1I den ottende måned i kong Dareios[1] af Persiens andet regeringsår talte Herren til Israels folk gennem profeten Zakarias, der var søn af Berekja og barnebarn af Iddo:2-4„Hør, hvad jeg, Herren den Almægtige, siger: Hvis I vil vende om og komme til mig, vil jeg komme jer i møde. Vær ikke som jeres forfædre, som jeg var nødt til at straffe hårdt. Jeg advarede dem gennem mine profeter om at vende om fra deres ugudelige levemåde og onde handlinger, men de nægtede at lytte til mig.5Nu er de alle sammen borte, og profeterne er døde.6Men det, jeg sagde til dem gennem mine tjenere, profeterne, gik i opfyldelse, og de måtte angrende erkende: ‚Herren straffede os for vores onde levevis og handlinger, akkurat som han sagde, at han ville!’ ”
Herren opmuntrer Israels folk
7Den 24. dag i den 11. måned[2] samme år, talte Herren til mig i et syn om natten.8Jeg så en mand sidde på en rød hest mellem nogle myrtebuske i en kløft. Bag ham var der mange ryttere på røde, brune og hvide heste.9Ved siden af mig stod en engel. „Hvad betyder alle de heste?” spurgte jeg englen. „Det vil du få at se!” svarede han.10„Herren sendte dem ud for at inspicere hele jorden,” forklarede englen på den røde hest,11der stod mellem myrtebuskene. Derefter aflagde de øvrige ryttere rapport: „Vi har været overalt på jorden, og alle vegne er der fred og ro.”12Da sagde englen på den røde hest: „Almægtige Herre, i 70 år har du været vred på de landflygtige fra Jerusalem og Judas byer. Hvornår vil du gribe ind og vise dem barmhjertighed?”13Herren talte nu til englen, som stod ved min side,14hvorpå englen henvendte sig til mig og sagde: „Forkynd følgende budskab fra Herren, den Almægtige: ‚Jerusalem og Zions bjerg har en særlig plads i mit hjerte.15Jeg er vred på de selvsikre, gudløse folkeslag, for selv om jeg brugte dem til at straffe mit folk, gik de alt for langt i deres skånselsløse opførsel.16Derfor erklærer jeg, Herren: Jeg kommer Jerusalem i møde med barmhjertighed. Mit tempel skal genrejses, og hele Jerusalem skal genopbygges. Ja, siger jeg, Herren den Almægtige:17Jeg vil igen velsigne Israels byer med velstand, trøste Jerusalems indbyggere og bosætte mig på Zions bjerg.’ ”
1In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying, (1.Krøn 6,39; Ez 6,14; Neh 12,4; Neh 12,16; Hag 1,1; Matt 23,35)2“The Lord was very angry with your fathers. (Jer 2,5)3Therefore say to them, Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. (Es 31,6; Jer 3,1; Jer 3,22; Jer 12,15; Ez 18,30; Mika 7,19; Mal 3,7)4Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. (2.Krøn 36,15; 2.Krøn 36,16; Salm 78,8; Jer 35,15; Zak 1,3; Zak 7,11)5Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? (Joh 8,52)6But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? So they repented and said, ‘As the Lord of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so has he dealt with us.’” (5.Mos 28,2; 5.Mos 28,15; Es 40,8; Klag 2,17; Ez 36,31; Dan 9,6; Matt 24,35)
A Vision of a Horseman
7On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying, (Zak 1,1)8“I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses. (Zak 6,2; Åb 6,4; Åb 6,8)9Then I said, ‘What are these, my lord?’ The angel who talked with me said to me, ‘I will show you what they are.’ (Åb 22,6)10So the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, ‘These are they whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.’ (Job 1,7; Zak 1,8; Zak 6,7; Heb 1,14)11And they answered the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, and said, ‘We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth remains at rest.’ (Zak 1,9; Zak 1,10; Zak 1,15)12Then the angel of the Lord said, ‘O Lord of hosts, how long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which you have been angry these seventy years?’ (Salm 80,4; Salm 89,46; Salm 102,13; Jer 25,11; Jer 29,10; Hab 2,6; Zak 1,9; Zak 7,5; Åb 6,10)13And the Lord answered gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me. (Jer 29,10; Zak 1,9)14So the angel who talked with me said to me, ‘Cry out, Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion. (Joel 2,18; Zak 1,9; Zak 8,2)15And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little, they furthered the disaster. (Es 47,6; Es 54,7; Joel 3,2; Zak 1,11)16Therefore, thus says the Lord, I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it, declares the Lord of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. (Ez 6,14; Jer 31,39; Ez 40,3; Ez 47,3; Zak 4,9; Zak 8,3)17Cry out again, Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.’” (Es 40,1; Es 51,3; Zak 2,4; Zak 2,12)
A Vision of Horns and Craftsmen
18[1] And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four horns! (1.Kong 22,11)19And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these?” And he said to me, “These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” (Zak 1,9; Zak 1,18)20Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen.21And I said, “What are these coming to do?” He said, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no one raised his head. And these have come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter it.” (5.Mos 28,26; Salm 75,4; Jer 7,33; Zak 1,18)