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 Shebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the Prophet, who said,

And I said unto the angel, that talketh with me, 'What be these?' He answered me, 'These are the horses, which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem abroad.'

Then said I, 'What will these do?' He answered, and said, 'Those are the horns, which have so strawed Judah abroad, that no man durst lift up his head: But these are come to fray them away, and to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lift up their horn over the land of Judah, to scatter it abroad.'

For thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts: With a glorious power hath he sent me out to the Heathen, which spoiled you: for whoso toucheth you, shall touch the apple of his own eye.

Behold, I will lift up mine hand over them: so that they shall be spoiled of those which afore served them: and ye shall know, that the LORD of Hosts hath sent me.

And the Lord shall inherit Judah which is his part in the holy ground, and he shall choose Jerusalem yet again.

Which answered and said unto those that stood before him, 'Take away the foul clothes from him.' And unto him he said, 'Behold, I have taken away thy sin from thee, and will deck thee with change of raiment.'

For he that hath been despised a little season, shall rejoice, when he seeth the tin weight in Zerubbabel's hand. The seven eyes are the LORD's, which go through the whole world.'

I spake moreover, and said unto him, 'What be these two olive branches which, through the two golden pipes, empty themselves into the gold?'

And he said unto me, 'Into the land of Shinar, to build them a house: which when it is prepared, the measure shall be set there in his place.'

Moreover I turned me, lifting up mine eyes, and looked: and behold, there came four chariots out from betwixt two hills, which hills were of brass:

The angel answered, and said unto me, 'These are the four winds of the heaven, which be come forth to stand before the ruler of all the earth.

It happened also in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, which is called Chislev.

and that they should say unto the priests which were in the house of the LORD of Hosts, and to the prophets, "Should I weep in the fifth month, and abstain, as I have done now certain years?"

Are not these the words, which the LORD spake by his prophets afore time, when Jerusalem was yet inhabited and wealthy, she and the cities round about her: when there dwelt men, both toward the south and in the plain countries?'"

Yea, they made their hearts as an Adamant stone lest they should hear the law and words, which the LORD of Hosts sent in his holy spirit by the prophets afore time. Wherefore the LORD of Hosts was very wroth at them.

"Thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts: let your hands be strong, ye that now hear these words by the mouth of the prophets which be in these days that the foundation is laid upon the LORD of Hosts' house, that the temple may be builded.

They shall be as the giants, which in the battle tread down the mire upon the streets. They shall fight, for the LORD shall be with them, so that the horsemen shall be confounded.

which shall be slain of those that possess them. Yet they take it for no sin, but they that sell them, say, 'The LORD be thanked, I am rich.' Yea, their own shepherds spare them not.

I took also my Loving Meek staff, and brake it, that I might disannul the covenant, which I made with all people.

for lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not seek after the things that be lost, nor care for such as go astray: he shall not heal the wounded, he shall not nourish the thing that is whole: but he shall eat the flesh of such as be fat, and tear their claws in pieces.

The heavy burden which the LORD hath devised for Israel. Thus sayeth the LORD, which spread the heavens abroad, laid the foundation of the earth, and giveth man the breath of life,

This shall be that special day which is known unto the LORD: neither day nor night, but about the evening time it shall be light.

Every one that remaineth then of all the people, which came against Jerusalem, shall go up yearly, to worship the King, even the LORD of Hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.