Oct 6 - Zechariah 7-11
Zechariah
1In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev.2The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melech, together with their men, to entreat the LORD3by asking the priests of the house of the LORD Almighty and the prophets, "Should I mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?"4Then the word of the LORD Almighty came to me:5"Ask all the people of the land and the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted?6And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?7Are these not the words the LORD proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest and prosperous, and the Negev and the western foothills were settled?'"8And the word of the LORD came again to Zechariah:9"This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.10Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.'11"But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and stopped up their ears.12They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the LORD Almighty was very angry.13"'When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,' says the LORD Almighty.14'I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land was left so desolate behind them that no one could come or go. This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.'"
1Again the word of the LORD Almighty came to me.2This is what the LORD Almighty says: "I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her."3This is what the LORD says: "I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain."4This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with cane in hand because of his age.5The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there."6This is what the LORD Almighty says: "It may seem marvelous to the remnant of this people at that time, but will it seem marvelous to me?" declares the LORD Almighty.7This is what the LORD Almighty says: "I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west.8I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God."9This is what the LORD Almighty says: "You who now hear these words spoken by the prophets who were there when the foundation was laid for the house of the LORD Almighty, let your hands be strong so that the temple may be built.10Before that time there were no wages for man or beast. No one could go about his business safely because of his enemy, for I had turned every man against his neighbor.11But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as I did in the past," declares the LORD Almighty.12"The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people.13As you have been an object of cursing among the nations, O Judah and Israel, so will I save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong."14This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Just as I had determined to bring disaster upon you and showed no pity when your fathers angered me," says the LORD Almighty,15"so now I have determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid.16These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts;17do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this," declares the LORD.18Again the word of the LORD Almighty came to me.19This is what the LORD Almighty says: "The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth and peace."20This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come,21and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, 'Let us go at once to entreat the LORD and seek the LORD Almighty. I myself am going.'22And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD Almighty and to entreat him."23This is what the LORD Almighty says: "In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.'"
1The word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach and will rest upon Damascus- for the eyes of men and all the tribes of Israel are on the LORD -2and upon Hamath too, which borders on it, and upon Tyre and Sidon, though they are very skillful.3Tyre has built herself a stronghold; she has heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets.4But the Lord will take away her possessions and destroy her power on the sea, and she will be consumed by fire.5Ashkelon will see it and fear; Gaza will writhe in agony, and Ekron too, for her hope will wither. Gaza will lose her king and Ashkelon will be deserted.6Foreigners will occupy Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.7I will take the blood from their mouths, the forbidden food from between their teeth. Those who are left will belong to our God and become leaders in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.8But I will defend my house against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun my people, for now I am keeping watch.9Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.10I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.11As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit.12Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.13I will bend Judah as I bend my bow and fill it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and make you like a warrior's sword.14Then the LORD will appear over them; his arrow will flash like lightning. The Sovereign LORD will sound the trumpet; he will march in the storms of the south,15and the LORD Almighty will shield them. They will destroy and overcome with slingstones. They will drink and roar as with wine; they will be full like a bowl used for sprinkling the corners of the altar.16The LORD their God will save them on that day as the flock of his people. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown.17How attractive and beautiful they will be! Grain will make the young men thrive, and new wine the young women.
1Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime; it is the LORD who makes the storm clouds. He gives showers of rain to men, and plants of the field to everyone.2The idols speak deceit, diviners see visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd.3"My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the LORD Almighty will care for his flock, the house of Judah, and make them like a proud horse in battle.4From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler.5Together they will be like mighty men trampling the muddy streets in battle. Because the LORD is with them, they will fight and overthrow the horsemen.6"I will strengthen the house of Judah and save the house of Joseph. I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them.7The Ephraimites will become like mighty men, and their hearts will be glad as with wine. Their children will see it and be joyful; their hearts will rejoice in the LORD.8I will signal for them and gather them in. Surely I will redeem them; they will be as numerous as before.9Though I scatter them among the peoples, yet in distant lands they will remember me. They and their children will survive, and they will return.10I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon, and there will not be room enough for them.11They will pass through the sea of trouble; the surging sea will be subdued and all the depths of the Nile will dry up. Assyria's pride will be brought down and Egypt's scepter will pass away.12I will strengthen them in the LORD and in his name they will walk," declares the LORD.
1Open your doors, O Lebanon, so that fire may devour your cedars!2Wail, O pine tree, for the cedar has fallen; the stately trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan; the dense forest has been cut down!3Listen to the wail of the shepherds; their rich pastures are destroyed! Listen to the roar of the lions; the lush thicket of the Jordan is ruined!4This is what the LORD my God says: "Pasture the flock marked for slaughter.5Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, 'Praise the LORD, I am rich!' Their own shepherds do not spare them.6For I will no longer have pity on the people of the land," declares the LORD. "I will hand everyone over to his neighbor and his king. They will oppress the land, and I will not rescue them from their hands."7So I pastured the flock marked for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I pastured the flock.8In one month I got rid of the three shepherds. The flock detested me, and I grew weary of them9and said, "I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish. Let those who are left eat one another's flesh."10Then I took my staff called Favor and broke it, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations.11It was revoked on that day, and so the afflicted of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the LORD.12I told them, "If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it." So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.13And the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter"-the handsome price at which they priced me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD to the potter.14Then I broke my second staff called Union, breaking the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.15Then the LORD said to me, "Take again the equipment of a foolish shepherd.16For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hoofs.17"Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered, his right eye totally blinded!"