1In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius’s reign, Yahweh's message came to the prophet Zechariah, son of Berechiah, son of Iddo.
2“Yahweh was very angry with your ancestors.
3Therefore, tell them: Yahweh of Armies says, ‘Return to me,’ says Yahweh of Armies, ‘and I will return to you,’ says Yahweh of Armies.
4Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets announced: Yahweh of Armies says, ‘Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.’ But they did not listen or pay attention to me, says Yahweh.
5Your ancestors—where are they now? And the prophets—do they live forever?
6But my words and my laws, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not catch up to your ancestors?” Then they changed their minds and said, “Just as Yahweh of Armies intended to do to us, based on our ways and our actions, so he has dealt with us.”
7On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius’s reign, Yahweh’s message came to the prophet Zechariah, son of Berechiah, son of Iddo.
8“I had a vision during the night. I saw a man riding on a red horse, and he was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown, and white horses.
9Then I asked, ‘My master, what are these?’” The angel who was speaking with me said, “I will show you what these are.”
10The man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, “These are the ones Yahweh has sent to go throughout the earth.”
11They reported to Yahweh’s angel, who was standing among the myrtle trees, saying, “We have been throughout the earth, and look, the whole earth is at rest and peaceful.”
12Then Yahweh’s angel responded, “Oh Yahweh of Armies, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, against which you have been angry for these seventy years?”
13Yahweh answered the angel who was speaking with me with kind and comforting words.
14So the angel who was speaking with me said, 'Proclaim this: Yahweh of Armies says: "I am deeply committed to Jerusalem and Zion."
15I am very angry with the nations that are at ease, because I was only a little displeased, but they made things much worse.'
16Therefore, Yahweh says: 'I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy. My temple will be rebuilt there,' says Yahweh of Armies, 'and a measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.'
17Proclaim further: 'Yahweh of Armies says: "My cities will again overflow with good things. Yahweh will again comfort Zion and will again choose Jerusalem."'
18I looked up and saw four horns.
19I asked the angel who was speaking with me, 'What are these?' He answered me, 'These are the powers that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.'
20Then Yahweh showed me four craftsmen.
21Then I asked, 'What are these coming to do?' He said, 'These are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no one could even lift their head. But these craftsmen have come to terrify them, to throw down the horns of the nations that raised their horns against the land of Judah to scatter it.'