¹ In the second year of Darius, in the eighth month, the word of Yahweh was addressed to the prophet Zechariah (son of Berechiah), son of Iddo, as follows,

² 'Yahweh was deeply angry with your ancestors.

³ So say this to them, "Yahweh Sabaoth says this: Return to me -- Yahweh Sabaoth declares -- and I will return to you, says Yahweh Sabaoth.

⁴ Do not be like your ancestors when the prophets in the past cried to them: Yahweh Sabaoth says this: Turn back from your evil ways and evil deeds -- they would not listen or pay attention to me -- Yahweh declares.

⁵ Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live for ever?

⁶ But did not my words and statutes, with which I had charged my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors just the same?" ' So they repented and said, 'Yahweh Sabaoth has treated us as he resolved to do, and as our ways and deeds deserved.'

⁷ On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month (the month of Shebat), in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh was addressed to the prophet Zechariah (son of Berechiah), son of Iddo, as follows,

⁸ 'I had a vision during the night. There was a man riding a red horse standing among the deep-rooted myrtles; behind him were other horses-red, chestnut and white.

⁹ I said, "What are these, my lord?" And the angel who was talking to me said, "I will show you what they are."

¹⁰ The man standing among the myrtles then replied, "Those are they whom Yahweh has sent to patrol the world."

¹¹ They reported to the angel of Yahweh as he stood among the myrtles, "We have been patrolling the world, and indeed the whole world is still and at peace."

¹² The angel of Yahweh then spoke and said, "Yahweh Sabaoth, how long will you wait before taking pity on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, on which you have inflicted your anger for the past seventy years?"

¹³ Yahweh then replied with kind and comforting words to the angel who was talking to me.

¹⁴ The angel who was talking to me then said to me, "Make this proclamation: Yahweh Sabaoth says this: I am burning with jealousy for Jerusalem and Zion

¹⁵ but am deeply angry with the nations now at ease; before, I was only mildly angry, but they contributed to the disaster.

¹⁶ So now Yahweh says this: In compassion I have returned to Jerusalem; my Temple will be rebuilt there -- Yahweh Sabaoth declares -- and the measuring line will be stretched over Jerusalem.

¹⁷ Make this proclamation too: Yahweh Sabaoth says this: My cities are once more to be very prosperous. Yahweh will comfort Zion once again, and again make Jerusalem his choice." '