¶ In the eighth month of the second year of king Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zachary the son of Barachias, the son of Addo, the Prophet, saying:
the LORD hath been sore displeased at your forefathers.
And say thou unto them: thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts. Turn you unto me (sayeth the LORD of Hosts) and I will turn me unto you, sayeth the LORD of Hosts.
Be not ye like your forefathers, unto whom the Prophets cried a fore time, saying: Thus sayeth the LORD God of hosts: Turn you from your evil ways, and from your wicked imaginations. But they would not hear, nor regard me, sayeth the LORD.
What is now become of your forefathers and the prophets? are they yet still alive?
But did not my words and statutes (which I commanded by my servants the Prophets) touch your forefathers? Upon this, they gave answer and said: like as the LORD of Hosts devised to do unto us, according to our ways and imaginations, even so hath he dealt with us.
¶ Upon the twenty forth day of the eleventh month which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zachary the son of Barachias, the son of Addo the Prophet, saying:
I saw by night, and lo, there sat one upon a red horse, and stood still among the Myrtle trees, that were beneath upon the ground: and behind him were there red, speckled and white horses.
Then said I: O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me, said unto me: I will shew thee what these be.
And the man that stood among the Myrtle trees, answered and said: These are they, whom the LORD hath sent to go thorow the world.
And they answered the angel of the LORD, that stood among the myrtle trees, and said: We have gone thorow the world: and behold all the world dwell at ease, and are careless.
Then the LORD's angel gave answer, and said: O LORD of Hosts, how long wilt thou be unmerciful to Ierusalem and to the cities of Iuda, with whom thou hast been displeased now these seventy years.
So the LORD gave a loving and comfortable answer unto the angel that talked with me.
And the angel that communed with me, said unto me: Cry thou, and speak: Thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts: I am exceedingly jealous over Ierusalem and Sion,
and sore displeased at the careless Heathen: for where as I was but a little angry, they did their best that I might destroy them.
Therefore thus sayeth the LORD: I will turn me again in mercy toward Ierusalem, so that my house shall be builded in it, sayeth the LORD of Hosts: yea and the plummet shall be laid abroad in Ierusalem, sayeth the LORD of Hosts.
Cry also, and speak: thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts: My cities shall be in good prosperity again, the LORD shall yet comfort Sion, and choose Ierusalem.
¶ Then lift I up mine eyes and saw, and behold, four horns.
And I said unto the angel, that talketh with me: What be these? he answered me: These are the horses, which have scattered Iuda, Israel, and Ierusalem abroad.
And the LORD shewed me four carpenters.
Then said I: what will these do? He answered, and said: Those are the horns, which have so strowed Iuda abroad, that no man durst lift up his head: But these are come to fraye them away, and to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lift up their horn over the land of Iuda, to scatter it abroad.
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Praise the Everlasting Lord for His Faithful Word.