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Four Chariots
6 Then I lifted up my eyes again and saw, and behold, (A)four chariots were coming forth from between the two mountains; and the mountains were bronze mountains. 2 With the first chariot were (B)red horses, with the second chariot (C)black horses, 3 with the third chariot (D)white horses, and with the fourth chariot (E)dappled horses—all of them mighty. 4 Then I answered and said to the angel who was speaking with me, “(F)What are these, my lord?” 5 And the angel answered and said to me, “These are the (G)four spirits of heaven, going forth after standing before the Lord of all the earth, 6 with one of which the black horses are going forth to the (H)north country; and the white ones go forth after them, and the dappled ones go forth to the (I)south country. 7 Now the mighty ones went out, and they sought to go to [a](J)patrol the earth.” And He said, “Go, [b]patrol the earth.” So they [c]patrolled the earth. 8 Then He cried out to me and spoke to me saying, “See, those who are going to the land of the north have (K)caused My Spirit to have rest in the land of the north.”
The Crown and the Temple
9 And the (L)word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 10 “(M)Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah; and you come the same day and come into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have come from Babylon. 11 And take silver and gold, make an ornate (N)crown, and set it on the head of (O)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 Then you will say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “Behold, a man whose name is [d](P)Branch, and He will [e](Q)branch out from where He is; and He will (R)build the temple of Yahweh. 13 Indeed, it is He who will build the temple of Yahweh, and He who will (S)bear the splendor and sit and (T)rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a (U)priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two [f]offices.”’ 14 Now the (V)crown will become a memorial in the temple of Yahweh to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and [g]Hen the son of Zephaniah. 15 (W)And those who are far off will come and [h]build the temple of Yahweh.” Then you will (X)know that Yahweh of hosts has sent me to you. And it will happen if you utterly (Y)listen to the voice of Yahweh your God.
The People’s Hard Hearts
7 Now it happened that in the fourth year of King Darius, the word of Yahweh came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is (Z)Chislev. 2 And the town of Bethel sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and [i]their men to [j](AA)entreat the favor of Yahweh, 3 speaking to the (AB)priests, who belong to the house of Yahweh of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, “Shall I weep in the (AC)fifth month [k]and abstain, as I have done these many years?” 4 Then the word of Yahweh of hosts came to me, saying, 5 “Speak to all the people of the land and to the priests, saying, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months [l]these (AD)seventy years, was it actually for (AE)Me that you fasted? 6 And when you eat and when you drink, [m]are you not eating for yourselves and are you not drinking for yourselves? 7 Are not these the words which Yahweh (AF)called out by the hand of the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and (AG)at ease along with its cities around it, and the [n](AH)Negev and the [o]Shephelah were inhabited?’”
8 Then the word of Yahweh came to Zechariah saying, 9 “Thus has Yahweh of hosts said, ‘(AI)Judge with true justice and show (AJ)lovingkindness and compassion each to his brother; 10 and (AK)do not oppress the widow or the [p]orphan, the sojourner or the afflicted; and do (AL)not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’ 11 But they (AM)refused to give heed and [q](AN)turned a stubborn shoulder and [r](AO)dulled their ears from hearing. 12 And they made their (AP)hearts [s](AQ)diamond-hard [t]so that they could not hear the law and the (AR)words which Yahweh of hosts had sent by His Spirit by the hand of the (AS)former prophets; therefore great (AT)wrath came from Yahweh of hosts. 13 And it happened that just as (AU)He called and they would not listen, so (AV)they called and I would not listen,” says Yahweh of hosts; 14 “but I [u](AW)scattered them with a (AX)storm wind among all the nations whom they have not known. Thus the land is (AY)desolated behind them [v]so that (AZ)no one was passing through and returning, for they (BA)made the pleasant land desolate.”
Seven Angels, Seven Plagues
15 Then I saw (A)another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, (B)seven angels who have (C)seven plagues, which are (D)the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished.
2 Then I saw something like a (E)sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who have (F)overcome [a]the (G)beast and (H)his image and the (I)number of his name, standing on the (J)sea of glass, having (K)harps of God. 3 And they *sang the (L)song of Moses, (M)the slave of God, and the (N)song of the Lamb, saying,
“(O)Great and marvelous are Your works,
(P)O [b]Lord God, the Almighty;
Righteous and true are Your ways,
(Q)King of the [c]nations!
4 (R)Who will not fear, O [d]Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy;
For (S)all the nations will come and worship before You,
For Your [e](T)righteous acts have been revealed.”
5 And after these things I looked, and (U)the sanctuary of the (V)tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened, 6 and the (W)seven angels who have the seven plagues (X)came out of the sanctuary, clothed in [f]linen, clean and bright, and (Y)girded around their chests with golden sashes. 7 Then one of the (Z)four living creatures gave to the (AA)seven angels seven (AB)golden bowls full of the (AC)wrath of God, who (AD)lives forever and ever. 8 And the sanctuary was filled with (AE)smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.
My Soul Reaches for You
A Psalm of David.
143 O Yahweh, hear my prayer,
(A)Give ear to my supplications!
Answer me in Your (B)faithfulness, in Your (C)righteousness!
2 And (D)do not enter into judgment with Your slave,
For (E)no one living is righteous in Your sight.
3 For the enemy has pursued my soul;
He has crushed my life (F)to the ground;
He (G)has made me inhabit dark places, like those who have long been dead.
4 Therefore (H)my spirit was faint within me;
My heart was [a](I)appalled within me.
5 I (J)remember the days of old;
I (K)meditate on all You have done;
I (L)muse on the work of Your hands.
6 I (M)stretch out my hands to You;
My (N)soul reaches for You like a weary land. [b]Selah.
7 (O)Answer me quickly, O Yahweh, my (P)spirit wastes away;
(Q)Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will become like (R)those who go down to the pit.
8 Cause me to hear Your (S)lovingkindness (T)in the morning;
For I trust (U)in You;
Cause me to know the (V)way in which I should walk;
For to You I (W)lift up my soul.
9 (X)Deliver me from my enemies, O Yahweh,
I have concealed myself in You.
10 (Y)Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let (Z)Your good Spirit (AA)lead me on level [c]ground.
11 (AB)For the sake of Your name, O Yahweh, (AC)revive me.
(AD)In Your righteousness bring my soul out of distress.
12 And in Your lovingkindness, [d](AE)cut off my enemies
And cause all those who assail my soul to (AF)perish,
For (AG)I am Your slave.
24 Four things are small on the earth,
But they are exceedingly wise:
25 The (A)ants are not a strong people,
But they prepare their food in the summer;
26 The [a](B)shephanim are not a mighty people,
Yet they make their houses in the cliff;
27 The locusts have no king,
Yet all of them go out in (C)rank;
28 The lizard you may grasp with the hands,
Yet it is in kings’ palaces.
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