It’s 20 cubits[gp] long and ten cubits[gq] wide.”
3 He responded to me, “This is the curse that is going out over the surface of the whole earth, because, according to this side of the scroll,[gr] all thieves will be ejected, and according to the other side of the scroll,[gs] all liars will be ejected.”
4 “I am bringing this about,” declares the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. “The curse[gt] will enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who lies in my name. The curse[gu] will remain in his house until that house[gv] has been completely destroyed, right down to its timber and stones.”
The Vision of the Basket
5 Then the angel who had been talking with me stepped forward and told me, “Please look up and see what’s going out.”
6 So I asked, “What is it?”[gw]
He replied, “This is a basket[gx] making its appearance.” He also said, “This is what it appears to be in[gy] the entire land.”
The Vision of the Woman in the Basket
7 Look, a round lead cover was being lifted, and there was one woman seated inside the basket! 8 And the angel[gz] said, “This is evil!” So he shoved her back into the basket and snapped the round, lead cover over the opening.
The Vision of the Two Winged Women
9 Then I looked up to see two women coming forward with the wind filling their wings. (They had wings like those of a stork.) They took up the basket, holding it between the earth and sky.
10 So I asked the angel who was talking to me, “Where are they taking the basket?”
11 He answered me, “To the land of Shinar,[ha] so they can build a temple to the woman in the basket.[hb] Then when its preparations are complete, the basket[hc] will be set there in its place.”
The Vision of the Four Chariots
6 Then I looked up and saw four chariots coming out from between two mountains! And the mountains were made of brass! 2 Attached to the first chariot were red horses. Attached to the second chariot were black horses. 3 Attached to the third chariot were white horses. Attached to the fourth chariot were speckled horses and gray[hd] horses. 4 In response, I asked the angel who had been talking with me, “Sir, what are these?”
5 The angel told me, “These are four heavenly spirits that are going out on patrol after having presented themselves to the Lord of the whole earth. 6 The black horses are headed into the north country, and the white ones are headed out after them. The speckled horses are headed toward the south country.”
7 Then the gray horses went out. They were eager to go out on patrol throughout the earth, so the angel[he] said, “Go patrol the earth.” So they went out on patrol throughout the earth.
8 Then he called to me, “Look! The horses that went north have caused my spirit to rest in the north country.”
The Future Prosperity of the Branch
9 Then this message from the Lord came to me: 10 “Go take up an offering[hf] from those who came out of[hg] the Babylonian[hh] exile, that is, from Heldai, from Tobijah, and from Jedaiah. Go along with them today into the house of Zephaniah’s son Josiah, who returned from Babylon. 11 Take silver and gold and fashion crowns to set upon the head of Joshua son of Johozadak, the High Priest. 12 Then tell him, ‘This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: “Here is the man whose name is The Branch.[hi] He will branch out from where he is and will rebuild the Temple of the Lord. 13 Yes, he will indeed rebuild the Temple of the Lord, and he will exalt its majesty by sitting and ruling on his throne. He will serve as priest on his throne, and no contention[hj] will exist between them. 14 The crowns will go to Helem, to Tobijah, to Jedaiah, and to Zephaniah’s son Hen, as a memorial in the Temple of the Lord. 15 Those who are now far away will come and do reconstruction work in the Temple of the Lord. Then you will know that the Lord of the Heavenly Armies has sent me to you. This will come about if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.”’”
A Rebuke about Selfish Fasts
7 During the fourth year of the reign of[hk] King Darius, a message from the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month Kislev.[hl] 2 The people of[hm] Bethel were sending[hn] Sharezer, Regem-melech, and their men to pray in the Lord’s presence 3 and to speak to the priests assigned[ho] to the Temple of the Lord of the Heavenly Armies along with the prophets, asking, “Am I to go about mourning, denying myself throughout the fifth month,[hp] as I have these many years?”
4 Then this message from the Lord of the Heavenly Armies came to me: 5 “Talk to everyone in the land, as well as to the priests. Ask them, ‘When you were fasting and mourning during the fifth and seventh months[hq] for the past seventy years, were you really fasting for me? 6 And when you eat and drink, you’re eating and drinking for your own benefit, aren’t you? 7 Isn’t this what the Lord proclaimed through the former prophets, when a prosperous Jerusalem was inhabited, as were its surrounding cities, the Negev,[hr] and the Shephelah?’”[hs]
The Consequence of Turning from God
8 This message from the Lord came to Zechariah again: 9 “This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: ‘Administer true justice, and show gracious love and mercy toward each other.[ht] 10 You are not to wrong the widow, orphans, the foreigner, or the poor, and you are not to plan evil against each other.[hu] 11 But they refused to pay attention, turned their backs, and stopped listening. 12 They made their hearts hard like a diamond, to keep from obeying the Law and the messages that the Lord of the Heavenly Armies sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. 13 Therefore, just as when I[hv] cried out and they would not listen, so also they will cry out, and I will not listen,’ says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. 14 ‘I will scatter them to all of the nations, which they have not known.’”
Now the earth was left desolate after them. As a result, no one came or went because they had turned a pleasant land into a desert.
What the Lord will Do for Zion
8 This is this message from the Lord of the Heavenly Armies:
2 “This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: ‘I’m greatly jealous about Zion, and that makes me furious about her.’
3 “This is what the Lord says: ‘I will return to Zion and I will live in the midst of Jerusalem. And Jerusalem will be called, “The City of Truth” and the mountain of the Lord of the Heavenly Armies will be called,[hw] “The Holy Mountain”.’
4 “This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: ‘There will yet be old men and old women sitting in the parks[hx] of Jerusalem, each one of them holding canes in their hands due to their old age! 5 The city parks[hy] will be filled with boys and girls. They will play in the city’s[hz] open parks.’
6 “This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: ‘It may seem impossible to the survivors of this people, but is it impossible for me?’ declares the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.
7 “This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: ‘Look! After having saved my people from the land of the east and from the land of the west, 8 I will also bring them back to live in the midst of Jerusalem. They will be my people and I will truly be their righteous God.’”
An Exhortation to Rebuild the Temple
9 “This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: ‘Be strong so the Temple can be built, you who are now listening to this message spoken by the prophets when the foundation was laid to the Temple of the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. 10 Before then, everyone was unemployed—even the draft animals—and no one was safe coming or going because of the enemy, because I caused everyone to oppose each other.[ia]
11 “‘But now I will not treat the survivors of this people as I did formerly,’ declares the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. 12 ‘For there will be a sowing of peace: the vine will produce its fruit, the earth will produce its full[ib] yield, the sky will produce its dew, and I will make the survivors of this people inherit all these things. 13 Furthermore, house of Judah and house of Israel, even though you used to be a curse among the nations, now I will surely save you, and you will be a blessing. Stop being afraid. Instead, grow stronger.’”[ic]
The Lord will Do Good to Jerusalem and Judah
14 “This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: ‘Just as I intended to bring harm to you when your ancestors angered me,’ says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, ‘and I did not relent, 15 so I have decided at this time[id] to do good things for Jerusalem and for the house of Judah. So stop being afraid. 16 Here’s what you must do: tell the truth to your neighbors, administer true and peaceful justice in your courtrooms,[ie] 17 don’t plot evil in your heart against a neighbor, and don’t tolerate[if] false testimonies,[ig] because I hate all these things,’ declares the Lord.”
18 Once again this message from the Lord come to me: 19 “This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: ‘The fasts that occur in the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months will be joyful and glad times for the house of Judah, replete with[ih] cheerful festivals. Therefore, love truth and peace.’”
Future Visits by Nations to Jerusalem
20 “This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: ‘In the future, people will come, including residents of many cities, 21 and they will travel from one place to another place and say, “Let’s go quickly to pray in the presence of the Lord and to inquire of the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.’ And I will go, too. 22 Many people and powerful nations will come to inquire of the Lord of the Heavenly Armies in Jerusalem, and to pray in the presence of the Lord.”’”
23 “This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: ‘In the future, ten men speaking[ii] all the languages of the nations will grab hold of one Jewish person by the hem of his garment and say, “Let us go up to Jerusalem[ij] with you, because we heard that God is with you.”’”
Judgment on Israel’s Enemies
9 A declaration: this message from the Lord in the land of Hadrach,[ik]
with Damascus its confederate,[il]
because the eyes of humanity[im] will look to[in] the Lord,
along with those of[io] all the tribes of Israel.
2 Also Hamath, which borders on it—
along with Tyre and Sidon—
indeed they are very wise.
3 “Tyre built itself a fortification,
hoarding silver like dust
and pure gold like mud in a street.
4 Look! The Lord will evict her,
striking at her power in the sea,
and she will be consumed by fire.
5 Ashkelon will see it happen and will be terrified;
Gaza will tremble greatly.
Ekron will be ashamed of her expectations,
Gaza’s king will perish,
and Ashkelon will become uninhabited.
6 A strange people[ip] will inhabit Ashdod,
and I will eliminate the arrogance of Philistia.
7 I will remove the blood from its mouth,
along with its abominations from between its teeth.
Its survivors will be dedicated to our God;
It will be like a clan of Judah,
and Ekron will be as a Jebusite.[iq]
8 I will set a garrison around my Temple,
to hinder those who might come and go,
and to guard against oppressors who intend to invade;
for I have taken note of this with my eyes.”
The Coming of Zion’s King
9 “Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion;
cry out, daughter of Jerusalem!
Look! Your king is coming to you.
He is righteous,
and he is able to save.
He is humble,
and is riding on a colt,
the foal of a donkey.
10 I will banish[ir] chariots from Ephraim
and horses from Jerusalem.
War weapons[is] will be banished,
and your king[it] will speak peace to the nations.
His dominion will extend from sea to sea,
and from the River to the farthest portion of the earth.
11 Now concerning you and my blood covenant with you,
I have liberated your prisoners
from a waterless pit.
12 Return to your fortress, you prisoners who have hope.
Even today I am telling you:
In return I will repay you double.
13 For I have bent Judah as if it were my bow,
loading it with Ephraim.
I raised up your sons, Zion,
against your sons, Greece,
wielding you like a mighty warrior’s sword.”
Israel’s Lord Appears
14 The Lord will appear over them—
his arrow will shoot like lightning.
The Lord God will blow the trumpet,
and go out with the southern windstorm.
15 The Lord of the Heavenly Armies will defend them;
they will devour and conquer those who sling stones.
They will drink and be boisterous like those who are drunk.
They will be filled to the brim with blood,[iu]
like the corners of the altar.
16 The Lord their God will save them at that time[iv]
as his very own flock of people,
because they are his crown jewels,
exalted throughout his land.
17 For how great is his goodness,
and how great is his beauty!
Grain will make the young men thrive,
and new wine the virgins.
The Lord’s Care for Judah
10 “Ask the Lord for rain in the spring[iw]—
the Lord who fashions lightning thunderstorms,
giving rain showers to mankind[ix]
along with grain in the fields.[iy]
2 Truly the family idols[iz] talk nonsense
and the diviners discern lies,
describing delusional dreams.
Since their comfort is vacuous,
they wander off on their own like sheep,
because there is no shepherd.
3 “Against the shepherds my anger rises—
I am punishing the leaders[ja] also,
because the Lord of the Heavenly Armies has visited his flock, the house of Judah,
appointing them as his royal war horse for battle.
4 From them arises[jb] the cornerstone and tent peg,
from them the battle bow,
from them arise all sorts of oppressive rulers.
5 They will be like mighty soldiers
who trample mud in the streets during battle.
They will fight because the Lord is with them,
and the opposing[jc] horsemen will be confused.
6 “I will fortify the house of Judah,
and the house of Joseph I will save.
I will surely bring them back,
because I care about them.
They will be as if I had never cast them away.
Since I am the Lord their God,
I will answer them.
7 “The people of Ephraim will become like mighty soldiers;
they will be glad, like those who have wine.
Their children will see this and rejoice;
their hearts will find joy in the Lord.
8 I will whistle for them, gathering them together,
because I have redeemed them,
and they will multiply as they were before.[jd]
9 I will scatter them among the nations,
and so they will remember me in distant countries.
They will rear their children,
and they will return.
10 I will bring them once again out of the land of Egypt,
gathering them from Assyria.
I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon,
but there will not be enough space for them.
11 They[je] will pass through the sea of affliction,
and they[jf] will strike the waves[jg] in that sea.
All of the depths of the Nile will evaporate,
Assyria’s arrogance will be brought down low,
and the ruling power[jh] of Egypt will disappear.
12 “I will strengthen them in the Lord,
and they will march here and there in his name,”
declares the Lord.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.