So tell them, "This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "Return to me," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "and I will return to you.

Don't be like your ancestors, to whom the former prophets proclaimed: "This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "It's time to turn from your evil lifestyles and from your evil actions," "but they would neither listen nor pay attention to me,'" declares the LORD.'

Then the angel who was speaking to me told me, "Announce this: "This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "I have a deep concern for Jerusalem, a great concern for Zion.

"Therefore this is what the LORD says: "I have returned to Jerusalem with compassionate intentions. My Temple will be rebuilt there," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "and the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem."'"

"Also announce the following: "This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "My cities will again overflow with prosperity. The LORD will comfort Zion once more and will choose Jerusalem again."'"

I asked the angel who was talking to me, "What are those?" So he answered me, "Those are the forces that have dispersed Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem."

Then I asked, "What have they come to do?" He answered, "Those horns that dispersed Judah so that no one could lift up his head those artisans are coming to disrupt the power of nations, tearing them down now that they've come to power and dispersed the land of Judah."

For this is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "In pursuit of glory I was sent to the nations who plundered you, because whoever injures you injures the pupil of my eye.

"This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "If you will live according to my ways, and if you will keep what I have entrusted to you, then you will also administer my Temple, and you will also guard my courtyards. And I will give you access to these who serve here.

Then he asked me, "What do you see?"

Then I asked the angel who had been speaking with me, "Sir, what are these?"

The angel who had been speaking with me answered by asking, "You don't know what these mean, do you?" So I responded, "No, sir."

Then I asked the angel, "What are these two olive trees, one on the right of the menorah and one on the left?"

I also asked him a second question: "What are these two olive branches on either side of the two golden feeder channels that carry the golden oil to the seven lights?"

The angel replied, "You don't know what these are, do you?" I responded to him, "No, sir."

And the angel asked me, "What do you see?" I answered him, "I'm looking at a flying scroll. It's 20 cubits long and ten cubits wide."

Then the angel who had been talking with me stepped forward and told me, "Please look up and see what's going out."

So I asked, "What is it?" He replied, "This is a basket making its appearance." He also said, "This is what it appears to be in the entire land."

In response, I asked the angel who had been talking with me, "Sir, what are these?"

Then tell him, "This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "Here is the man whose name is The Branch. He will branch out from where he is and will rebuild the Temple of the LORD.

Isn't this what the LORD proclaimed through the former prophets, when a prosperous Jerusalem was inhabited, as were its surrounding cities, the Negev, and the Shephelah?'"

"This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "Administer true justice, and show gracious love and mercy toward each other.

"This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "I'm greatly jealous about Zion, and that makes me furious about her.'

"This is what the LORD says: "I will return to Zion and I will live in the midst of Jerusalem. And Jerusalem will be called, "The City of Truth" and the mountain of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies will be called, "The Holy Mountain".'

"This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "There will yet be old men and old women sitting in the parks of Jerusalem, each one of them holding canes in their hands due to their old age!

"This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "It may seem impossible to the survivors of this people, but is it impossible for me?' declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.

"This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "Look! After having saved my people from the land of the east and from the land of the west,

"This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "Be strong so the Temple can be built, you who are now listening to this message spoken by the prophets when the foundation was laid to the Temple of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.

"This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "Just as I intended to bring harm to you when your ancestors angered me,' says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "and I did not relent,

Here's what you must do: tell the truth to your neighbors, administer true and peaceful justice in your courtrooms,

"This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "The fasts that occur in the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months will be joyful and glad times for the house of Judah, replete with cheerful festivals. Therefore, love truth and peace.'"

"This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "In the future, people will come, including residents of many cities,

"This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "In the future, ten men speaking all the languages of the nations will grab hold of one Jewish person by the hem of his garment and say, "Let us go up to Jerusalem with you, because we heard that God is with you."'"

This is what the LORD my God says: "Shepherd the flock marked for slaughter.

So I said, "I will no longer be your shepherd. Let those who are about to die perish, and let what is about to be destroyed be destroyed. As for the survivors, let them devour each other."

I told them, "If it's alright with you, pay me what I've earned. But if it isn't, don't." So they paid out what I had earned 30 pieces of silver.

"Someone will say to him, "What are these injuries to your hands?' "He will reply, ""what I received at my friend's house.'