4 Do not be like your ancestors. Long ago the prophets gave them my message, telling them not to live evil, sinful lives any longer. But they would not listen to me or obey me.
5 Your ancestors and those prophets are no longer alive.
6 Through my servants the prophets I gave your ancestors commands and warnings, but they disregarded them and suffered the consequences. Then they repented and acknowledged that I, the Lord Almighty, had punished them as they deserved and as I had determined to do.’ ”
7 In the second year that Darius was emperor, on the 24th day of the eleventh month (the month of Shebat), the Lord gave me a message in a vision at night.
8 I saw someone riding a red horse. He had stopped among some myrtle trees in a valley, and behind him were other horses — red, dappled, and white.
9 I asked him, “Sir, what do these horses mean?”He answered, “I will show you what they mean.
10 The Lord sent them to go and inspect the earth.”