Do not become like your fathers, unto whom the former prophets, proclaimed, saying, Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, Return, I pray you, from your wicked ways, and from your wicked practices; but they heard not, nor hearkened unto me, declareth Yahweh.

Then said I, What are these, my lord? And the messenger who was speaking with me, said unto me, I, will shew thee what these, are.

So the man who was standing among the myrtle-trees responded, and said, - These, are they whom Yahweh, hath sent, to go to and fro through the earth.

Then responded they to the messenger of Yahweh, who was standing among the myrtle-trees, and said, We have gone to and fro through the earth, - and lo! all the earth, resteth and is quiet.

And Yahweh answered the messenger who was speaking with me, in words that were pleasant, - words that were consoling,

Then the messenger who was speaking with me, said unto me, Proclaim thou, saying, Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, I am jealous for Jerusalem, and for Zion, with a great jealousy;

And I said unto the messenger who was speaking with me, What are these? And he said unto me, These, are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

And lo! the messenger who was talking with me, coming forward, - and another messenger, coming forward to meet him.

Then said Yahweh unto the Accuser, Yahweh rebuke thee, O Accuser, Yea Yahweh rebuke thee, he who is choosing Jerusalem, - Is not, this, a brand snatched out of the fire?

Then responded he and spake unto those who were standing before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from off him; and he said unto him, See! I have caused to pass from off thee, thine iniquity, And will cause thee to be clothed in robes of state.

Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, If, in my ways, thou wilt walk, and if, of my charge, thou wilt keep charge, Then, even thou, shalt govern my house, Moreover also, thou shalt have charge of my courts, - and I will give thee free access among these who stand by.

Hear, I pray thee, O Joshua the high priest, thou and thy friends who are sitting before thee, for, men to serve as signs, they are, - For behold me! bringing in my servant, the Bud;

And once more the messenger who was speaking with me, roused me up, just as a man might be roused up out of his sleep.

Then responded I, and said unto the messenger who was speaking with me, saying, - What are these, my lord?

Then answered the messenger who was speaking with me, and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these, are? And I said, No my lord.

Who, art, thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel, brought down to a plain! So shall he bring forth the headstone, with thundering shouts Beautiful! Beautiful! thereunto.

For who hath despised the day of small things? Yet shall they rejoice, when they see the plummet-stone in the hand of Zerubbabel, - these seven! The eyes of Yahweh, they are - running to and fro throughout all the earth.

Then said he, These, are the two Anointed Ones, - who stand near the Lord of all the earth.

Then said he unto me, This, is the curse, which is going forth over the face of all the earth, - Because, every one who stealeth, on the one side, hath in one way been let off, and, every one who sweareth, on the other side, hath in another way been let off,

Then came forward, the messenger who was talking with me, - and said unto me - Lift up, I pray thee, thine eyes, and see what this is which is coming forth.

Then said I unto the messenger who was speaking with me, - Whither are they carrying the ephah?

Then began I, and said, unto the messenger who was speaking with me, - What are these, my lord?

Then made he outcry beside me, and spake unto me, saying, - See, these who are going forth into the land of the North, have settled my spirit in the land of the North.

Take of them of the exile, of Heldai, and of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, - then shalt, thou thyself, enter, on that day, yea thou shalt enter the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah, with them who have come in out of Babylon;

And, they who are afar off, shall come in and shall build at the temple of Yahweh, so shall yea know that, Yahweh of hosts, hath sent me unto you, - and it shall come to pass if ye will, indeed hearken, unto the voice of Yahweh your God.

But I whirled them over all the nations whom they had not known, and, the land, was made desolate after them, that none passed through and returned, - Yea they made of a delightful land - a desolation.

Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, Let your hands be strong, ye who are hearing, in these days, these words, - from the mouth of the prophets who, on the day the house of Yahweh of hosts, was founded, foretold that, the temple, should be built: -

That, before those days, hire for man, could not be obtained, and, hire for beast, was there none, - and, neither to him who went out nor to him who came in, was there success by reason of the danger, Yea I let all men loose, each one against his neighbour.

Ask ye from Yahweh rain, in the time of the latter rain, Yahweh, who causeth flashes of lightning, - and, rain in abundant showers, giveth he unto them, to every man, herbage in the field;

When it was broken, on that day, then did the sheep- merchants who were watching me, know, that, the word of Yahweh, it was.

Alas! for my worthless shepherd, who forsaketh the flock, A sword upon his arm, and upon his right eye! - his arm, shall be, utterly withered, and, his right eye, shall be, wholly darkened.

And it shall come to pass, in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a lifting-stone, to all the peoples, all who seek to lift her, shall, cut themselves in pieces, - though all the nations of the earth, gather themselves together against her.

But I will pour out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitant of Jerusalem, the spirit of favour, and of supplications, and they will look unto me, whom they have pierced, - and will wail over him, as one waileth over an only son, and will make bitter outcry over him, as one maketh bitter outcry over a firstborn.

So shall it come about that, when any man shall prophesy again, then will his own father and his own mother, of whom he was born, say unto him, - Thou shalt not live! For falsehood hast thou spoken in the name of Yahweh, - So will his own father and his own mother of whom he was born, pierce him through, when he prophesieth,

Then will one say unto him, What are these wounds between thy hands? And he will say, Wherewith I was wounded in the house of them who loved me.

And, this, shall be the plague wherewith Yahweh will plague all the peoples who have made war against Jerusalem, - his flesh, shall be made to rot, while he is standing upon his feet, and, his eyes, shall rot in their sockets, and, his tongue, shall rot in their mouth;

And, if the family of Egypt shall not come up, and shall not enter in, upon whom there falleth none, then shall smite them the plague wherewith Yahweh, did plague, the nations, because they came not up to celebrate the festival of booths.

And every caldron in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be Holy unto Yahweh of hosts, - So shall all who are offering sacrifice, come in, and take of them, and boil therein, - Neither shall there be a merchant any more in the house of Yahweh of hosts, in that day.