The Lord Calls His People to Return to Him
1 In the eighth month of the second year that Darius was emperor of Persia, the Lord gave this message to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah and grandson of Iddo. 2 The Lord Almighty told Zechariah to say to the people, “I, the Lord, was very angry with your ancestors, 3 but now I say to you, ‘Return to me, and I will return to you. 4 Do not be like your ancestors. Long ago the prophets gave them my message, telling them not to live evil, sinful lives any longer. But they would not listen to me or obey me. 5 Your ancestors and those prophets are no longer alive. 6 Through my servants the prophets I gave your ancestors commands and warnings, but they disregarded them and suffered the consequences. Then they repented and acknowledged that I, the Lord Almighty, had punished them as they deserved and as I had determined to do.’”
The Prophet's Vision of the Horses
7 In the second year that Darius was emperor, on the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month (the month of Shebat), the Lord gave me a message in a vision at night. 8 I saw someone riding a red horse. He had stopped among some myrtle trees in a valley, and behind him were other horses—red, dappled, and white. 9 I asked him, “Sir, what do these horses mean?”
He answered, “I will show you what they mean. 10 The Lord sent them to go and inspect the earth.”
11 They reported to the angel: “We have been all over the world and have found that the whole world lies helpless and subdued.”
12 Then the angel said, “Almighty Lord, you have been angry with Jerusalem and the cities of Judah for seventy years now. How much longer will it be before you show them mercy?”
13 The Lord answered the angel with comforting words, 14 and the angel told me to proclaim what the Lord Almighty had said: “I have a deep love and concern for Jerusalem, my holy city, 15 and I am very angry with the nations that enjoy quiet and peace. For while I was holding back my anger against my people, those nations made the sufferings of my people worse. 16 So I have come back to Jerusalem to show mercy to the city. My Temple will be restored, and the city will be rebuilt.”
17 The angel also told me to proclaim: “The Lord Almighty says that his cities will be prosperous again and that he will once again help Jerusalem and claim the city as his own.”
The Vision of the Horns
18 In another vision I saw four ox horns. 19 I asked the angel that had been speaking to me, “What do these horns mean?”
He answered, “They stand for the world powers that have scattered the people of Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
20 Then the Lord showed me four workers with hammers. 21 I asked, “What have they come to do?”
He answered, “They have come to terrify and overthrow the nations that completely crushed the land of Judah and scattered its people.”
1 Ķēniņa Dārija otrā valdīšanas gadā astotajā mēnesī atklājās tā Kunga vārds Cakarijam, Berechjas, Ida dēla, dēlam, pravietim, un tas skanēja:
2 „Tas Kungs ir bijis ļoti dusmīgs uz jūsu tēviem,
3 Un saki viņiem: Tā saka tas Kungs Cebaots: Ja jūs piegriezīsities Man, —saka tas Kungs Cebaots, —tad Es piegriezīšos jums, —saka tas Kungs Cebaots.
4 Neesiet kā jūsu tēvi, kam agrākie pravieši sludināja un stāstīja: Tā saka tas Kungs Cebaots: Novērsieties no saviem ļaunajiem ceļiem un no saviem darbiem!“ Bet viņi neklausīja un nepiegrieza Man vērības! —saka tas Kungs.
5 Kur tad nu ir jūsu tēvi? —Un vai pravieši dzīvo mūžīgi?
6 Bet vai nav tā, ka mani vārdi un likumi, ko Es liku saviem kalpiem praviešiem sludināt, ir taču jūsu tēvus skāruši, ka tie atgriezās un liecināja: Tiešām, tā, kā tas Kungs Cebaots bija nodomājis ar mums rīkoties, un kādus ceļus mēs esam gājuši un ko darījuši, tā arī Viņš mums ir darījis!“
7 Ķēniņa Dārija otrā valdīšanas gadā vienpadsmitā mēneša, kas ir sebata mēnesis, divdesmit ceturtajā dienā atklājās tā Kunga vārds Cakarijam, Berechjas, Ida dēla, dēla, pravietim, un tas skanēja:
8 Nakti es redzēju parādību, ka, lūk, sarkanbrūnā zirgā sēdēja kāds virs, un viņš bija apstājies zem mirtēm ielejā, un aiz viņa bija sarkanbrūni, lapsas krāsā, melni un balti zirgi.
9 Un kad nu es jautāju: „Mans Kungs, kāda tiem nozīme?“ Tad eņģelis, kas ar mani runāja, man teica: „Es tev rādīšu, kāda tiem nozīme.“
10 Un vīrs, kas sēdēja zirgā zem mirtēm, atbildēja un teica: „Tie ir tie, kurus tas Kungs ir izsūtījis, lai pārstai-gātu zemi.“
11 Bet viņi savukārt ziņoja tā Kunga eņģelim, kas arī stāvēja zem mirtēm, un sacīja viņam: „Mēs esam pārstaigājuši visu zemi, un, raugi, visā zemē valda dziļš miers.“
12 Tad atbildēja tā Kunga eņģelis un sacīja: „Kungs Cebaot, cik ilgi Tu negribēsi apžēloties par Jeruzālemi un par Jūdas pilsētām, uz kurām Tu esi bijis dusmīgs visus šos septiņdesmit gadus?“
13 Un tas Kungs atbildēja eņģelim, kas ar mani runāja, un teica viņam laipnus un mierinājuma pilnus vārdus.
14 Un eņģelis, kas ar mani runāja, teica man: „Sludini un saki: Tā saka tas Kungs Cebaots: Es esmu pilns lielas sirdsdedzes par Jeruzālemi un Ciānu,
15 Un Es esmu ļoti dusmīgs uz lepnajiem un bezrūpības pilnajiem pagāniem; Es biju tikai drusciņ dusmīgs, viņi turpretī no savas puses palīdzēja izraisīt jo lielāku ļaunumu.“
16 Tāpēc tā saka tas Kungs: „Es piešķiršu Jeruzālemei atkal savu žēlas-tību, un tajā uzcels manu namu“, —saka tas Kungs Cebaots, —„un mērījamā aukla izstiepjama tieši pār Jeruzālemi.“
17 Un sludini tālāk un saki: „Tā saka tas Kungs Cebaots: Manām pilsētām atkal klāsies labi, tas Kungs atkal iepriecinās Ciānu un Sev atkal izredzēs Jeruzālemi.“
