In the eighth month, in the second year of Daryavesh, the word of the Lord came to Zekharya, the son of Berekhya, the son of ῾Iddo the prophet, saying,

The Lord has been much displeased with your fathers.

Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord of hosts; Turn to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.

Be not like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts; Turn now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, or hearken to me, says the Lord.

Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?

But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? so that they repented and said, As the Lord of hosts intended to do to us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so has he dealt with us.

On the twenty fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shevat, in the second year of Daryavesh, the word of the Lord came to Zekharya, the son of Berekhya, the son of ῾Iddo the prophet,

saying, I saw in the night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle bushes that were in the glen; and behind him were there red horses, sorrel, and white.

Then I said, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said to me, I will show thee what these are.

And the man that stood among the myrtle bushes answered and said, These are they whom the Lord has sent to walk to and fro in the earth.

And they answered the angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle bushes, and said, We have walked to and fro in the earth, and, behold, all the earth sits still, and is at rest.

Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt Thou not have mercy on Yerushalayim and on the cities of Yehuda, against which Thou hast had indignation these seventy years?

And the Lord answered the angel that talked with me with good words, words of comfort.

So the angel that spoke with me said to me, Proclaim, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts; I am zealous for Yerushalayim and for Żiyyon with a great zeal.

And I am very much displeased with the nations that are at ease: for I was a little angry, but they helped forward the affliction.

Therefore thus says the Lord; I have returned to Yerushalayim with mercies: my house shall be rebuilt in it, says the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth over Yerushalayim.

Proclaim further, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts; My cities shall again overflow with prosperity; and the Lord shall yet comfort Żiyyon, and shall yet choose Yerushalayim.