[Zech 1]
1:1 In the 1eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Jehovah unto Zechariah the son of 2Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying,
1Presumed to be the new-moon feast, if not otherwise specified; hence BC 520 Oct. 27.1:2 Jehovah was sore displeased with your fathers.
2Meaning Jehovah blesses, or, Blessed of Jehovah,
1:3 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Return unto me, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I will return unto you, saith Jehovah of hosts.
1:4 Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets cried, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Return ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith Jehovah.
1:5 Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?
1:6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? and they turned and said, Like as Jehovah of hosts thought to do 3unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.
3So Massoretic, Aram., Vg. 4QXIIe Sept. omit unto us1:7 Upon the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Jehovah unto Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying,
1:8 I saw in the night, and, behold, a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle-trees that were in the 4bottom; and behind him there were horses, red, sorrel, and white.
4Or, shady place; Variorum Bible says, the plantation (Ps 52:8; 92:13) in front of the temple, which was transferred in prophetic imagery to heaven (Is. 6:1; Ps 11:4).1:9 Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will show thee what these are.
1:10 And the man that stood among the myrtle-trees answered and said, These are they whom Jehovah hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.
1:11 And they answered the angel of Jehovah that stood among the myrtle-trees, and said, we have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.
1:12 Then the angel of Jehovah answered and said, O Jehovah of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these seventy years?
1:13 And Jehovah answered the angel that talked with me with good words, even comfortable words.
1:14 So the angel that talked with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.
1:15 And I am very sore displeased with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, and they 5helped forward the affliction.
5Or, helped for evil.1:16 Therefore thus saith Jehovah: I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies; my house shall be built in it, saith Jehovah of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth over Jerusalem.
1:17 Cry yet again, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: My cities 6shall yet overflow with prosperity; and Jehovah shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.
6Or, through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad;1:18 And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, four horns.
1:19 And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.
1:20 And Jehovah showed me four smiths.
1:21 Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head; but these are come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations, which lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.
[Zech 2]
2:1 And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand.
2:2 Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.
2:3 And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him,
2:4 and said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall 7be inhabited as villages without walls, by reason of the multitude of men and cattle therein.
7Or, dwell as villages without walls,2:5 For I, saith Jehovah, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and I will be the glory in the midst of her.
2:6 Ho, ho, flee from the land of the north, saith Jehovah; for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, saith Jehovah.
2:7 Ho Zion, escape, thou that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.
2:8 For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: 8After glory hath he sent me unto the nations which plundered you; for he that toucheth you toucheth the 9apple of 10mine eye.
8Or, After the glory, he hath sent me etc.2:9 For, behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they shall be a spoil to those that served them; and ye shall know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me.
9Or, iris of his eye.
10Sopherim changed to his eye.
2:10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith Jehovah.
2:11 And many nations shall join themselves to Jehovah in that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me unto thee.
2:12 And Jehovah shall inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.
2:13 Be silent, all flesh, before Jehovah; for he is waked up out of his holy habitation.
[Zech 3]
3:1 And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Jehovah, and 11Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary.
11That is, the Adversary and so elsewhere.3:2 And Jehovah said unto Satan, Jehovah rebuke thee, O Satan; yes, Jehovah that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee; is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
3:3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the angel.
3:4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take the filthy garments from off him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with rich apparel.
3:5 And I said, Let them set a clean 12mitre upon his head. So they set a clean mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments; and the angel of Jehovah was standing by.
12Or, turban (both times)3:6 And the angel of Jehovah protested unto Joshua, saying,
3:7 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou also shalt judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee 13a place of access among these that stand by.
13Or, places to walk among3:8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before thee; for they are men that are 14a sign: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the 15Branch.
14Or, a wonder:3:9 For, behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; upon one stone are seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
15Or, Shoot. or, Sprout. Hb. netzer
3:10 In that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, shall ye invite every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig-tree.
[Zech 4]
4:1 And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep.
4:2 And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have seen, and, behold, a lampstand all of gold, with its bowl upon the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon; 16there are seven pipes to each of the lamps, which are upon the top thereof;
16Sept., Vg. read and seven pipes to the lamps,4:3 and two olive-trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
4:4 And I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
4:5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these are? And I said, No, my lord.
4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of Jehovah unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by 17might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith Jehovah of hosts.
17Or, an army,4:7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain; and he shall bring forth the top stone with shoutings of Grace, grace, unto it.
4:8 Moreover the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
4:9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me unto you.
4:10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for these seven shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel; these are the eyes of Jehovah, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
4:11 Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive-trees upon the right side of the lampstand and upon the left side thereof?
4:12 And I answered the second time, and said unto him, What are these two olive-branches, 18which are beside the two golden spouts, that empty 19the golden oil out of themselves?
18Or, which by means of the two golden spouts empty4:13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these are? And I said, No, my lord.
19Hb. the gold
4:14 Then said he, These are the two 20anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.
20Hb. sons of the oil,[Zech 5]
5:1 Then again I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, a flying roll.
5:2 And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof is ten cubits.
5:3 Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole land: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off 21on the one side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off on the other side according to it.
21Or, from hence according to it (both times)5:4 I will cause it to go forth, saith Jehovah of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name; and it shall abide in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.
5:5 Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.
5:6 And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the 22ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their 23appearance in all the land
221 ephah = 22 liter ≈ 0.62 U.S. bushel.5:7 (and, behold, there was lifted up a 24talent of lead); and this is a woman sitting in the midst of the ephah.
23Hb. eye Sept., Aram. read iniquity
24Or, round piece of lead (1 talent = 35 kg = 77 lb.)5:8 And he said, This is Wickedness: and he cast her down into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.
5:9 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there came forth two women, and the wind was in their wings; now they had wings like the wings of a stork; and they lifted up the ephah between earth and heaven.
5:10 Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?
5:11 And he said unto me, To build her a house in the land of 25Shinar: and when it is 26prepared, she shall be set there 27in her own place.
25Sumer, homeland of many rulers of Babylon.[Zech 6]
26Or, established,
27Or, upon her own base.
6:1 And again I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between 28two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of copper.
28Or, the two mountains;6:2 In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;
6:3 and in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grizzled strong horses.
6:4 Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord?
6:5 And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four 29winds of heaven, which go forth from 30standing before the Lord of all the earth.
29Or, spirits Hb. ruach6:6 The chariot wherein are the black horses goeth forth toward the north country; and the white went forth after them; and the grizzled went forth toward the south country.
30Or, presenting themselves before the Lord
6:7 And the 31strong went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth.
31Aram., GkAq read red [Of the reading red, Variorum Bible says, Clerical error.]6:8 Then cried he to me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, they that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country.
6:9 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
6:10 Take of them of the captivity, even of 32Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah; and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, whither they are come from Babylon;
32In verse 14, Helem,6:11 yes, take of them silver and gold, and make 33crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest;
33Or, a crown, and set it upon the head6:12 and speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, saying, Behold, the man 34whose name is the 35Branch: and he shall 36grow up out of his place; and he shall build the temple of Jehovah;
34Or, whose name is the Bud; and it (or, they) shall bud forth under him;6:13 even he shall build the temple of Jehovah; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and 37he shall be a priest upon his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
35Or, Shoot: or, Sprout: Hb. netzer
36Or, shoot out of or, branch out of
37Or, there shall be a priest upon his throne;6:14 And the 38crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and 39to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of Jehovah.
38Or, crown See footnote in Rotherham.6:15 And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of Jehovah; and ye shall know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of Jehovah your God.
39Or, for the kindness of the son of Zephaniah,
[Zech 7]
7:1 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of Jehovah came unto Zechariah in the 40fourth day of the ninth month, even in Khislev.
40Darius 4th year, 9th month, 4th day = BC 518 Dec. 07.7:2 41Now they of Beth-el had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech, and their men, to entreat the favor of Jehovah,
41Or, Now they of Beth-el, even Sharezer and Regem-melech, and their men, had sent to entreat etc.7:3 and to speak unto the priests of the house of Jehovah of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?
7:4 Then came the word of Jehovah of hosts unto me, saying,
7:5 Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye 42fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month, even these seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?
42The Temple was destroyed in the 5th month, 7th day; the new governor Gedaliah was assassinated in the 7th month, (1st day ?), and the next day 70 reverent men were slain. 2Ki 25:8; 25:25, Jr 41:1-8.7:6 And when ye eat, and when ye drink, 43do not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?
43Or, are not ye they that eat for yourselves,7:7 Should ye not hear the words which Jehovah cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?
7:8 And the word of Jehovah came unto Zechariah, saying,
7:9 Thus hath Jehovah of hosts spoken, saying, Execute true judgment, and show kindness and compassion every man to his brother;
7:10 and oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the sojourner, nor the poor; and let none of you devise evil against his brother in your heart.
7:11 But they refused to hearken, and 44pulled away the shoulder, and 45stopped their ears, that they might not hear.
44Or, turned a stubborn shoulder,7:12 Yes, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which Jehovah of hosts had sent by his Spirit by the former prophets: therefore there came great wrath from Jehovah of hosts.
45Or, made their ears heavy, See Is 6:10.
7:13 And it is come to pass that, as he cried, and they would not hear, so they shall cry, and I will not hear, said Jehovah of hosts;
7:14 but I will scatter them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they have not known. Thus the land was desolate after them, so that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the 46pleasant land desolate.
46Hb. land of desire[Zech 8]
8:1 And the word of Jehovah of hosts came to me, saying,
8:2 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath.
8:3 Thus saith Jehovah: I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called The city of truth; and the mountain of Jehovah of hosts, The holy mountain.
8:4 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: There shall yet old men and old women 47dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand 48for very age.
47Or, sit8:5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.
48Hb. for multitude of days.
8:6 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith Jehovah of hosts.
8:7 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country;
8:8 and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.
8:9 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets that were in the day that the foundation of the house of Jehovah of hosts was laid, even the temple, that it might be built.
8:10 For before those days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in, because of the adversary: for I set all men every one against his neighbor.
8:11 But now I will not be unto the remnant of this people as in the former days, saith Jehovah of hosts.
8:12 For there shall be the seed of peace; the vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things.
8:13 And it shall come to pass that, as ye were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.
8:14 For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: As I thought to do evil unto you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I repented not;
8:15 so again have I thought in these days to do good unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.
8:16 These are the things that ye shall do: Speak ye every man the truth with his neighbor; 49execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates;
49Hb. judge truth and the judgment of peace8:17 and let none of you devise evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith Jehovah.
8:18 And the word of Jehovah of hosts came unto me, saying,
8:19 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: The fast of the 50fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the 51tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love truth and peace.
50The walls of Jerusalem were breached in Zedekiah’s 11th year, 4th month, 9th day. Jr 39:2, 52:6. For the 5th and 7th months, see footnote on ch. 7:5.8:20 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come peoples, and the inhabitants of 52many cities;
51The siege of Jerusalem commenced in Zedekiah’s 9th year, 10th month, 10th day. Jr 52:4.
52Or, great cities;8:21 and the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to entreat the favor of Jehovah, and to seek Jehovah of hosts: I will go also.
8:22 Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek Jehovah of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of Jehovah.
8:23 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold, out of all the languages of the nations, they shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.
[Zech 9]
9:1 The 53burden of the word of Jehovah upon the land of Hadrach, and Damascus shall be its resting place (for 54the eye of man and of all the tribes of Israel is toward Jehovah);
53Or, oracle9:2 and Hamath, also, which bordereth thereon; Tyre and Sidon, 55because they are very wise.
54Or, Jehovah hath an eye upon men and upon all the tribes of Israel)
55Or, though9:3 And 56Tyre did build herself a stronghold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets.
56Hb. tsor (Tyre) ... matsor (tower, stronghold),9:4 Behold, 57Jehovah will dispossess her, and he will smite 58her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire.
57Sopherim changed to the Lord9:5 Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Gaza also, and shall be sore pained; and Ekron, for her expectation shall be put to shame; and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.
58Or, the sea which is her rampart; or, her rampart into the sea;
9:6 And 59a bastard shall 60dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.
59Or, a bastard race shall dwell in Ashdod,9:7 And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth; and he also shall be a remnant for our God; and he shall be as a chieftain in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite.
60Or, sit as king in Ashdod,
9:8 And I will encamp about my house 61against the army, that none pass through or return; and no 62oppressor shall pass through them any more: for now have I seen with mine eyes.
61Sept. reads as a garrison (or, rampart),9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh unto thee; he is just, and 63having 64salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, even upon a colt the foal of an ass.
62Or, exactor of taxes shall pass through
63Hb. saved;9:10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off; and he shall speak peace unto the nations: and his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of its land.
64Or, victory;
9:11 As for thee also, because of the blood of thy covenant I have set free thy prisoners from the pit wherein is no water.
9:12 65Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render 66double unto thee.
65Or, Return9:13 For I have bent Judah for me, I have filled the bow with Ephraim; and I will stir up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O 67Greece, and will make thee as the sword of a mighty man.
66Hb. mishneh: a repetition, a copy; a second in rank
67Hb. Javan ( from which Javania, or, Ionia)9:14 And Jehovah shall be seen over them; and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning; and the Lord Jehovah will blow the trumpet, and will go with whirlwinds of the south.
9:15 Jehovah of hosts will defend them; and they shall devour, and shall tread down the sling-stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, like the corners of the altar.
9:16 And Jehovah their God will save them in that day as the flock of his people; for they shall be as the stones of a crown, 68lifted on high over his land.
68Or, glittering upon high9:17 For how great is 69his 70goodness, and how great is his beauty! grain shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the virgins.
69Or, their (both times)[Zech 10]
70Or, prosperity,
10:1 Ask ye of Jehovah rain in the time of the latter rain, even of Jehovah that maketh lightnings; and he will give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.
10:2 For the teraphim have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie; and 71they have told false dreams, they comfort in vain: therefore they go their way like sheep, they are afflicted, because there is no shepherd.
71Or, the dreamers speak falsely,10:3 Mine anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the he-goats; for Jehovah of hosts hath visited his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them as his goodly horse in the battle.
10:4 From him shall come forth the corner-stone, from him the nail, from him the battle bow, from him every 72ruler together.
72Or, exactor of taxes together.10:5 And they shall be as mighty men, treading down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle; and they shall fight, because Jehovah is with them; and the riders on horses shall be confounded.
10:6 And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will 73bring them back; for I have mercy upon them; and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am Jehovah their God, and I will hear them.
73Or, cause them to dwell;10:7 And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine; yes, their children shall see it, and rejoice; their heart shall be glad in Jehovah.
10:8 I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them; and they shall increase as they have increased.
10:9 74And I will sow them among the peoples; and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and shall return.
74Or, And though I sow them among the peoples, they shall remember me in far countries;10:10 I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and place shall not be found for them.
10:11 And he will pass through the sea of affliction, and will smite 75the waves in the sea, and all the depths of the Nile shall dry up, and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the sceptre of Egypt shall depart.
75Or, the sea of waves,10:12 And I will strengthen them in Jehovah; and they shall 76walk up and down in his name, saith Jehovah.
76So Massoretic, (Vg.). 4QXIIg Sept. read praise in Lamsa says preach the good tidings of his name,[Zech 11]
11:1 Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars.
11:2 Wail, O fir-tree, for the cedar is fallen, because the 77goodly ones are destroyed: wail, O ye oaks of Bashan, for 78the strong forest is come down.
77Or, glorious11:3 A voice of the wailing of the shepherds! for their glory is destroyed: a voice of the roaring of young lions! for the pride of the Jordan is laid waste.
78Or, fortified Massoreticmg reads the forest of the vintage is come down.
11:4 Thus said Jehovah my God: Feed the flock of slaughter;
11:5 whose 79buyers slay them, and hold themselves not guilty; and they that sell them say, Blessed be Jehovah, for I am rich; and 80their own shepherds pity them not.
79Lit. acquirers11:6 For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith Jehovah; but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbor’s hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.
80Or, their shepherd pitieth them not.
11:7 So I fed the flock of slaughter, truly 81the poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called 82Beauty, and the other I called 83Bands; and I fed the flock.
81Or, the most miserable of sheep. Also in vs. 11.11:8 And I cut off the three shepherds in one month; for my soul was weary of them, and their soul also loathed me.
82Or, Graciousness,
83Or, Binders; or, Union;
11:9 Then said I, I will not feed you: that which dieth, let it die; and 84that which is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let them that are left eat every one the flesh of another.
84Or, that which is lost, let it be lost;11:10 And I took my staff Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples.
11:11 And it was broken in that day; and 85thus the poor of the flock that gave heed unto me knew that it was the word of Jehovah.
85Or, the poor of the flock that gave heed unto me knew of a truth that it was the word of Jehovah.11:12 And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my hire; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my hire 86thirty pieces of silver.
86The price of a bondservant. Ex 21:32.11:13 And Jehovah said unto me, Cast it 87unto the potter, the goodly price that I was prized at by them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them unto the potter, in the house of Jehovah.
87Aram. reads into the treasury,11:14 Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.
11:15 And Jehovah said unto me, Take unto thee yet again the instruments of a foolish shepherd.
11:16 For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, who will not 88visit those that are 89cut off, neither will seek 90those that are scattered, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which 91is sound; but he will eat the flesh of the fat sheep, and will tear their hoofs in pieces.
88Or, miss11:17 Woe to the worthless shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.
89Or, lost,
90Or, the young,
91Hb. standeth;
[Zech 12]
12:1 The 92burden of the word of Jehovah concerning Israel. Thus saith Jehovah, who stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the 93breath of man within him:
92Or, oracle12:2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of reeling unto all the peoples round about, and 94upon Judah also 95shall it be in the siege against Jerusalem.
93Or, spirit Hb. ruach: breath, wind, spirit.
94Or, against Vg., TargJ read and Judah also shall be at the besieging of Jerusalem.12:3 And it shall come to pass in that day that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all the peoples; all that burden themselves with it shall be sore wounded; and all the nations of the earth shall be gathered together against it.
95Or, shall it fall to be in the siege
12:4 In that day, saith Jehovah, I will smite every horse with terror, and his rider with madness; and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the peoples with blindness.
12:5 And the chieftains of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in Jehovah of hosts their God.
12:6 In that day will I make the chieftains of Judah like a pan of fire among wood, and like a flaming torch among sheaves; and they shall devour all the peoples round about, on the right hand and on the left; and they of Jerusalem shall yet again dwell in 96their own place, even in Jerusalem.
96Hb. her12:7 Jehovah also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem be not magnified above Judah.
12:8 In that day shall Jehovah defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of Jehovah before them.
12:9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication; and they shall look unto 97me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for the firstborn.
97Eastern Hb. mss. alone read him12:11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
12:12 And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;
12:13 the family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of the Shimeites apart, and their wives apart;
12:14 all the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.
[Zech 13]
13:1 In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.
13:2 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered; and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.
13:3 And it shall come to pass that, when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of Jehovah; and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth.
13:4 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he prophesieth; neither shall they wear a hairy mantle to deceive:
13:5 but he shall say, I am no prophet, I am a tiller of the ground; for I have been made a bondman from my youth.
13:6 And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds 98between thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my 99friends.
98Or, in thine hands13:7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, 100and against the man that is my fellow, saith Jehovah of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn my hand upon the little ones.
99Or, lovers.
100or, even or, also13:8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith Jehovah, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.
13:9 And I will bring the third part into the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried. They shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, Jehovah is my God.
[Zech 14]
14:1 Behold, a day of Jehovah cometh, when thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
14:2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
14:3 Then shall Jehovah go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east; and the mount of Olives shall be cleft in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
14:5 And 101ye shall flee 102by the valley of 103my mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto 104Azel; yes, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before 105the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah; and Jehovah my God shall come, and all the holy ones with 106thee.
101A few mss., Sept., GkSymm Targums read the valley of my mountains shall be stopped; [Not, Gihon shall be nor, the valley of Hinnom shall be etc.]14:6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that 107the light shall not be bright nor dark; the bright ones shall withdraw themselves:
102Or, to
103So Massoretic, Sept. Aram., (Vg.) read the
104Meaning, joining; (where the two halves join)
105At the outbreak of Uzziah’s leprosy, according to Josephus, Antiquities IX, viii, 4. If so, then in the 41st year of Uzziah (Azariah).
106Many mss. and versions read him
107Sept., Aram., Vg., GkSymm read there shall not be light, but cold and ice:14:7 but it shall be one day which is known unto Jehovah; not day, and not night; but it shall come to pass, that towards evening time there shall be light.
14:8 And it shall come to pass in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the western sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
14:9 And Jehovah shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall Jehovah be one, and his name one.
14:10 All the land shall be made like the Arabah, from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; and she shall be lifted up, and shall dwell in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananel unto the king’s winepresses.
14:11 And men shall dwell therein, and there shall be no more 108curse; but Jerusalem shall dwell safely.
108Or, ban; or, devoting to destruction;14:12 And this shall be the plague wherewith Jehovah will smite all the peoples that have warred against Jerusalem: their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their sockets, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
14:13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great 109tumult from Jehovah shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor.
109Or, discomfiture14:14 And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the nations round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.
14:15 And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in those camps, as that plague.
14:16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, Jehovah of hosts, and to keep the feast of 110booths.
110Or, tabernacles. Hb. Sukkoth. The feast was on the 7th month, days 15-22. Lv 23:34-36, 39-43; Nu 29:12-38. Here its meaning might be prophetic.14:17 And it shall be, that whoso of all the families of the earth goeth not up unto Jerusalem to worship the King, Jehovah of hosts, upon them there shall be no rain.
14:18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, 111that have no rain; on them there shall be the plague wherewith Jehovah will smite the nations that go not up to keep the feast of booths.
111Egypt typically receives 10 cm of rain, or less, in an average year – too little to sustain crops. It is the Spring inundation of the Nile that leaves the land fertile for the growing season. Many people in Upper (southern) Egypt grow up never seeing rain. Sept. Aram. read upon them shall be the plague etc.14:19 This shall be the 112punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations that go not up to keep the feast of booths.
112Or, sin (both times)14:20 In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, 113HOLY UNTO JEHOVAH; and the pots in Jehovah’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar.
113A specific phrase. See Ex 28:36-38.14:21 Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holy unto Jehovah of hosts; and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and boil therein: and in that day there shall be no more a 114Canaanite in the house of Jehovah of hosts.
114Or by extension, merchant