Zechariah 1

bakhodesh hashemini bishnat shetayim ledareyavesh hayah devar-Adonai el-zekharyah ben-berekhyah ben-iddo hannavi lemor

In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, this word of GOD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah son of Iddo:

qatsaf Adonai al-avotekhem qatsef

GOD was very angry with your ancestors.

ve'amarta alehem koh amar Adonai tseva'ot shuvu elay ne'um Adonai tseva'ot ve'ashuv alekhem amar Adonai tseva'ot

Say to them further: Thus said GOD of Hosts: Turn back to me—says GOD of Hosts—and I will turn back to you—said GOD of Hosts.

al-tihyu kha'avotekhem asher qare'u-alehem hannevi'im harishonim lemor koh amar Adonai tseva'ot shuvu na middarkhekhem hara'im (vmlylykhm) [uma'allekhem] hara'im velo shame'u velo-hiqshivu elay ne'um-Adonai

Do not be like your ancestors! For when the earlier prophets called to them, “Thus said GOD of Hosts: Come, turn back from your evil ways and your evil deeds, they did not obey or give heed to Me—declares GOD.

avotekhem ayyeh-hem vehannevi'im hale'olam yikhyu

Where are your ancestors now? And did the prophets live forever?

akh devaray vekhuqqay asher tsivviti et-avaday hannevi'im halo hissigu avotekhem vayyashuvu vayyomeru ka'asher zamam Adonai tseva'ot la'asot lanu kidrakhenu ukhema'alalenu ken asah ittanu

But the warnings and the decrees with which I charged My servants the prophets overtook your ancestors—did they not?—and in the end they had to admit, ‘GOD of Hosts purposed to deal with us according to our ways and our deeds; that is just what has been done to us.’”

beyom esrim ve'arba'ah le'ashte-asar khodesh hu-khodesh shevat bishnat shetayim ledareyavesh hayah devar-Adonai el-zekharyah ben-berekhyahu ben-iddo hannavi lemor

On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month of the second year of Darius—the month of Shebat—this word of GOD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah son of Iddo:

ra'iti hallaylah vehinneh-ish rokhev al-sus adom vehu omed ben hahadassim asher bammetsulah ve'akharayw susim adummim seruqqim ulevanim

In the night, I had a vision. I saw a figure, mounted on a bay horse, standing among the myrtles in the Deep, and behind him were bay, sorrel, and white horses.

va'omar mah-elleh adoni vayyomer elay hammalakh haddover bi ani arekka mah-hemmah elleh

I asked, “What are those, my lord?” And the angel who talked with me answered, “I will let you know what they are.”

vayya'an ha'ish ha'omed ben-hahadassim vayyomar elleh asher shalakh Adonai lehithallekh ba'arets

Then the figure who was standing among the myrtles spoke up and said, “These were sent out by GOD to roam the earth.”

vayya'anu et-malakh Adonai ha'omed ben hahadassim vayyomeru hithallakhnu va'arets vehinneh khol-ha'arets yoshevet veshoqatet

And in fact, they reported to the angel of GOD who was standing among the myrtles, “We have roamed the earth, and have found all the earth dwelling in tranquility.”

vayya'an malakh-Adonai vayyomar Adonai tseva'ot ad-matay attah lo-terakhem et-yerushalai͏m ve'et are yehudah asher za'amtah zeh shivim shanah

Thereupon the angel of GOD exclaimed, “O GOD of Hosts! How long will You withhold pardon from Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, which You placed under a curse seventy years ago?”

vayya'an Adonai et-hammalakh haddover bi devarim tovim devarim nikhumim

GOD replied with kind, comforting words to the angel who talked with me.

vayyomer elay hammalakh haddover bi qera lemor koh amar Adonai tseva'ot qinneti lirushalai͏m uletsiyyon qinah gedolah

Then the angel who talked with me said to me: “Proclaim! Thus said GOD of Hosts: I am very jealous for Jerusalem—for Zion—

veqetsef gadol ani qotsef al-haggoyim hasha'anannim asher ani qatsafti me'at vehemmah azeru lera'ah

and I am very angry with those nations that are at ease; for I was only angry a little, but they overdid the punishment.

lakhen koh-amar Adonai shavti lirushalai͏m berakhamim beti yibbaneh bah ne'um Adonai tseva'ot (vqvh) [veqav] yinnateh al-yerushalai͏m

Assuredly, thus said GOD: I graciously return to Jerusalem. My House shall be built in her—declares GOD of Hosts—the measuring line is being applied to Jerusalem.

od qera lemor koh amar Adonai tseva'ot od tefutsenah aray mittov venikham Adonai od et-tsiyyon uvakhar od birushalai͏m

Proclaim further: Thus said GOD of Hosts: My towns shall yet overflow with bounty. For GOD will again comfort Zion—and will again choose Jerusalem.”