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Zechariah 1

2 He exhorteth the people to return to the Lord, and to eschewe the wickedness of their fathers. 16 He signifieth the restitution of Jerusalém and the Temple.
1.In the eight moneth of the second year of aDarius, came the word of the Lord unto bZechariáh the son of Berechiáh, the son of Iddo, the Prophet, saying,
2.The Lord hath been csore displeased with your fathers.
3.Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hostes, dTurn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hostes, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hostes.
4.Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former *Prophets have cryed, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hostes, Turn you now from your evil ways, and from your wicked works: but they would not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord.
5.Your fathers, where eare they? & do the Prophets live for ever?
6.But did not my words and my statutes, which I commanded by my servants the Prophets, take hold of fyour fathers? and gthey returned, and said, As the Lord of hostes hath determined to do unto us, according to our own ways, and according to our works, so hath he dealt with us.
7.Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month hShebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariáh the son of Berechiáh, the son of Iddo the Prophet, saying,
8.I isaw by night, and behold ka man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the mirre trees, that were in a bottom, and behind him were there ired horses speckled and white.
9.Then said I, O my Lord, what are these? And the Angel that talked with me, said unto me, I will shewe thee what these be.
10.And the man that stood among the mirre trees, answered and said, These are they whom the Lord hath sent to go through the world.
11.And they answered the Angel of the Lord, that stood among the mirre trees, and said, We have gone through the world: and behold, all the world sitteth still, and is at rest.
12.Then the mAngel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord of hostes, how long wilt thou be unmerciful to Jerusalém, and to the cities of Judáh, with whom thou hast been displeased now these three score and ten years?
13.And the Lord answered the Angel that talked with me, with good words and comfortable words.
14.So the Angel that communed with me, said unto me, Cry thou, and speak, Thus saith the Lord of hostes, I am njealous over Jerusalém and Zión with a great zeal,
15.And am greatly angry against the careless heathen: for I was angry but oa little, and they helped forward the affliction.
16.Therefore thus saith the Lord, I wil return unto Jerusalém with tender mercy: mine house shal be builded in it, saith the Lord of hostes, and a line pshal be stretched upon Jerusalém.
17.Cry yet, and speak, Thus saith the Lord of hostes, My cities shal yet qbe broken with plenty: the Lord shal yet comfort Zión, and shal yet chuse Jerusalém.
18.Then lift I up mine eyes and saw, and behold, rfour horns.
19.And I said unto the Angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judáh, Israél, and Jerusalém.
20.And the Lord shewed me four scarpenters.
21.Then said I, What come these to do? And he answered, and said, These are the horns, which have scattered Judáh, so that a man durst not lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, and to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lift up their horn over the land of Judáh, to scatter it.

Notes

1-a.
Who was the son of Hystaspis.
1-b.
This was not the Zechariáh, whereof is mention 2 Chron. 24.20, but had the same name, & is called the son of Berechiáh, as he was, because he came of those progenitors, as of Joiada or Berechiáh and Iddo.
2-c.
He speaks this to fear them with God’s judgements that they should not provoke him as their fathers had done, whom he so grievously punished.
3-d.
Let your fruits declare, that you are God’s people and that he has wrought in you by his Spirit and mortified you: for else man has no power to return to God, but God must convert him, as Jer. 31.18, Lam. 5.21, Isa. 25.8, 31.6 and 45.21.
4-*.
Jer. 3.12, Ezek. 18.30, Hos. 14.2, Joel 2.12.
5-e.
Though your fathers be dead, yet God’s judgements in punishing them ought still to be before your eyes: and though the Prophets be dead, yet their doctrine remains forever, 2 Pet. 1.15.
6-f.
Seeing you saw the force of my doctrine in punishing your fathers, why do not you fear the threatenings contained in the same and declared by my Prophets?
6-g.
As men astonished with my judgements, and not that they were touched with true repentance.
7-h.
Which contains part of January and part of February.
8-i.
This vision signifies the restoration of the Church, but as yet it should not appear to man’s eyes, which is here meant by the night, by the bottom and by the mirre trees, which are black and give a dark shadow: yet he compares God to a King, who has his posts and messengers abroad, by whom he still works his purpose and brings his matters to pass.
8-k.
Who was the chief among the rest of the horse men.
8-l.
These signify the divers offices of God’s Angels by whom God some- times punished and sometimes comforts and brings forth his works in divers sorts.
12-m.
That is, Christ the Mediator prays for the salvation of his Church, which was now troubled when all the countries about them were at rest.
14-n.
Though for a time God defers his help and comfort from his Church, yet this declares that he loves them still most dearly, as a most merciful father his children, or an husband his wife, and when it is expedient for them, his help is ever ready.
15-o.
In destroying the reprobate I showed myself, but a little angry toward my Church, but the enemy would have destroyed them also, and considered not the end of my chastisements.
16-p.
To measure out the buildings.
17-q.
The abundance shall be so great that the places of store shall not be able to contain these blessings that God will send, but shall even break for fullness.
18-r.
Which signified all the enemies of the Church, East, West, North, South.
20-s.
These carpenters or smiths are God’s instruments, which with their mallets and hammers break these hard and strong horns, which would overthrow the Church, and declare that none enemy’s horn is so strong, but God has an hammer to break it in pieces.