From the Greek Septuagint text as used by First Century Christians.
A prophecy about JeruSalem concerning the need to restore true worship there, which was written somewhere between 560 and 539-BCE.
Note that there are prophecies here about the coming Messiah,
and like all the Hebrew prophecies about the destruction and repatriation of JeruSalem
the words of God seem to look beyond JeruSalem’s destruction by the Babylonians and beyond the later destruction by the Romans
to far distant times when God will everafter be with His people.
Is it poetry or isn’t it poetry?
Something that only a Bible translator would notice is that whenever God or His spokesperson are quoted, the words were in the form of Hebrew poetry,
since there is a definite cadence that can be noted in the original language. Therefore, because this is the chosen style of God, we have rendered it as it should be, in poetic verse.
Why did God and His spokesperson communicate through poetry?
Because poetic words provide memory aids that can be easily recalled to mind, so that the messages could be spread throughout the population via the most common medium of communication at the time, song.
The curious case of the changing personal pronouns:
Another thing that all translators notice when translating the words of the Prophets is the constant changing of the personal pronouns from the first to the third person in many of the pronouncements.
And what we have come to realize is that God didn’t personally speak to the Prophets. Rather, He sent His messages through a mediator, who appears to have been referred to as ‘The Word’ throughout the text.
Who Was Actually Talking?
You will notice herein that the text often changes to a quotation and then even to italics. WHY?
Understand that there are actually THREE voices being represented here… that of the Prophet, that of the angel who is bring the message from God, and the words of God Himself (which is usually overlooked in other Bibles).
How can we tell the difference? From the TENSES in which each verse is written.
If it is the Prophet speaking, he is talking about what was happing or what will be happening to his people.
If it is the angel (the Word) speaking, he is speaking of God in the third person.
And if it is God speaking, He is talking in the first person about what He will do.
Did we get it all right? Probably not, but it has been an honest attempt at doing so.

Chapter 1

¹ It was in the eighth month in the second year [of the reign] of Darius that the Word of Jehovah came to ZechariAh (the son of BarachiAh and grandson of IdDo) the Prophet and said:

² ‘Jehovah was provoked by your fathers
And [driven] into great rage;
³ So, tell them that thus says Jehovah of Armies:
Return to Me, says Jehovah of Armies,
And then, I’ll turn back to you.

⁴ ‘Do not be like your fathers
Whom the Prophets accused.
For they came beforehand and warned them…
They said that Jehovah of Armies
Had warned them to turn from their wicked ways
And from the bad things they were doing.
But they just paid no attention,
And chose not to listen to Me, says Jehovah.

⁵ ‘Now, where are your fathers and where are those Prophets…
Have they lived into this age?

⁶ ‘You have My words and My Laws;
Yes, all that I sent by My Spirit
Through My servants the Prophets…
Those whom were seized by your fathers.

‘For [your fathers] gave this reply to [the Prophets]:
Whatever Jehovah of Armies had planned
Because of our sins and our evil ways
Has already been fulfilled upon us!’

⁷ Well, it was on the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month (the month of Shebat), in the second year [of the reign] of Darius, that the Word of Jehovah came to me ( ZechariAh the Prophet, the son of BarachiAh and grandson of IdDo). ⁸ For during the night, I looked up and saw a man that was riding a red horse. He was standing in the shade between the mountains, and behind him were red horses with white spots. ⁹ So I asked,
‘What is this, O Lord?’
And [God’s] messenger (the person that was speaking to me) replied,
‘I will show you what all these things mean.’

¹⁰ Then the man that was standing between the mountains spoke to me and said:
‘These [men] were sent by Jehovah
To travel throughout the whole land.’

¹¹ And thereafter, the men that were standing between the mountains said to the messenger of Jehovah:
‘We have finished our travels throughout the whole land,
And Look! It is all tranquil and filled.’

¹² So the messenger of Jehovah said this:
‘O Jehovah of Armies;
How long will you fail to show mercy
On JeruSalem and the cities of Judah?
For, this is the seventieth year of Your rage.’

¹³ And Jehovah replied to the messenger:
‘You, the one who is speaking for Me,
Must send him good words that bring comfort.’

¹⁴ So then the messenger spoke to me and told me that I should start shouting [in joy], because Jehovah the Almighty had said this:
‘I have a great zeal for JeruSalem…
Over Zion, I am very zealous!
¹⁵ And I’ve been provoked by the nations,
Because they had joined to attack you.

‘But, though you people provoked Me,
They planned their attack for bad [reasons].
¹⁶ And because of this,’ said Jehovah,
‘On JeruSalem, I will show mercy,
And My Temple will soon be rebuilt there.’

Then Jehovah added:
‘So, I’m stretching a line over JeruSalem.’

¹⁷ ‘[And the messenger said],
‘Therefore, shout aloud [in joy] once again!
For Jehovah of Armies said this:
To your cities, I’ll be sending good things;
For, I will show mercy on Zion,
Since JeruSalem is the place that I chose!’

¹⁸ Then, when I raised my eyes and looked, I saw four trumpets. ¹⁹ So I asked the messenger (the one who was speaking to me):
‘What are these, O Lord?’

And he replied:
‘These are the trumpets…
The ones that brought scattering to Judah,
As well as to IsraEl and JeruSalem.’

²⁰ Then the Lord showed me four workers. ²¹ So I asked him,
‘What have these come to do?’

And he replied to Me, saying,
‘They’ve come to cut down the trumpets
That brought scattering [to the people of] Judah,
And so much destruction upon IsraEl
That those who lived there could not raise their heads…
They’re the horns that the nations had raised
To scatter the land of Jehovah.’

Chapter 2

¹ Then I raised My eyes and I saw a man; and in his hand was the string of a surveyor. ² So I asked him,
‘Where are you going?’

And he said,
‘I’m going to measure JeruSalem…
To determine its length and its width.’

³ Well at that, {Look!} the messenger who was speaking to me stopped, and another of [God’s] messengers came to meet him, ⁴ and said:
‘Tell him that JeruSalem
Will be lived in again…
Within her, there’ll be crowds of cattle and men.

⁵ ‘And [tell him] that Jehovah says this:
I’ll be a wall of fire to surround her
As well as the glory within her.

⁶ ‘So now, flee from the land in the north,
says Jehovah;
For I’ll gather you from the four winds,
⁷ And those who dwell among Babylon’s daughters
Must get up and run back to Zion.’

⁸ Then [the messenger said]:
‘I was sent to the nations by Jehovah,
In order to establish your glory
Among the people that sacked you.

‘For, those who have dared to touch you
Have touched the pupil of my eye.
⁹ So {Look!} against them, I’ll now raise my hand,
And they will then be the spoils
Of those who had once been their slaves…
And then you will know I was sent
By Jehovah the Almighty.

¹⁰ ‘So be glad and rejoice, O daughter of Zion;
For I will return and camp in your midst.
¹¹ Then, many nations will come seeking refuge
Among Jehovah and His people…
For, I will be there in your midst,
And you’ll know that Jehovah the Almighty
Was the [One] that sent me to you.

¹² ‘Yes, Judah will be His inheritance again
(His portion in His holy land),
And JeruSalem is His chosen city, once more.
¹³ So to Jehovah, all flesh must now bow;
For, from His holy cloud, He’s awakened.’

Chapter 3

¹ Then the Lord showed me JoShua (gr. Jesus) the High Priest. And standing before him was the messenger of Jehovah… but the Slanderer was also there, standing to his right in order to serve as his opponent.

² Then [the messenger] of Jehovah said to the Slanderer:
‘O Slanderer;
May Jehovah send His reproach upon you…
May the Lord who chose JeruSalem
Speak condemnation against you!
For, doesn’t [Joshua now look like] an ember
That has been snatched from the fire?’

³ Well, [I noticed that] JoShua was wearing filthy clothes as he was standing there in front of [God’s] messenger. ⁴ So the messenger said to those that were standing before him:
‘Now, remove all of his filthy clothes!’
Then he said:
‘{Look!} And after you’ve removed all of these dirty things;
In a full-length robe, you must dress him!’

⁵ Then he said:
‘Dress him in the [robes of a Priest],
And on his head, you must place a clean turban!’

So they dressed him in the official [garments], placed a clean turban on his head, and wrapped the [official] robe around him.

⁶ And thereafter, the messenger of Jehovah stood there and testified to JoShua saying,
⁷ ‘Thus says Jehovah the Almighty:
If you will walk in My ways
And keep strict watch on My orders,
I’ll [assign you to be over] My [Temple]
And to keep watch on My courtyard.
Then I’ll give you [guards] that will pace
Between other [guards] that stand still.

⁸ ‘O High Priest JoShua, listen to this…
Yes, you and your neighbors that are sitting before you!
For these men [will serve as] observers of signs…
They’ll be witnesses that I gave to My servant
Something that will raise his position!
⁹ For I’ll place a stone before JoShua’s face,
And on this stone, there will be seven eyes.

‘{Look!} Then upon it, I will engrave an inscription,
Says Jehovah the Almighty.
It’ll say that I’ll [wipe out] injustice…
In a day, I’ll wipe injustice away
In all places throughout the whole land.

¹⁰ ‘And then, in that day, says Jehovah;
They will each call to their neighbors and brothers
From under their own grapevines and fig trees.’

Chapter 4

¹ Then the messenger that was speaking to me returned and woke me up in the same way that you’d wake up a man that was sleeping. ² Then he asked me:
‘Now, what do you see?’

Well when I looked, I saw a gold lampstand and a bowl of oil… there were seven lamps on [the stand] and seven oil funnels for the seven lamps. ³ There were also two olive trees… one was on the right of its bowl, and the other was on its left side. ⁴ So I asked the messenger that was speaking to me:
‘What are these things, O Lord?’

⁵ And the messenger that had been speaking to me replied:
‘Don’t you know what all these things mean?’

And I answered:
‘No, O my Lord.’

⁶ Then he told me this:
‘They’re the words of Jehovah to ZerubBabel;
For, you must say this to him:
Not by strength or great power,
But just by My Breath,
Says Jehovah the Almighty.

⁷ ‘So, who are you, O great mountain,
To stand before ZerubBabel’s face?
For, you will become just a plain
Before My inherited rock
Upon whom I’ll show My favor and care.’

⁸ Then the Word of Jehovah came to Me and said:
⁹ ‘ ZerubBabel’s hands that laid the foundation
Will also be the hands that complete it.
Then you’ll know that Jehovah the Almighty
Is the One that sent Me to you.

¹⁰ ‘For, those who’ve despised the days of small things
Will rejoice when they see the stone plumb bob
Held in ZerubBabel’s hands…
The stone with the eyes of Jehovah
That look upon the whole earth.’

¹¹ Then I asked him:
‘But what do the two olive trees signify… the ones on the right and left sides of the lampstand?’

¹² And I asked him again:
‘What [is the meaning of] the two branches of the trees that are around the gold handles that are used to do pouring… and the gold funnels?’

¹³ So he spoke again and asked me:
‘Don’t you know what all these things mean?’

And I replied:
‘No, O Lord.’

¹⁴ And he said:
‘These are two sons of the oil (or ‘fat,’ likely anointed ones),
Who will stand beside the Lord of the earth.’

Chapter 5

¹ Then I turned and raised my eyes and saw what looked like a flying sickle. ² And he asked me:
‘What do you see now?’

And I replied:
‘I see a flying sickle… it’s twenty forearms long and ten forearms wide!’

³ Then he said:
‘This is the curse…
The one that will go ‘cross the face of the earth.
One side brings death to all thieves,
And the other, to those that would lie in a trial.

⁴ ‘For Jehovah the Almighty says this:
I will [soon] send it forth…
I’ll send it to the thieves that would enter My House
And to those that swear false oaths in My Name.
It will come and enter their houses,
And then it will wipe them away,
Along with their woodwork and stones.’

⁵ Then the messenger that was speaking to me came up and said:
‘Now, raise your eyes and see what is coming!’

⁶ And I asked him:
‘What is it?’

And he said:
‘What’s coming is the measuring basket
That will measure the land’s unrighteous ways.
⁷ Look… I have a measure of lead.
And look… there’s a woman inside of [that basket]!’

⁸ Then he said:
‘This [lead] is their lawless ways!’

And at that, he threw [the lead] at the basket, and it fell into the woman’s mouth.

⁹ Then I raised my eyes and I saw two more women coming. Both had wings that were like those of a hoopoe bird, and [their wings] thereafter became filled with the wind. Then they picked up the basket and lifted it between the land and the sky.

¹⁰ So I asked the messenger that was speaking to me:
‘Where are they taking the basket?’

¹¹ And he replied:
‘To the land of Babylon, they’ll take it,
In which there [will be] a house,
That they have prepared for it there.’

Chapter 6

¹ Then I turned and raised my eyes and I saw four chariots coming from between two mountains… mountains that were made out of brass! ² The first chariot [that I saw] was pulled by red horses, the second was pulled by black horses, ³ the third was pulled by white horses, and the fourth was pulled by horses that were spotted dapple gray.

⁴ So I spoke to the messenger and asked him (this one who was speaking to me):
‘What are these, O my Lord?’

⁵ And the messenger that was speaking to me replied:
‘These are the four winds of the heavens,
And they will stand next to the Lord of the earth.
⁶ The black ones will go to the land of the north;
The white ones will follow behind them;
And the spotted are going to the land of the south.’

⁷ Then the dapple-gray ones left, and they traveled around the whole earth. For he told them:
‘Go and travel around the whole earth!’
So then they went and traveled throughout all the lands [of the earth].

⁸ Then he yelled out to me and said:
‘Look! The ones that are going to the land of the north
Have brought rest to My rage in the north.’

⁹ Then the Word of Jehovah came to me and said:
¹⁰ ‘Take [silver and gold] from the rulers,
As well as from those that are wealthy,
And from those that have greater knowledge!
[You will find them] in the house of JosiAh (son of ZephaniAh),
Who has just returned from Babylon.

¹¹ ‘Then, with the silver and gold, make a crown,
And place it upon JoShua’s head
(The son of JoZadek, the High Priest).
¹² And tell him that thus says Jehovah:

‘{Look!} There’s a male whose name is The Sprout,
And he will grow from below
To rebuild the House of Jehovah.

¹³ ‘Then, he will receive all the greatness he needs
To sit and rule from his throne.
For there’ll be a Priest on [God’s throne],
And there’ll be peace and purpose between [those two roles].

¹⁴ ‘This crown will remain [in the Temple]
As a reminder to those that showed recognition
And favor to the son of ZephaniAh…
This will serve as a psalm in the House of Jehovah.

¹⁵ ‘And thereafter, from far-away places, will come
Those who’ll rebuild the [Temple] of [God].
Then you’ll know that I had been sent
By Jehovah the Almighty.
And all who hear this will [wish]
That they had paid closer attention
To the voice of Jehovah their God.’

Chapter 7

¹ It was in the fourth year of [the reign] of King Darius, on the fourth day of the ninth month (which is Chislev) that the Word of Jehovah came to ZechariAh. ² For the king had sent SherEzar (as well as Regem and his men) to BethEl to atone [for their sins] before Jehovah. ³ Then they said to the Priests at the [Temple] of Jehovah the Almighty and to the Prophets:
‘The holy offering has been brought here again in this fifth month, as we have been doing for a good number of years now.’

⁴ And thereafter, the Word of Jehovah of Armies came to me and said:
⁵ ‘Speak to the people throughout the land
And to all of the Priests,
Then tell them [that thus says Jehovah]:

‘In the fifth and seventh months, you have fasted
And you’ve beat on your chests for seventy years;
But, during all of this fasting,
Were you really fasting to Me?
⁶ For, when you are eating and drinking,
Aren’t you eating and drinking just for yourselves?

⁷ ‘Now, aren’t these the same words that Jehovah once spoke
By the [mouths] of the Prophets
When He was blessing JeruSalem
As well as those in the cities [of Judah],
And those in her mountains and plains?’

⁸ And thereafter, the Word of Jehovah came to ZechariAh and said,
⁹ ‘Jehovah the Almighty said this:
I told them to make righteous judgments…
To show mercy and compassion to their brothers…
¹⁰ Not to tyrannize orphans or widows,
Or the needy, or people from foreign lands.
And no matter what harm their brothers may do;
In their hearts, they shouldn’t hold grudges.
¹¹ But, they resisted and paid no attention…
They turned their backs and just ranted,
Covering their ears, so they couldn’t hear.

¹² ‘They set their hearts to resist My persuasion,
And to My Laws, they chose not to listen,
Or to the words that came from their Lord
By My Breath through the hands of the Prophets
(Those whom I’d sent to give them a warning)…
So thereafter, I poured My rage upon them.

¹³ ‘It’s the same as I’ve told them before;
When they refuse to listen to Me,
I’ll not listen to them when they call out to Me,
Said Jehovah the Almighty.

¹⁴ ‘So among the gentiles, I tossed them
(Among nations that they didn’t know).
And from their land, they were wiped away
And they weren’t allowed to return…
For they’d brought extinction upon their choice land.’

Chapter 8

¹ Then The Word of Jehovah the Almighty came to me and said:
² ‘I’ve shown zeal for Zion and JeruSalem…
In My rage, I’ve been jealous on their behalf, ³ said Jehovah.
So to Zion, I will now return,
And in JeruSalem’s midst, I will camp;
Then, it will be called The City of Truth…
The Holy Mountain of Jehovah the Almighty.

⁴ ‘And after that, Jehovah the Almighty told me to say this:
Old men and women will once again sit
In JeruSalem’s squares,
Each with their canes in their hands…
For they will have lived many days.
⁵ And the city will also be filled
With boys and girls that will play in her squares.

⁶ ‘Then Jehovah the Almighty said this:
Couldn’t this have happened to those that remained…
To those who were left back in those days? No!
But, is this something that I cannot do,
Asks Jehovah the Almighty? No!

⁷ ‘For thus says Jehovah the Almighty:
{Look!} I’ll [return] My people from the lands in the east
And from the lands in the west.
⁸ Yes, I will bring them all back,
And in JeruSalem, they will camp.
Then, they will be My people again,
And in truth and righteousness, I’ll be their God.

⁹ ‘For, thus says Jehovah the Almighty:
O you who listened during these days;
Strengthen your hands [to follow] the words
That have come from the mouths of the Prophets
Since the Temple’s foundation was laid
And in the day that they built it…
¹⁰ Back when their wages bought nothing,
And nothing was paid for in cattle.

‘For those that entered and those that went out,
There was only affliction, not peace;
And against their neighbors, I turned every man.

¹¹ ‘But, I won’t treat the few [that remain]
The same as I did in the past,
Says Jehovah the Almighty.

¹² ‘Rather, I will send peaceful times;
The grapevines will then produce fruit;
The land will yield its abundance;
And the sky will bring forth its dew…
Yes, I’ll bring this to those that remain.

¹³ ‘And as for you, house of Judah;
Though you were a curse among nations,
I’ll now send salvation to you,
And you’ll be a blessing once more.
But, [you must now] be courageous,
And you must strengthen your hands!

¹⁴ ‘Thus says Jehovah the Almighty:
Though I once thought to bring evil on you
Because your fathers provoked Me to rage
(And until now, I hadn’t relented),
Says Jehovah the Almighty;
¹⁵ I’ve reconsidered and I am now ready
To do good for those living in Judah
And for those that are living in JeruSalem…
So, you must now be courageous!

¹⁶ ‘And these are the things you must do:
You must each speak truth to your neighbors;
You must make decisions that bring about peace;
And justice must be returned to your gates!

¹⁷ ‘Against your neighbors, you must not consider
Doing evil things in your hearts…
And do not love lying oaths!
For, I detest all such things,
Says Jehovah the Almighty.

¹⁸ Then the Word of Jehovah came to me and said:
¹⁹ ‘You must fast in the fourth and fifth months,
And fast in the seventh and tenth.
Then to Judah, I’ll bring joy and gladness,
And you’ll carry good things to your holiday feasts.
You’ll all be glad, for then there’ll be truth…
There’ll be peace and love [throughout the whole land].

²⁰ ‘For, thus says Jehovah the Almighty:
Many peoples will then come among you,
And there’ll be many cities in which they can dwell.
²¹ Then, in those cities, they’ll gather and say:
Let’s go beg before the face of the Lord…
Let’s seek the face of Jehovah…
Yes, all should go there with me!

²² ‘Then, to JeruSalem, they will come
Seeking the face of Jehovah
In order to bow down before Him.

²³ ‘Thus says Jehovah the Almighty:
In those days, ten men from all nations and tongues
Will come to grab hold of the hem of each Jew,
And this is what they will say:
We wish to come [and live] among you,
Because we’ve heard God is with you!’

Chapter 9

¹ This is a proclamation… it’s the word of Jehovah against the land of HadRach, and against [the city of] Damascus where they offer sacrifices [to him]. For Jehovah examines all men (not just the tribes of IsraEl). ² [This proclamation is also] for HamAth, as well as Sidon and Tyre, since all their people have the same mindset.

³ ‘Tyre has made a fortress of herself…
She’s treasured up silver like dust,
And gathered gold like mud in the streets.
⁴ So, by Jehovah, she will be owned.
He’ll strike down her power over the seas,
And she will be burned in a fire.

⁵ ‘Then, AshKelon will see this and fear,
And Gaza will be very grieved.
In EkRon, her errors will bring her much shame,
And the kings of Gaza will perish.

‘In AshKelon, no one will live,
⁶ And in AshDod, foreign peoples will dwell;
For, I will soon wipe away
The insolence of the Philistines…
⁷ I’ll remove all the blood from their mouths,
And the disgusting things from their teeth.

‘Then they’ll leave their things to your God
And submit to a general from Judah.
And what happened to the Jebusi,
Is the same that will happen to EkRon.

⁸ ‘[For Jehovah said:]
Then, I’ll stand in My [Temple] there in the heights
And I will not leave it again.
No way, will [armies] march on it;
For upon it, My eyes will keep watch.

NOTE: The following is a Messianic prophecy

⁹ ‘So rejoice, O daughter of Zion;
Shout aloud, you daughters of JeruSalem;
For {Look!} your king will be coming to you…
The righteous one who’s your Savior.

‘He will be [a person that’s] gentle,
And on a beast of burden, he will arrive…
Yes, even upon a young foal!

¹⁰ ‘Ephraim’s chariots, he will destroy,
As well as JeruSalem’s horses.
He’ll destroy [all the weapons] of warfare,
And send you peace with the nations roundabout.
Then he’ll rule from the waters of the [great] sea
To the rivers and passes throughout your land.

¹¹ ‘Then by his blood of My Sacred Agreement,
From dry pits, he will ransom your captives.
¹² Those that were captives, he’ll settle in forts,
And for each day that they have [been there],
He will repay them with double.

¹³ ‘O Judah; I’ve held you tight to Myself…
[As tight] as I’d hold a bow.

‘So, Ephraim will be [free] once again,
And I’ll awaken your children, O Zion,
Against the sons of the Greeks…
Like a warrior’s sword, I will use them.

¹⁴ ‘Then the Lord will be seen as your leader,
And he’ll [shoot] his arrows like lightning.
Then, from the Lord Jehovah, a trumpet will sound,
Which will send intimidation on them.

¹⁵ ‘For Jehovah the Almighty will serve as your shield
As you bring them [destruction].
Upon them, your [sons] will be heaping sling stones,
And drink their blood as though it were wine…
Like basins for the Altar, their bowls will be filled.

¹⁶ ‘In that day, Jehovah will be known as your God,
And He’ll save the sheep of His people…
They’ll be like [gems] in His land.

¹⁷ ‘Then for all that are found to be good,
And for all that are found to be fair;
The young men will be given their grain,
And there’ll be fragrant wine for the virgins.

Chapter 10

¹ ‘Then you can ask Jehovah for rain in each season
(Both the early and late rains),
And Jehovah will do what’s fantastic…
To all their pastures and fields,
He will send winter rains.

² ‘But now, there are those declaring big things…
Things that will only bring trouble.
And there are those that are having false visions…
False dreams that offer no comfort.
So [my people now wander] like sheep…
They are ill and they haven’t been healed!

³ ‘So, since those shepherds have provoked [God] to rage,
He will come and visit His lambs.
Yes, Jehovah God the Almighty
Will visit the house of Judah (His flock).

‘And as He will do to His handsome horse,
He will order up war [on those prophets]…
⁴ In His rage, He will look [down] upon them,
And [arrows will be shot] against them.

‘Yes, He’ll send [His armies] against them
⁵ And His warriors will tread mud in battle.
For Jehovah will [bless] the attack,
And to their cavalry, He’ll bring disgrace.

⁶ ‘But the house of Judah, I’ll strengthen,
And house of JoSeph, I’ll save…
Because I love them, I’ll save them,
And they’ll be as before I disowned them.
Yes, because I am Jehovah their God,
I’ll pay attention to them once again!

⁷ ‘Then they’ll be like Ephraim’s soldiers…
They’ll rejoice in their hearts as though drinking wine.
They’ll look at their children in joy,
And rejoice in their hearts over their Lord.

⁸ ‘I’ll give them a sign that I will accept them…
I’ll pay their ransom and then they will grow
To be as many as they’d been before.

⁹ Then I’ll plant them among all the peoples,
And I’ll be remembered by those far away.

¹⁰ ‘They’ll return and nourish their children…
From the land of Egypt, I’ll bring them back,
And from Assyria also.
Then to Gilead and Lebanon, I’ll send them,
And none will be left behind (no, not one)!

¹¹ ‘Through the narrows of the sea, they will march;
For, they will strike the waves of the sea
And before them, the rivers will dry to their depths.

‘Then the insolence of Assyria will vanish,
And Egypt’s scepter will no longer be.

¹² [Yes I swear] by Jehovah their God,
That I will then make them mighty…
And about His Name, they will boast,’ said the Lord.

Chapter 11

¹ ‘O Lebanon; open your doors
And let fire devour all your cedars!
² Then, all the pine trees will shriek
Because the cedars have fallen…
Yes, misery will come to your great ones.

‘And oaks of BaShan, you should now howl,
For the groves that you’re planted will all be cut down!

³ ‘There’s the sound of the wailing of shepherds,
Because their greatness is gone.
And there’s the sound of the roaring of lions,
For no one’s keeping watch at the Jordan.

⁴ ‘So, thus says Jehovah the Almighty:
Tend the sheep for the slaughter…
⁵ Those that were bought by the butcher,
And those that haven’t repented.
For those who sold them have said:
Praise the Lord, because we’ve gained wealth!
And their shepherds have suffered no loss.

⁶ ‘So, I will not spare those that live here,’ said the Lord.
‘{Look!} To his neighbor, I’ll hand every man,
And into the hands of their king.
Then, they will divide up their land,
And from their hands, I’ll not save them.
⁷ So in CanaAn’s land, I will tend them…
All of these sheep for the slaughter.

‘Then I’ll take two sticks for myself;
The first one, I will call Beauty,
And the other, I’ll call Measured Land…
And then, I will tend all those sheep.

⁸ ‘In the first month, I’ll take the three shepherds,
And my soul will be heavy against them,
For their souls have roared out against me!

⁹ ‘So I told them that I will not tend them…
I’ll let the ones that are dying just die,
And the ones that are failing just fail…
And let the rest eat the flesh of their neighbors!

NOTE: The following is a Messianic prophecy

¹⁰ ‘Then I’ll take my stick (the one [I called] Beauty)
And I will throw it away
To erase [God’s] Agreement with them.
¹¹ It will be erased in that day,
And those in CanaAn that have guarded my sheep
Will know that I am The Word of Jehovah.

¹² ‘And then, I’ll tell them to do
Whatever they find to be good…
Yes, pay my wage or forbid it!
So, they established my wage…
It was thirty pieces of silver.’

¹³ Then the Lord said to me:
‘Now, throw them into the [Temple]…
But check to make sure that the [coins] are all pure;
For, this is my [value] before them.
So [he’ll] take the thirty pieces of silver
And throw them into the Temple.

¹⁴ ‘That’s when my second stick will be thrown
(The one that I called Measured Land),
For I’ll wipe IsraEl and Judah away
From [the land] that they’ve owned.’

¹⁵ And the Lord said to Me:
‘Now, gather a shepherd’s tools for yourself…
The tools of one that’s unqualified.
¹⁶ For {Look!} against the land, I’m sending a shepherd…
One that won’t visit the [weak],
And one that won’t search for the scattered.
Those that are broken, he will not heal,
And those that are well, he won’t lead.
He will just [break] all their necks
And devour their choicest of meats.

¹⁷ ‘So, you who are tending to vain things
And leaving behind all my sheep;
A sword will come against your right arms
As well as against your right eyes.
For your arms will then become withered,
And your right eyes will be blinded.’

Chapter 12

¹ The matter of the Word of Jehovah over IsraEl.
‘Thus says Jehovah,
The One who stretched out the skies,
Who laid the foundations of the earth,
And from Himself, shaped the breath of mankind:

² ‘{Look!} I’ve appointed JeruSalem’s thresholds
To be shaken by the people roundabout them.
So, into Judea, they’ll come,
And they will surround JeruSalem.

³ ‘In that day, I’ll appoint JeruSalem
To be a stone that is trampled by the nations.
For, all nations of the earth will [attack] her;
And those that trample upon her
Will mock and poke fun at her.

⁴ ‘And in that day, says Jehovah the Almighty;
I will strike [Judah’s] horses with wonder
And drive their riders to ranting.

‘On the house of Judah, I’ll then raise My eyes,
And I’ll strike all their horses with blindness.
⁵ But the generals of Judah will say in their hearts:
JeruSalem’s [people will always be safe]
Under Jehovah, their Almighty God.

⁶ ‘But then, I’ll make Judah’s generals
Like burning coals amidst wood
And as flaming torches in stubble.
For they’ll devour everyone that’s around them
(Both those on their right and those on their left).

‘Yet, JeruSalem will be lived in again
As it had been before.
⁷ Then the Lord will save Judah’s tents
As he did back in the beginning.
But they won’t have any reason to boast
Over the house of [King] David,
Or to think themselves better than Judah.

⁸ ‘So the Lord will be the shield in that day
For those that live in JeruSalem.
And in that day, even the least
Will be like David among them.

‘And the house of David will then come to be
Like the Temple of God…
As the angel that’s standing before them.

⁹ ‘And in that day, I’ll lift away all the nations
That marched against JeruSalem.
¹⁰ Then, upon the house of King David,
And on JeruSalem’s people,
I’ll pour the spirit of mercy and care.

‘So they’ll turn to Me and beat on their chests
Like those that beat on their chests
Over the death of a loved one,
Because they’ve been disrespectful to Me.
And they will mourn with the grief
Of someone who has lost his first-born.

¹¹ ‘Yes, on that day in JeruSalem,
They’ll all be beating their chests
As though they’d lost groves [of fruit trees].
¹² And the land will beat on its chest
For each of the tribes [by its name]…
The house of the tribe of David
As well as all of its women…
The house of the tribe of Nathan
As well as all of its women…
¹³ The house of the tribe of Levi
As well as all of its women…
The house of Simeon’s tribe
As well as all of its women…
¹⁴ And the houses of the rest of the tribes
As well as all of their women.’

Chapter 13

¹ ‘In that Day, the [springs] will all open
For the rinsing and cleansing of David’s house
And to cleanse [the people] of JeruSalem.

² ‘In that Day, says Jehovah of Armies,
The names of their idols, I’ll wipe from the land
So they’ll be remembered no more.
And false prophets that have unclean spirits,
I’ll also remove from the land.

³ ‘So, if there’s a man that still prophesies;
His father and the mother that bore him
Must tell him that he can no longer live
Because he’s told lies in the Name of the Lord.
Then his father and the mother that bore him
Must bind him, because of his prophecies.

⁴ ‘And in that Day, their visions will bring them disgrace,
As will the things that they prophesied.
They’ll cover their heads with animal hides,
Because all will know that they’ve lied.

⁵ ‘And they’ll say, No, I’m not a prophet;
I’m a man that just works the ground…
This is all that I’ve done since my youth!

⁶ ‘But I’ll ask: Then, what are these wounds in your hands?
And they’ll say that these are the wounds they received
In the house of a friend.

⁷ ‘O broadsword, awaken against [such] a man
And against the shepherds [that live in] My land,
Says Jehovah the Almighty.
Strike the shepherds and scatter the sheep…
For against the shepherds, I’m raising My hand.

⁸ ‘And in that Day, says Jehovah,
Two-thirds will be wiped away,
But a third will be allowed to remain.

‘Then, like trying gold, I’ll try all the rest.
I’ll speak to those that have called on My Name,
And tell them, You are My people,
And they will reply, Jehovah’s my God.’

Chapter 14

¹ ‘{Look} The Day of the Lord has approached
When they will divide up the loot.
² For, to JeruSalem, I’m gathering nations,
And the city will thereafter be taken.

‘All of its homes will be looted,
And all the women defiled.
Then, half of the city will be led away,
And the rest (those who are My people)
Will not be destroyed from the [land].

³ ‘But then the Lord will return
And he will attack all those nations
In his battle, on the day of the war.

⁴ ‘And in that Day, his feet will then stand
On the Mount of Olives (to JeruSalem’s east).
Then in chaos, the Mount of Olives will split
In halves to the east and the west.
Half of the mount will lean toward the north,
And half will then lean toward the south.

⁵ ‘So, flee to the valley of My Mountain,
Which [runs] to the [Wadi] AzaEl.
You must flee as in the day of the earthquake
[That happened] in the days of UzziAh.

‘For then, [your Lord] will arrive,
And bring all his Holy Ones with him.
⁶ There’ll be no light in that Day…
There’ll be just coldness and ice.

⁷ ‘But, this will all last just one day,
Which is only known by Jehovah.
There’ll be no daytime or night,
But light will arrive toward the evening.

⁸ ‘In that day, from JeruSalem,
Life-giving waters will flow…
Half will flow to the [Dead] Sea,
And the rest, in other direction…
This will happen in the springtime and summer.

⁹ ‘Then Jehovah will be the King of the earth;
And in that Day, there’ll be just one Lord,
And he will have just one name.

¹⁰ ‘Then around the land, there’ll be deserts…
From JeruSalem south to RemMon and Geba
(Though RamAh will still remain in its place);
From the BenJamin Gate to the First Gate,
And the Corner Gate to the Tower of HananeEl,
To where the king’s wine vats are stored.

¹¹ ‘Then JeruSalem will be a safe place,
And there won’t be any more danger.

¹² ‘But, there will be a great downfall
When Jehovah strikes down the peoples
That against JeruSalem, marched.
Their flesh will melt as they stand on their feet;
Their eyes will flow from their sockets;
And their tongues will melt in their mouths.

¹³ ‘And in that Day, there will come
Astonishing things from Jehovah.
Each man will grab hold of his neighbor’s hand
(Yes they’ll join hand-to-hand with their neighbors),
¹⁴ And there within JeruSalem,
Judah’s people will ready themselves
To collect the might of those living roundabout…
All of their silver and gold,
As well as huge numbers of clothing.

¹⁵ ‘I will bring the downfall of their horses and mules,
As well as their camels and burros.
Yes, to all the cattle that’s found in their camps,
It’ll be a day of great downfall.

¹⁶ ‘Then, all that remain from the nations
That marched against JeruSalem
Will ascend each year to bow to the King
– To the Almighty Jehovah –
And observe the feast of the Pitching of Tents.

¹⁷ ‘Then to all that won’t come [in that Day]
To bow before the Almighty
From all the tribes of the earth;
Bad things will then come upon them,
And they won’t receive any rain.

¹⁸ ‘So, if the tribe of Egypt won’t come;
The same downfall will happen to them
That the Lord will bring to the nations…
To those that would not observe
The feast of the Pitching of Tents.

¹⁹ ‘For, this will be Egypt’s sin,
As well as the sin of all nations
When they refuse to ascend
To observe the feast of the Pitching of Tents.

²⁰ ‘In that Day, this is what will be [written]
Upon the bridles of their horses:
Holy to Jehovah the Almighty.

‘And then the stew pots of Jehovah
Will be like the bowls in front of the Altar.
²¹ And throughout Judah and JeruSalem,
They’ll treat the stew pots as holy
To the Almighty Jehovah.
And that’s where those that bring sacrifices
Will take them to cook all the meat.

‘And in that Day, there will be no CanaAnites
To oppose Jehovah of Armies.’