Bible in 90 Days Plan

¹The oracle (a burdensome message—a pronouncement from God) which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

²O LORD, how long will I call for help And You will not hear? I cry out to You, "Violence!" Yet You do not save.

³Why do You make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness? For destruction and violence are before me; Strife continues and contention arises.

⁴Therefore, the law is ineffective and ignored And justice is never upheld, For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore, justice becomes perverted.

⁵[The LORD replied,] "Look among the nations! See! Be astonished! Wonder! For I am doing something in your days— You would not believe it if you were told.

⁶"For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans [who rule in Babylon], That fierce and impetuous nation Who march throughout the earth To take possession of dwelling places that do not belong to them.

⁷"The Chaldeans are dreaded and feared; Their justice and authority originate with themselves and are defined only by their decree.

⁸"Their horses are swifter than leopards And keener than [hungry] wolves in the evening, Their horsemen come galloping, Their horsemen come from far away; They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour.

⁹"They all come for violence; Their horde of faces moves [eagerly] forward, They gather prisoners like sand.

¹⁰"They make fun of kings And rulers are a laughing matter to them. They ridicule every stronghold And heap up rubble [for earth mounds] and capture it.

¹¹"Then they will sweep by like the wind and pass on. But they will be held guilty, They [and all men] whose own power and strength is their god."

¹²Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, My Holy One? We will not die. O LORD, You have appointed the Chaldeans [who rule in Babylon] to execute [Your] judgment, And You, O Rock, have established them to correct and chastise.

¹³Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You cannot look favorably on wickedness. Why then do You look favorably On those who act treacherously? Why are you silent when the wicked (Chaldean oppressors) destroy Those more righteous than they?

¹⁴Why do You make men like the fish of the sea, Like reptiles and creeping things that have no ruler [and are helpless against their enemies]?

¹⁵The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook, And drag them away with a net, And gather them together in their fishing net; So they rejoice and are glad.

¹⁶Therefore, they offer sacrifices to their net And burn incense to their fishing net; Because through these things their catch is large and they live luxuriously, And their food is plentiful.

¹⁷Will they continue to empty their net And [mercilessly] go on destroying nations without sparing?

¹I will stand at my guard post And station myself on the tower; And I will keep watch to see what He will say to me, And what answer I will give [as His spokesman] when I am reproved.

²Then the LORD answered me and said, "Write the vision And engrave it plainly on [clay] tablets So that the one who reads it will run.

³"For the vision is yet for the appointed [future] time It hurries toward the goal [of fulfillment]; it will not fail. Even though it delays, wait [patiently] for it, Because it will certainly come; it will not delay.

⁴"Look at the proud one, His soul is not right within him, But the righteous will live by his faith [in the true God].

⁵"Moreover, wine is treacherous and betrays the arrogant man, So that he does not stay at home. His appetite is large like Sheol, And he is like death, never satisfied. He gathers to himself all nations And collects to himself all peoples [as if he owned them].

⁶"Will all these [victims of his greed] not take up a taunting song against him, And in mocking derision against him Say, ' Woe (judgment is coming) to him who increases that which is not his— How long [will he possess it]? And [woe to him who] makes himself wealthy with loans.'

⁷"Will your creditors not rise up suddenly, And those who collect from you awaken? Then you will become plunder for them.

⁸"Because you [king of Babylon] have looted many nations, All peoples who are left will loot you— Because of human bloodshed and for the violence done to the land, To the city and all its inhabitants.

⁹"Woe (judgment is coming) to him who obtains wicked gain for his house [and thinks by so doing] To set his nest on high, That he may be rescued from the hand of evil.

¹⁰"You have devised a shameful thing for your house By cutting off and putting an end to many peoples; So you are sinning against your own life and forfeiting it.

¹¹"For the stone will cry out from the wall [to accuse you—built in sin!] And the rafter will answer it out of the woodwork.

¹²"Woe (judgment is coming) to him who builds a city with bloodshed And establishes a town by violence!

¹³"Is it not indeed from the LORD of hosts That peoples labor [only] for the fire [that will destroy their work], And nations grow weary for nothing [that is, things which have no lasting value]?

¹⁴"But [the time is coming when] the earth shall be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea.

¹⁵"Woe (judgment is coming) to you who make your neighbors drink, Who mix in your venom to make them drunk So that you may look at their nakedness!

¹⁶"You will be filled with disgrace instead of honor. Now drink and expose your own nakedness! The cup [of wrath] in the Lord's right hand will come around to you [O destroyer], And utter disgrace will be on your own glory.

¹⁷"For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you; The destruction of the animals will terrify you On account of human bloodshed and the violence done to the land, To the city and all its inhabitants.

¹⁸"What profit is the carved image when its maker has formed it? It is only a cast image, and a teacher of lies. For its maker trusts in his own creation [as his god] When he makes speechless idols.

¹⁹"Woe (judgment is coming) to him who says to the wooden image, 'Awake!' And to the speechless stone, 'Arise!' And that is your teacher? Look, it is overlaid with gold and silver, And there is no breath at all inside it.

²⁰"But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth hush and be silent before Him."

¹A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, set to wild and enthusiastic music.

²O LORD, I have heard the report about You and I fear. O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years, In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath [earnestly] remember compassion and love.

³God [approaching from Sinai] comes from Teman (Edom), And the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah ( pause, and calmly think of that). His splendor and majesty covers the heavens And the earth is full of His praise.

⁴His brightness is like the sunlight; He has [bright] rays flashing from His hand, And there [in the sunlike splendor] is the hiding place of His power.

⁵Before Him goes the pestilence [of judgment as in Egypt], And [the burning] plague [of condemnation] follows at His feet [as in Sennacherib's army].

⁶He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations, Yes, the eternal mountains were shattered, The ancient hills bowed low and collapsed. His ways are eternal.

⁷I [Habakkuk, in my vision] saw the tents of Cushan under distress; The tent curtains of the land of Midian were trembling.

⁸Did the LORD rage against the rivers, Or was Your anger against the rivers, Or was Your wrath against the [Red] Sea, That You rode on Your horses, On Your chariots of salvation?

⁹Your bow was made bare; The rods of chastisement were sworn. Selah (pause, calmly think of that). You split the earth with rivers [bringing waters to dry places].

¹⁰The mountains saw You and [they] trembled and writhed [as if in pain]; The downpour of waters swept by [as a deluge]. The deep uttered its voice and raged, It lifted its hands high.

¹¹The sun and moon stood in their places [as before Joshua]; They went away at the light of Your [swift] arrows, At the radiance and gleam of Your glittering spear.

¹²In indignation You marched through the earth; In anger You trampled and threshed the nations.

¹³You went forth for the salvation of Your people, For the salvation and rescue of Your anointed [people Israel]. You struck the head from the house of the wicked To lay him open from the thigh to the neck. Selah (pause, and calmly think of that).

¹⁴With the enemy's own spears, You pierced The head of his hordes. They stormed out to scatter us, Rejoicing like those Who secretly devour the oppressed [of Israel].

¹⁵You have trampled on the sea with Your horses, On the surge of many waters.

¹⁶I heard and my whole inner self trembled; My lips quivered at the sound. Decay and rottenness enter my bones, And I tremble in my place. Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress, For the people to arise who will invade and attack us.

¹⁷Though the fig tree does not blossom And there is no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive fails And the fields produce no food, Though the flock is cut off from the fold And there are no cattle in the stalls,

¹⁸Yet I will [choose to] rejoice in the LORD; I will [choose to] shout in exultation in the [victorious] God of my salvation!

¹⁹The Lord GOD is my strength [my source of courage, my invincible army]; He has made my feet [steady and sure] like hinds' feet And makes me walk [forward with spiritual confidence] on my high places [of challenge and responsibility]. For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.

¹The word of the LORD which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah:

²"I will completely consume and sweep away all things From the face of the earth [in judgment]," says the LORD.

³"I will consume and sweep away man and beast; I will consume and sweep away the birds of the air And the fish of the sea, And the stumbling blocks (idols) along with the wicked; And I will cut off and destroy man from the face of the earth," declares the LORD.

⁴"I will also stretch out My hand [in judgment] against Judah And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will cut off and destroy the remnant of Baal from this place, And the names and remembrance of the idolatrous priests along with the [false] priests,

⁵And those who bow down and worship the host of heaven [the sun, the moon, and the stars] on their housetops And those who bow down and swear [oaths] to [and pretend to worship] the LORD and [yet also] swear by [the pagan god called] Milcom [god of the Ammonites],

⁶And those who have turned back from following the LORD, And those who have not sought the LORD [as their most important need] or inquired of Him."

⁷[Hush!] Be silent before the Lord GOD [there is no acceptable excuse to offer]! For the day [of the vengeance] of the LORD is near, For the LORD has prepared a sacrifice (Judah), He has set apart [for His use] those who have accepted His invitation [the Chaldeans who rule Babylon].

⁸"Then it will come about on the day of the Lord's sacrifice That I will punish the princes and the king's sons And all who are clothed in [lavish] foreign apparel [reflecting their paganism].

⁹"On that day I will also punish all those who leap over the temple threshold, Who fill their [pagan] lord's temple with violence and deceit.

¹⁰"On that day," declares the LORD, "There will be the sound of crying from the Fish (Damascus) Gate [in the northern wall of Jerusalem where invaders enter] And wailing from the Second Quarter [of the city], And a loud crash from the hills.

¹¹"Wail [in anguish], you inhabitants of the Mortar (Valley of Siloam), For all the merchants of Canaan will be silenced and destroyed; All who weigh out silver will be cut off.

¹²"It will come about at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps And I will punish the men Who [like old wine] are stagnant in spirit, Who say in their hearts, 'The LORD will not do good, nor will He do evil.'

¹³"Furthermore, their wealth will become plunder And their houses a desolation. Yes, they will build houses but not live in them, And plant vineyards but not drink their wine."

¹⁴The great [judgment] day of the LORD is near, Near and coming very quickly. Listen! The [voice of the] day of the LORD! The warrior cries out bitterly [unable to fight or to flee].

¹⁵That day is a day of [the outpouring of the] wrath [of God], A day of trouble and distress, A day of destruction and devastation, A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness,

¹⁶A day of trumpet and the battle cry [of invaders] Against the fortified cities And against the high corner towers (battlements).

¹⁷I will bring distress on men So that they will walk like the blind [unable to find a way of escape], Because they have sinned against the LORD; Their blood will be poured out like dust [and trampled underfoot], And their flesh like dung.

¹⁸Neither their silver nor their gold Will be able to rescue them On the day of the Lord's indignation and wrath. And the whole earth will be consumed In the fire of His jealous wrath, For He shall make a full and complete end, Indeed a terrifying one, Of all the inhabitants of the earth.

¹Gather yourselves together [in repentance], yes, gather [in submission], O nation without shame,

²Before the decree takes effect [and the time for repentance is lost]— The day passes like the chaff [whirled by the wind]— Before the burning and fierce anger of the LORD comes upon you, Before the day of the wrath of the LORD comes upon you.

³Seek the LORD [search diligently for Him and regard Him as the foremost necessity of your life], All you humble of the land Who have practiced His ordinances and have kept His commandments; Seek righteousness, seek humility [regard them as vital]. Perhaps you will be hidden [and pardoned and rescued] In the day of the Lord's anger.

⁴For [this is the fate of the Philistines:] Gaza will be abandoned And Ashkelon a desolation; [The people of] Ashdod will be driven out at noon [in broad daylight] And Ekron will be uprooted and destroyed.

⁵Woe (judgment is coming) to the inhabitants of the seacoast, The nation of the Cherethites [in Philistia]! The word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines; I will destroy you So that no inhabitant will be left.

⁶So the [depopulated] seacoast shall be pastures, With [deserted] meadows for shepherds and folds for flocks.

⁷The seacoast will belong To the remnant of the house of Judah; They will pasture [their flocks] on it. In the [deserted] houses of Ashkelon [in Philistia] they [of Judah] will lie down and rest in the evening, For the LORD their God will care for them; And restore their fortune [permitting them to occupy the land].

⁸"I have heard the taunting of Moab And the revilings of the sons of Ammon, With which they have taunted My people And become arrogant against their territory [by violating Israel's boundary and trying to seize its land].

⁹"Therefore, as I live," declares the LORD of hosts, The God of Israel, " Moab will in fact become like Sodom And the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah, A land possessed by nettles and salt pits, And a perpetual desolation. The remnant of My people will plunder them And what is left of My nation will inherit them [as their own]."

¹⁰This they shall have in return for their pride, because they have taunted and become arrogant against the people of the LORD of hosts.

¹¹The LORD will be terrifying and awesome to them, for He will starve all the gods of the earth; and all the coastlands of the nations will bow down and worship Him, everyone from his own place.

¹²"You also, O Ethiopians, will be slain by My sword."

¹³And the LORD will stretch out His hand against the north And destroy Assyria, And He will make Nineveh a desolation [a wasteland], Parched as the desert.

¹⁴Flocks will lie down in her midst, All the animals which range in herds; Both the pelican and the short-eared owl Will roost on the top of Nineveh's pillars. Birds will sing in the window, Desolation will be on the threshold; For He has uncovered the cedar paneling.

¹⁵This is the joyous city Which dwells carelessly [feeling so secure], Who says in her heart, "I am, and there is no one besides me." What a desolation she has become, A lair for [wild] animals! Everyone who passes by her will hiss [in scorn] And wave his hand in contempt.

¹Woe (judgment is coming) to her who is rebellious and defiled, The tyrannical city [Jerusalem]!

²She did not listen and heed the voice [of God]; She accepted no correction. She did not trust in the LORD [but trusted her own power]; She did not draw near to her God [but to the pagan gods of Baal or Molech].

³Her officials within her are roaring lions; Her judges are [as hungry as] the wolves at evening, They leave nothing for the morning.

⁴Her prophets are reckless and treacherous men; Her priests have profaned the sanctuary; They have done violence to the law [by pretending their word is God's word].

⁵The LORD is righteous within her; He will do no injustice. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He does not fail. But the unjust person knows no shame.

⁶"I [the LORD] have cut off and destroyed nations [as a warning to Judah]; Their corner towers (battlements) are in ruins. I have made their streets desolate So that no one passes by; Their cities are destroyed So that there is no man, there is no inhabitant.

⁷"I said, 'Most certainly you will [reverently] fear Me; Accept correction.' So Jerusalem's dwelling will not be cut off In accordance with all that I have appointed concerning her [punishment], But they were eager [even rising early] to make all their deeds corrupt.

⁸"Therefore [you of the godly remnant of Judah, patiently] wait for Me," declares the LORD, "[Wait] for the day when I rise up as a witness [against the nations]. For it is My decision and My right to gather the nations, To assemble kingdoms, To pour out on them My indignation, All [the heat of] My burning anger; For [in that day] all the earth shall be consumed By the fire of My zeal.

⁹"Then I will give to the peoples [clear and pure speech from] purified lips [which reflect their purified hearts], That all of them may call on the name of the LORD, To serve Him shoulder to shoulder (united).

¹⁰"From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, [the descendants of] My dispersed ones, Will bring My offerings.

¹¹"On that day you [Israel] will feel no shame Because of all your acts By which you have rebelled and sinned against Me; Then I will remove from among you Your rejoicing ones who delight in their pride; And you will never again behave arrogantly On My holy mountain [Mount Zion].

¹²"But I will leave among you A humble and lowly people, And they will take refuge and trust confidently in the name of the LORD.

¹³"The remnant of Israel will do no wrong Nor speak lies, Nor will a deceitful tongue Be found in their mouths; For they will eat and lie down With no one to make them tremble and feel afraid."

¹⁴Shout for joy, O Daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Israel! Rejoice, be in high spirits and glory with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem [in that day]!

¹⁵The LORD has taken away the judgments against you; He has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, even the LORD [Himself], is in your midst; You will no longer fear disaster.

¹⁶In that day it will be said to Jerusalem: "Do not be afraid, O Zion; Do not let your hands fall limp.

¹⁷"The LORD your God is in your midst, A Warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with joy; He will be quiet in His love [making no mention of your past sins], He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

¹⁸"I will gather those [Israelites in captivity] who grieve about the appointed feasts— They came from you, [O Zion]; On whom the reproach [of exile] is a burden.

¹⁹"Behold, at that time I am going to deal With all your oppressors; I will save the lame And gather the scattered, And I will turn their shame into praise and renown In every land [where they have suffered].

²⁰"At that time I will bring you in, Yes, at the time I gather you together; For I will make you a name and a praise Among all the peoples of the earth When I restore your fortunes [and freedom] before your eyes," Says the LORD.

¹In the second year of Darius the king [of Persia], on the first day of the sixth month (Aug 29, 520 b.c.), the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,

²"Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'These people say, "The time has not come that the Lord's house (temple) should be rebuilt."'"

³Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying,

⁴"Is it time for you yourselves to live in your [expensive] paneled houses while this house [of the LORD] lies in ruins?"

⁵Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, "Consider your ways and thoughtfully reflect on your conduct!

⁶You have planted much, but you harvest little; you eat, but you do not have enough; you drink, but you do not have enough to be intoxicated; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns wages earns them just to put them in a bag with holes in it [because God has withheld His blessing]."

⁷Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Consider your ways and thoughtfully reflect on your conduct!

⁸Go up to the hill country, bring lumber and rebuild My house (temple), that I may be pleased with it and be glorified," says the LORD [accepting it as done for My glory].

⁹You look for much [harvest], but it comes to little; and even when you bring that home, I blow it away. Why?" says the LORD of hosts. "Because of My house, which lies in ruins while each of you runs to his own house [eager to enjoy it].

¹⁰Therefore, because of you [that is, your sin and disobedience] the heavens withhold the dew and the earth withholds its produce.

¹¹I called for a drought on the land and the hill country, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on men, on cattle, and on all the labor of your hands."

¹²Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people [who had returned from exile], listened carefully and obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, since the LORD their God had sent him. And the people [reverently] feared the LORD.

¹³Then Haggai, the Lord's messenger, spoke the Lord's message to the people saying, " 'I am with you,' declares the LORD."

¹⁴So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,

¹⁵on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month (Sept 21, 520 b.c.) in the second year of Darius the king.

¹On the twenty-first day of the seventh month (Oct 17, 520 b.c., the second year of Darius king of Persia), the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai, saying,

²"Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying,

³'Who is left among you who saw this house (temple) in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?

⁴But now be courageous, Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD, 'be courageous also, Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and be courageous, all you people of the land,' declares the LORD, 'and work; for I am with you,' declares the LORD of hosts.

⁵'As for the promise which I made with you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit stands [firm and immovable] and continues with you; do not fear!'

⁶"For thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Once more, in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.

⁷'I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the desirable and precious things of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory and splendor,' says the LORD of hosts.

⁸'The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,' declares the LORD of hosts.

⁹'The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,' says the LORD of hosts, 'and in this place I shall give [the ultimate] peace and prosperity,' declares the LORD of hosts."

¹⁰On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (Dec 18, 520 b.c.), in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Haggai the prophet, saying,

¹¹"Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Ask the priests for a ruling:

¹²'If a man carries meat that is holy [because it has been offered in sacrifice to God] in the fold of his garment, and he touches bread, or cooked food, or wine, or oil, or any [kind of] food with this fold, does what he touches become holy [dedicated exclusively to God's service]?'" And the priests answered, "No!" [ Holiness is not transferrable.]

¹³Then Haggai said, "If one who is [ceremonially] unclean because of [contact with] a corpse touches any of these [articles of food], will it be unclean?" And the priests answered, "It will be unclean." [Ceremonial uncleanness, like sin, is infectious.]

¹⁴Then Haggai answered, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there [on the altar] is unclean [because they who offer it are unclean].

¹⁵But now, do consider [what will happen] from this day forward: before one stone was placed on another in the temple of the LORD,

¹⁶from that time when one came to a grain heap expecting twenty measures, there would be only ten; and when one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty measures, there would be only twenty.

¹⁷I struck you and the work of your hands with scorching wind, mildew, and hail; yet you did not come back to Me,' declares the LORD.

¹⁸'Do consider from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month; from the day when the temple of the LORD was founded, consider:

¹⁹Is the seed still in the barn? As to the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree—they have not produced. Yet from this day on I will bless you [in the harvest of your crops].'"

²⁰And again the word of the LORD came to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month (Dec 18, 520 b.c.), saying,

²¹"Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, 'I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

²²I will [in the distant future] overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the [ungodly] nations; and I will overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them, and the horses and their riders will go down, every one by the sword of his brother [annihilating one another].

²³'On that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'I will take you, Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, My servant,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you [through the Messiah, your descendant] like a signet ring, for I have chosen you [as the one with whom to renew My covenant to David's line],'" declares the LORD of hosts.

¹In the eighth month of the second year [of the reign] of Darius [the king of Persia], the word of the LORD came to Zechariah (the LORD remembers) the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying,

²"The LORD was extremely angry with your fathers.

³Therefore say to the Jews, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts (armies), "Return to Me," declares the LORD of hosts, "and I shall return to you.

⁴Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Repent [that is, change your way of thinking] and return now from your evil way [of life] and from your evil deeds."' But they did not listen or pay attention to Me," declares the LORD.

⁵"Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?

⁶But did not My words (warnings) and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, 'As the LORD of hosts planned to do to us [in discipline and punishment], in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so has He dealt with us.'"'"

⁷On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month (Feb 15, 519 b.c.), which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of [the reign of] Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, as follows:

⁸In the night I saw [a vision] and behold, a Man was riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees that were in the ravine; and behind Him were horses: red, sorrel (reddish-brown), and white.

⁹Then I said, "O my lord, what are these?" And the angel who was speaking with me said, "I will show you what these are."

¹⁰And the Man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, "These are the ones whom the LORD has sent to go throughout the earth and patrol it."

¹¹And the men on the horses answered the Angel of the LORD who stood among the myrtle trees and said, "We have gone throughout the earth [patrolling it] and behold, all the earth sits at rest [in peace and free from war]."

¹²Then the Angel of the LORD said, "O LORD of hosts, how long will You withhold mercy and compassion from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which You have had indignation and anger these seventy years [of the Babylonian captivity]?"

¹³And the LORD answered the angel who was speaking with me with gracious and comforting words.

¹⁴So the angel who was speaking with me said to me, "Proclaim, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "I am jealous [with a burning, fiery passion] for Jerusalem and for Zion [demanding what is rightfully and uniquely mine] with a great jealousy.

¹⁵But I am very angry with the nations who are at ease and feel secure; for while I was only a little angry, they furthered the disaster [against the people of Israel]."

¹⁶'Therefore, thus says the LORD, "I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy and compassion. My house shall be built in it," says the LORD of hosts, "and a measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem."'

¹⁷"Proclaim again, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD shall again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem."'"

¹⁸Then I looked up, and saw four horns (powers)!

¹⁹So I asked the angel who was speaking with me, "What are these?" And he answered me, "These are the horns [the powerful Gentile nations] that have scattered Judah (the Southern Kingdom), Israel (the Northern Kingdom), and Jerusalem (capital city of Judah)."

²⁰Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen.

²¹I asked, "What are these [horns and craftsmen] coming to do?" And he said, "These are the horns (powers) that have scattered Judah so that no man raised up his head [because of the suffering inflicted by the Gentile nations]. But these craftsmen have come to terrify them and make them panic, and throw down the horns of the nations who have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah in order to scatter it."

¹And I looked up, and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand.

²So I said, "Where are you going?" And he said to me, "To measure Jerusalem, to see how wide it is and how long it is."

³And behold, the angel who was speaking with me was going out, and another angel was coming out to meet him,

⁴and he said to the second angel, "Run, speak to that young man, saying, 'Jerusalem will be inhabited [like villages] without walls [spreading out into the open country] because of the great number of people and livestock in it.

⁵'For I,' declares the LORD, 'will be a wall of fire around her [protecting her from enemies], and I will be the glory in her midst.'"

⁶" Hear this! Flee from [Babylon] the land of the north [which shall come under judgment]," declares the LORD, "for I have scattered you like the four winds of the heavens," declares the LORD.

⁷"Hear, Zion (Jerusalem)! Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon!"

⁸For thus says the LORD of hosts, "After glory He has sent Me against the nations which plunder you—for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.

⁹Behold, I will wave my hand over them and they shall become plunder for their own slaves. Then you shall know (recognize, understand fully) that the LORD of hosts has sent Me.

¹⁰Sing for joy and rejoice, O Daughter of Zion; for behold, I am coming, and I will dwell in your midst," declares the LORD.

¹¹Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD in that day and shall be My people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know (recognize, understand fully) that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you.

¹²The LORD will take possession of Judah as His portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem.

¹³"Be still before the LORD, all mankind; for He is roused (raised up) from His holy habitation [in response to His persecuted people]."

¹Then the guiding angel showed me Joshua the high priest [representing disobedient, sinful Israel] standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at Joshua's right hand to be his adversary and to accuse him.

²And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Even the LORD, who [now and ever] has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is this not a log snatched and rescued from the fire?"

³Now Joshua was clothed with filthy (nauseatingly vile) garments and was standing before the Angel [of the LORD].

⁴He spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, "Remove the filthy garments from him." And He said to Joshua, "See, I have caused your wickedness to be taken away from you, and I will clothe and beautify you with rich robes [of forgiveness]."

⁵And I (Zechariah) said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with [rich] garments. And the Angel of the LORD stood by.

⁶And the Angel of the LORD [solemnly and earnestly] admonished Joshua, saying,

⁷"Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'If you will walk in My ways [that is, remain faithful] and perform My service, then you will also govern My house and have charge of My courts, and I will give you free access [to My presence] among these who are standing here.

⁸Now listen, Joshua, the high priest, you and your colleagues who are sitting in front of you—indeed they are men who are a symbol [of what is to come]—for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch [in Messianic glory].

⁹For behold, the stone which I have set before Joshua; on that one stone are seven eyes (symbolizing infinite intelligence, omniscience). Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'and I will remove the wickedness and guilt of this land in a single day.

¹⁰In that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'every one of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and his fig tree [enjoying peace and prosperity in the kingdom].'"

¹And the angel who was speaking with me came back and awakened me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep.

²He said to me, "What do you see?" I said, "I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with its bowl [for oil] on the top of it and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it.

³And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side [supplying it continuously with oil]."

⁴So I asked the angel who was speaking with me, "What are these, my lord?"

⁵Then the angel who was speaking with me answered me, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord."

⁶Then he said to me, "This [continuous supply of oil] is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel [prince of Judah], saying, 'Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit [of whom the oil is a symbol],' says the LORD of hosts.

⁷'What are you, O great mountain [of obstacles]? Before Zerubbabel [who will rebuild the temple] you will become a plain (insignificant)! And he will bring out the capstone [of the new temple] with loud shouts of "Grace, grace to it!"'"

⁸Also the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

⁹"The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundations of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know (recognize, understand fully) that the LORD of hosts has sent me [as His messenger] to you.

¹⁰Who [with reason] despises the day of small things (beginnings)? For these seven [eyes] shall rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the LORD which roam throughout the earth."

¹¹Then I said to him [who was speaking with me], "What are these two olive trees on the right side of the lampstand and on its left?"

¹²And a second time I said to him, "What are these two olive branches which are beside the two golden pipes by which the golden oil is emptied?"

¹³And he answered me, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord."

¹⁴Then he said, "These are the two sons of fresh oil [Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel the prince of Judah] who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth [as His anointed ones]."

¹Again I looked up, and I saw a scroll flying in the air!

²And the angel said to me, "What do you see?" And I answered, "I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits (thirty feet) and its width is ten cubits (fifteen feet)."

³Then he said to me, "This is the curse that is going out over the face of the whole land; for everyone who steals will be cut off according to the writing on one side, and everyone who swears [oaths falsely] shall be cut off according to the writing on the other side.

⁴I will send the curse out," declares the LORD of hosts, "and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name; and it will spend the night in that house and consume it, both its timber and its stones."

⁵Then the angel who was speaking with me came forward and said to me, "Now look up and see what this is going forth."

⁶And I said, "What is it?" And he said, "This is the ephah (grain basket) going forth. This," he continued, "is their appearance throughout the land

⁷(and behold, a [round, flat] lead cover was lifted up); and there sat a woman inside the ephah."

⁸Then he said, "This is Wickedness (Godlessness)!" And he threw her back down into the middle of the ephah and threw the lead cover on its opening.

⁹Then I looked up, and there were two women coming out with the wind in their wings; and they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens.

¹⁰I said to the angel who was speaking with me, "Where are they taking the ephah?"

¹¹And he said to me, "To the land of Shinar (Babylon) to build a temple for her; and when it is prepared, she shall be set there on her own pedestal."