1 In the chodesh hashmini (eighth month), in the shnat shtayim (second year) of Daryavesh, came the Devar Hashem unto Zecharyah ben Berechyah ben Iddo HaNavi, saying,
2 Hashem hath been very angry with your avot.
3 Therefore, say thou unto them, Thus saith Hashem Tzva'os: Return ye unto Me, saith Hashem Tzva'os, and I will return to you, saith Hashem Tzva'os.
4 Do not be like your avot, unto whom the nevi'im harishonim preached, saying, Thus saith Hashem Tzva'os: Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings; but they did not hear, nor listen to Me, saith Hashem.
5 Your avot, where are they? And the nevi'im, do they live hal'olam (forever)?
6 But My devarim and My chukkim, which I commanded My avadim hanevi'im, did they not overtake your avot? And they made teshuvah and said, Just as Hashem Tzva'os determined to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath He dealt with us.
7 Upon the four and twentieth yom of the eleventh chodesh, which is the chodesh Shevat, in the shnat shtayim of Daryavesh, [519 B.C.E.] came the Devar Hashem unto Zecharyah, ben Berechyah ben Iddo, HaNavi, saying,
8 I had a vision by halailah, and, hinei, a man riding upon a sus adom (a red-brown horse), and he stood among the myrtles that were in the hollow; and behind him there were susim: red-brown, sorrel, and white.
9 Then said I, O adoni, what are these? And the malach that spoke with me said unto me, I will show thee what these are.
10 And the man that stood among the myrtles answered and said, These are they whom Hashem hath sent to patrol ha'aretz.
11 And they reported to the Malach Hashem that stood among the myrtles, and said, We have patrolled ha'aretz, and, hinei, kol ha'aretz is quiet, and at peace.
12 Then the Malach Hashem answered and said, O Hashem Tzva'os, until when wilt Thou withhold mercy on Yerushalayim and on the towns of Yehudah, against which Thou hast been angry these threescore and ten shanah?
13 And Hashem answered the Malach that spoke with me with devarim tovim and with comforting words.
14 So the malach that communed with me said unto me, Preach, saying, Thus saith Hashem Tzva'os; I have been jealous for Yerushalayim and for Tziyon with a kina gedolah (great jealousy).
15 And I am very angry with the Goyim that are [self] secure; for I was but a little angry, and they added to the ra'ah.
16 Therefore thus saith Hashem: I am returning to Yerushalayim with rachamim; My Beis [Hamikdash] shall be rebuilt in her [Yerushalayim], saith Hashem Tzva'os; and a measuring line shall be stretched forth upon Yerushalayim.
17 Preach also, saying, Thus saith Hashem Tzva'os; My towns will overflow with tov; and Hashem shall yet comfort Tziyon, and shall yet choose Yerushalayim.
18 [2:1] Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and hinei four keranot (horns, powers, i.e., empires; see Dan chps 2 and 7)!
19 [2:2] And I said unto the malach that spoke with me, What are these? And he answered me, These are the keranot which have scattered Yehudah, Yisroel, and Yerushalayim.
20 [2:3] And Hashem showed me arba'ah charashim (four craftsmen).
21 [2:4] Then said I, What come these to do? And he spoke, saying, These are the keranot which have scattered Yehudah, so that no man did lift up his head; but these [craftsmen] are come to terrify them, to throw down the karnot haGoyim, which lifted up their keren (horn) over Eretz Yehudah to scatter her.