Zechariah

Zechariah

A TRANSLATION of

CALVIN’S VERSION of

THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH.

CHAPTER 1

1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Jehovah to Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, the son of Iddo, the Prophet, saying —

2 Very angry has Jehovah been with your fathers:

3 Thou shalt therefore say to them, — Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, — Return ye to me, saith Jehovah of hosts; And I will return to you, saith Jehovah of hosts:

4 Be ye not like your fathers, For cry to them did the former Prophets, saying, — Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, — “Return ye, I pray, from your evil ways, And from your evil works;” But they heard not, nor attended to me, Saith Jehovah.

5 Your fathers — where are they? And the Prophets — do they for ever live?

6 But my words and my statutes, Which I committed to my servants the Prophets, Have they not laid hold on your fathers? — When they returned, they said, — “As Jehovah of hosts had purposed to do to us According to our ways and our works, So hath he done to us.”

7 On the twenty-fourth of the eleventh month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Jehovah to Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, the son of Iddo, the Prophet, saying, —

8 I saw by night, and behold a man riding on a red horse; and he stood among the myrtles in a low place; and after him were horses, red, variegated, and white.

9 And I said, What are these, my Lord? And the Angel, who spoke with me, said to me, I will show thee what these are.

10 And the Angel, who stood among the myrtles, answered and said, These are they whom Jehovah has sent to walk to and fro through the earth.

11 And they answered the angel of Jehovah, who stood among the myrtles, and said — “We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, the whole earth rests and is quiet.”

12 And the Angel of Jehovah answered and said, Jehovah of hosts! How long wilt thou not pity Jerusalem And the cities of Judah, Which thou hast despised these seventy years! (42)

13 Then answered Jehovah the Angel, who spoke with me, with good words, with comfortable words.

14 And the Angel, who spoke with me, said to me, Cry, saying, —— Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, — I am zealous for Jerusalem And for Sion, with great zeal: (44)

15 And with great anger am I angry With the nations which are quiet; For I was angry a little, And they helped on the evil.

16 Therefore thus saith Jehovah, — I am turned to Jerusalem in compassions; My house shall be built in it, Saith Jehovah of hosts; And a line shall be extended over Jerusalem.

17 Cry again, saying, — Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, — Yet wear out shall cities through abundance, (51) And Jehovah shall yet comfort Zion, And will yet choose Jerusalem.

18 And I raised my eyes and saw, and behold four horns;

19 and I said to the angel, who was speaking with me, What are these? and he said to me, These are the four horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

20 Then Jehovah showed me four smiths:

21 and I said, What are these coming to do? and he said, saying, Those are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no one could raise up his head; but these are come to frighten them, to thrust away the horns of the nations, which raised the horn against the land of Judah to scatter it. (57)

CHAPTER 2

1 And I raised my eyes and saw, and behold a man in whose hand was a measuring-line:

2 and I said, Where art thou going? And he said to me, To measure Jerusalem, that I may see what is its breadth, and what is its length.

3 And behold the angel who was speaking with me, he went forth, and another angel went forth to meet him, and said to him,

4 Run, speak to this youth, saying, — In the villages shall dwell Jerusalem, For the number of men and cattle in it:

5 And I shall be to it, saith Jehovah, A wall of fire round about, And for glory shall I be in the midst of it

6 Ho! Ho! flee ye From the land of the north, saith Jehovah: For to the four winds of heaven Have I scattered you, saith Jehovah. (65)

7 Ho! Zion! be thou delivered, Who dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.

8 For thus saith Jehovah of hosts, After the glory hath he sent me To the nations with spoiled you: For he who touches you Touches the apple of his eye.

9 For, behold, I shake my hand over them, And they shall be a prey to their servants; And ye shall know That Jehovah of hosts hath sent me.

10 Exult and rejoice, thou daughter of Zion; For behold I am coming, And will dwell in thy midst, saith Jehovah:

11 And join themselves shall many nations To Jehovah in that day; And they shall be to me a people, And I will dwell in the midst of thee; And thou shalt know, That Jehovah of hosts has sent me to thee:

12 And Jehovah will take Judah As his hereditary portion in the holy land; And he will yet choose Jerusalem. Be silent all flesh before Jehovah; Be silent all flesh before Jehovah; Fore roused he is from his holy habitation.

CHAPTER 3

1 And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Jehovah, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.

2 And Jehovah said to Satan, — Rebuke thee, Satan, let Jehovah; Yea, rebuke thee let Jehovah, Who has chosen Jehovah: Is not this a brand snatched from the fire!

3 And Joshua was clad in sordid garments, and stood before the angel:

4 and he answered and said to those who stood before him, saying, Take the sordid garments from off him: and he said to him, See I have made to pass from thee thine iniquity, and I will clothe thee with new garments.

5 And I said, Let them set a pure mitre on his head: and they set a mitre on his head when they had clothed him with garments; and the angel of Jehovah stood by:

6 And protest did the angel of Jehovah to Joshua, saying, —

7 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, If in my ways wilt thou walk, And my charge wilt thou keep, thou shalt then rule my house, And thou shalt also keep my courts; And I will give thee a free intercourse Among those who are present. (94)

8 Hear now, O Joshua! the high priest, Thou and thy associates who stand before thee; For men of wonder are these; For, behold, I will bring forth my servant, the Branch:

9 For, behold, the stone which I have set before Joshua, On that one stone are seven eyes; Behold, I will engrave its engraving, Saith Jehovah of hosts; And I will remove the iniquity Of that land in one day:

10 In that day, saith Jehovah, Ye shall call, every one his neighbour, Under the vine and under the figtree. (101)

CHAPTER 4

1 And return did the angel who had bee speaking with me, and roused me as a man who is roused from his sleep:

2 And he said to me, What dost thou see? and I said, I see and behold a candlestick, all of gold, and a bowl on its top, and seven lamps on it, seven pourers to the seven lamps, which are on its top,

3 And two olive-trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and one on its left.

4 Then I answered and said to the angel who was speaking with me, saying, What are these, my Lord?

5 And the angel who was speaking with me, answered and said to me, Knowest thou not? and I said, No, my Lord.

6 And he answered and said to me, saying, Not by a host, and not by courage, But by my Spirit, (110) Saith Jehovah of hosts.

7 What art thou, great mountain, Before Zerubbabel? — A plain: And he shall bring forth the top-stone, With shoutings, “Grace, grace to it.”

8 Then came the word of Jehovah to me, saying, —

9 The hands of Zerubbabel have founded this house, And his hands shall complete it; And thou shalt know That Jehovah of hosts has sent me to you.

10 For who has despised the day of small things! For they shall rejoice when they see The plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel. These seven, the eyes of Jehovah are they, Which go round through the whole earth.

11 And I answered and said to him, What are these two olive-trees on the right of the candlestick, and on its left?

12 And I answered the second time and said, What are these two flowings of the olive-tree, which are between the two pipes of gold, which pour golden oil from themselves?

13 And he said to me, saying, Knowest thou not what these are? And I said, No, my Lord.

14 And he said, These are the two sons of oil which stand with the Lord of the whole earth.

CHAPTER 5

1 And I returned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold a flying roll.

2 And he said to me, What dost thou see? And I said, I see a flying roll, its length twenty cubits, and its breadth ten cubits.

3 And he said to me, This is the curse which goeth forth over the face of the whole land; for every one who steals shall on this as on that side be punished, and every one who swears shall on this as on that side be punished. (129)

4 I will bring it forth, saith Jehovah of hosts; and it shall come into the house of the thief, and into the house of him who swears by my name falsely; and it shall abide in the midst of his house and consume it, both its timber and its stones.

5 And the angel who had been speaking with me came forth and said to me, Raise now thine eyes, and see what this is that goeth forth.

6 And I said, What is this? And he said, This is a measure which goeth forth: he said also, This is their eye through all the earth.

7 And behold, a thin piece of lead was carried along, and a woman was sitting in the midst of the measure.

8 And he said, This if Wickedness: and he cast the piece of lead on its mouth.

9 And I raised my eyes and saw, and behold two women going forth, and wind in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork; and they raised up the measure between earth and heaven.

10 And I said to the angel who was speaking with me, Where do these carry the measure?

11 And he said to me, To build for it a house in the land of Shinar; and it shall be set and fixed there on its own base.

CHAPTER 6

1 And I turned and raised mine eyes and looked, and behold four chariots going forth from the midst of two mountains, and mountains were mountains of brass:

2 In the first chariot were red horses, and in the second chariot black horses,

3 And in the third chariot white horses, and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses.

4 And I answered and said to the angel who was speaking with me, What are these, my Lord?

5 And the angel answered and said to me, These are the four spirits of heaven, going forth from their station before the Lord of the whole earth;

6 And the black horses go forth to the land of the north, and the white go forth after them, and the grisled go forth to the land of the south.

7 When the bay went forth, they asked that they might perambulate through the earth: and the perambulated through the earth.

8 And he called me, and spoke to me, saying, See, those who went forth to the land of the north have quieted my spirit in the land of the north.

9 And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,

10 Take from the exiles, from Heldai, and from Tobiah, and from Jedaiah (and go in that day into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah) who have come from Babylon;

11 Yea take from them silver and gold and make crowns, (154,) and set them on the head of Joshua, the son of Josedech, the high-priest;

12 And speak to him, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, saying, Behold the man! Branch is his name; And from his won place shall he grow up, And shall build the temple of Jehovah;

13 Yea, he shall build the temple of Jehovah, And shall himself bear the glory, And shall sit and rule on his throne, And shall be a priest on his throne, And the counsel of peace shall be between the two.

14 And the crowns shall be to Heldai and to Tobiah, And to Jedaiah, and to Hen, the son of Zephaniah, For a memorial in the temple of Jehovah.

15 And those afar off shall come and build In the temple of Jehovah; And ye shall know That Jehovah of hosts, has sent me to you: And thus shall it be, if by hearing ye will hear The voice of Jehovah your God.

CHAPTER 7

1 And in the fourth year of king Darius the word of Jehovah came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, even Chisleu:

2 For Sherezer had sent to the house of God, and also Regemmelech and his men, to entreat the favour of Jehovah,

3 And to speak to the priests who were in the house of Jehovah of hosts, and to the Prophets, saying, “Shall I weep in the fifth month? Shall I separate myself as I have done these years?”

4 And the word of Jehovah came to me saying, (165)

5 Speak to all the people of the land and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did you by fasting fast to me to me?

6 And when ye ate and when ye drank, did you not eat and drink for yourselves?

7 Are not these the words which Jehovah proclaimed by the former Prophets, when Jerusalem was quiet and wealthy, and its cities around it, when both the south and the plain country were quiet?

8 And the word of Jehovah came to Zechariah, saying,

9 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, saying, The judgment of truth pronounce, And kindness and mercies show, Every one to his brother;

10 And the widow and the orphan, The stranger and the poor, rob not; An evil to his brother Let none of you imagine in his heart:

11 But they refused to attend, And presented the withdrawing shoulder, And their ears they made heavy so as not to hear;

12 And their heart they made an adamant, That they might not hear the words Which Jehovah of hosts had sent By his Spirit, through the former prophets; And there was great wrath from Jehovah of hosts:

13 And it was, that as he had called and they heard not, So they shall call, and I will not hear, Saith Jehovah of hosts;

14 And I will scatter them among all the nations, Whom they have not known, And the land shall be desolate after them, So that there shall be none passing through nor returning: And they made the land of delight a waste.

CHAPTER 8

1 And the word of Jehovah of hosts came, saying, —

2 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, — Zealous have I been for Zion with great zeal, And with great indignation have I been zealous for her.

3 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, — I am returned to Zion and will dwell In the midst of Jerusalem; And called shall be Jerusalem, “The city of truth,” And the mount of Jehovah of hosts, “The mount of holiness.”

4 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, — Yet dwell shall aged men and aged women In the streets of Jerusalem, Each one with his staff in his hand for very age;

5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls, Who shall play in its streets.

6 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, — If marvellous it be In the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, Shall it also in mine eyes be marvellous? Saith Jehovah of hosts.

7 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, — Behold, I will save my people From the land of the east And from the land of the setting sun;

8 And I will restore them, And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; And they shall be to me a people, And I will be to them a God, In truth and in righteousness.

9 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, — Strengthened be your hands, Who hear in these days these words From the mouth of the prophets, Who were in the day when founded Was the house of Jehovah of hosts, And the temple, that it might be built.

10 For before those days There was no hire for man, and no hire for beast; And to the goer and to the comer, There was no peace because of distress; (207) And I sent forth all men, Each one against his neighbour.

11 But now, not according to former days, Shall I deal with the residue of this people, Saith Jehovah of hosts:

12 For the seed shall be prosperous; The vine shall yield its fruit, And the earth shall yield its increase, And the heavens shall give their dew; yea, I will cause the remnant of this people To inherit all these things. (210)

13 And it shall be, that as ye were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, So will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing; Fear not, strengthened be your hands.

14 For thus saith Jehovah of hosts, — As I thought to bring evil on you, When provoke me did your fathers, Saith Jehovah of hosts, And I did not repent;

15 So have I turned, I have thought in these days To do good to Jerusalem And to the house of Judah, fear ye not

16 These are the things which ye shall do, — Speak ye the truth, each one to his neighbour; The truth and the judgment of peace Proclaim in your gates;

17 And evil to his neighbour Let none of you imagine in your hearts; And a false oath love not; For all these things I hate, saith Jehovah.

18 And the word of Jehovah of hosts came to me, saying, —

19 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, The fast of the fourth, and the fast of the fifth, And the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth month, Shall be to the house of Judah For joy, and gladness, and cheerful feasts; Therefore love ye truth and peace. (223)

20 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, — It shall yet be, that come shall people And the inhabitants of great cities;

21 Yea, come shall the inhabitants Of one to another, saying, “Going let us go to entreat the face of Jehovah, and to seek Jehovah of hosts, I will also go:”

22 Yea, come shall great and strong nation To seek Jehovah of hosts at Jerusalem, And to entreat the face of Jehovah.

23 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, — In those days shall it be, That ten men, of all languages of the nations, Shall lay hold on the skirt of a Jew, saying, “We will walk with you, For we have heard that God is with you.”

CHAPTER 9

1 The burden of the word of Jehovah On the land of Hadrach, And Damascus its resting-place, When to Jehovah shall be the eye of man And of all the tribes of Israel:

2 Even Hamath shall border on it, Tyre also Sidon, Though it be very wise:

3 And built hath Tyre a fortress for herself, And heaped together silver as dust, And gold as the mire of the streets;

4 Behold, Jehovah will drive her out, And smite in the sea her power, And with fire shall she be consumed. (239)

5 See shall Ashkelon, and fear, And Gaza, — and it will be very sorrowful; Ekron also, — for confounded shall be her expectation: And perish shall the king from Gaza, And Ashkelon shall not be inhabited;

6 And dwell shall a stranger in Ashdod, For I will cut off the pride of the Philistines;

7 And take away will I his blood from his mouth And his abominations from between his teeth; And he, the remnant, even he shall be for our God; He shall be even as a leader in Judah, And Ekron, as a Jebusite:

8 I will also be a camp to my house From an army, when passing through and returning; And pass through them shall the exactor no more; For now I have seen with mine eyes.

9 Exult greatly, thou daughter of Zion, Shout, thou daughter of Jerusalem; Behold, the King shall come to thee, Just and saved shall he be, Poor and riding on an ass, Even on a colt, the foal of an ass:

10 And cut off shall I the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; cut off also shall be the bow of war; And speak peace shall he to the nations; And his dominion shall be from sea to sea, And from the river to the extremities of the earth.

11 As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant, Have I sent forth thy captive From the pit, in which there was no water:

12 Return to the stronghold, ye captives of hope; Even to day I declare, Double blessings will I render to thee;

13 For I will bend for me Judah as a bow, I will fill my quiver with Ephraim; And will rouse thy sons, O Zion, Against thy sons, O Greece; And I will make thee as the sword of a mighty man:

14 Jehovah also shall over them be seen, And go forth as lightning shall his arrow; Yea, the Lord Jehovah, with the trumpet shall he blow, And march forth in the whirlwind of the south. (269)

15 Jehovah of hosts will defend them, And they shall devour and subdue with sling-stones; They shall also drink and make a noise as through wine, And filled shall they be as the bowls, As the corners of the altar;

16 And save them shall Jehovah their God In that day, as a flock, his own people; For as the stones of a crown shall they be raised over his land.

17 For how great is his goodness! And how great his beauty! Corn shall refresh young men, And new wine the maids. (276)