Christ the Branch.

ZECHARIAH.

Cause of the captivity. thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth 12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus forth. speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, 6 And I said, What is it? And he said, Behold the man whose name is The This is an ephah that goeth forth. He BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of said moreover, This is their resemblance his place, and he shall build the temple of through all the earth. the LORD:

7 And behold, there was lifted up a 13 Even he shall build the temple of the talent of lead: and this is a woman that LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and sitteth in the midst of the ephah. shall sit and rule upon his throne: and he 8 And he said, This is wickedness. shall be a priest upon his throne: and the And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; counsel of peace shall be between them and he cast the weight of lead upon the both. mouth thereof.

14 And the crowns shall be to Helem, 9 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and look- and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to ed, and behold, there came out two women, Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial and the wind was in their wings; for they in the temple of the LORD. had wings like the wings of a stork: and 15 And they that are far off shall come they lifted up the ephah between the earth and build in the temple of the LORD, and and the heaven. ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath 10 Then said I to the angel that talked sent me unto you. And this shall come to with me, Whither do these bear the ephah? pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of 11 And he said unto me, To build it an the LORD your God. house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.

CHAP. VI.

A

CHAP. VII.

ND it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth

AND I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu; and looked, and behold, there came 2 When they had sent unto the house of four chariots out from between two moun- God Sherezer and Regem-melech, and tains; and the mountains were mountains their men, to pray before the LORD, of brass.

3 And to speak unto the priests which

2 In the first chariot were red horses; were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and and in the second chariot black horses; to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?

3 And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grizzled and bay horses.

4 Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord?

5 And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the LORD of all the earth.

4 ¶ Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying,

5 Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?

6 And when ye did eat, and when ye 6 The black horses which are therein did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, go forth into the north country; and the and drink for yourselves?

white go forth after them; and the grizzled 7 Should ye not hear the words which go forth toward the south country. the LORD hath cried by the former pro

7 And the bay went forth, and sought to phets when Jerusalem was inhabited and go that they might walk to and fro through in prosperity, and the cities thereof round the earth: and he said, Get ye hence, walk about her, when men inhabited the south to and fro through the earth. So they and the plain? walked to and fro through the earth.

8 Then cried he upon me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country.

8 ¶ And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying,

9 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his

9 ¶ And the word of the LORD came unto brother: me, saying,

10 And oppress not the widow, nor the 10 Take of them of the captivity, even fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, let none of you imagine evil against his which are come from Babylon, and come brother in your heart.

thou the same day, and go into the house 11 But they refused to hearken, and of Josiah the son of Zephanian; pulled away the shoulder, and stopped 11 Then take silver and gold, and their ears, that they should not hear. make crowns, and set them upon the head 12 Yea, they made their hearts as an of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high adamant stone, lest they should hear the priest. law, and the words which the LORD of

CHAP. VIII, IX.

Restoration of Jerusalem. God defends his church. hosts hath sent in his Spirit by the former save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear prophets therefore came a great wrath not, but let your hands be strong. from the LORD of hosts. 14 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; 13 Therefore it is come to pass, that as As I thought to punish you, when your he cried, and they would not hear; so they fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts, and I repented not: 15 So again have I thought in these days 14 But I scattered them with a whirl- to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house wind among all the nations whom they of Judah: fear ye not.

LORD of hosts:

knew not. Thus the land was desolate 16 ¶ These are the things that ye shall after them, that no man passed through nor do; Speak ye every man the truth to his returned for they laid the pleasant land neighbour; execute the judgment of truth desolate. and peace in your gates:

A

CHAP. VIII. GAIN the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying,

2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury.

3 Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and Jerusalem shall be called, A city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, The holy mountain.

4 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age.

5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.

6 Thus saith the lord of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.

17 And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord.

18 ¶ And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying,

19 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.

20 Thus saith the LORD of hosts: It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities:

21 Ánd the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also.

22 Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD. 23 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In 7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, those days it shall come to pass, that ten I will save my people from the east coun- men shall take hold, out of all languages try, and from the west country; of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you. CHAP. IX.

8 And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.

94 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Let THE burden of the word of the LORD your hands be strong, ye that hear in these in the land of Hadrach, and Damasdays these words by the mouth of the pro-cus shall be the rest thereof: when the phets, which were in the day that the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts shall be toward the LORD. was laid, that the temple might be built.

2 And Hamath also shall border there

wise.

10 For before these days there was no by; Tyrus and Zidon, though it be very hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went 3 And Tyrus did build herself a strong out or came in because of the affliction: hold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and for I set all men every one against his fine gold as the mire of the streets. neighbour.

11 But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the LORD of hosts.

4 Behold, the LORD will cast her out, and he will smite her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire.

5 Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Gaza 12 For the seed shall be prosperous; also shall see it, and be very sorrowful, and the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground Ekron; for her expectation shall be shall give her increase, and the heavens ashamed; and the king shall perish from shall give their dew; and I will cause the Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited. remnant of this people to possess all these 6 Ánd a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, things. and I will cut off the pride of the Philis

13 And it shall come to pass, that as ye tines. were a curse among the heathen, O house 7 And I will take away his bloed out of of Judah, and house of Israel; so will Ihis mouth, and his abominations from be

God is to be sought unto.

ZECHARIAH.

The destruction of Jerusalem. tween his teeth: but he that remaineth, 4 Out of him came forth the corner, out even he, shall be for our God, and he shall of him the nail, out of him the battle-bow, be as a governor in Judah, and Ekron as a out of him every oppressor together. Jebusite. 5 And they shall be as mighty men,

8 And I will encamp about mine house which tread down their enemies in the mire because of the army, because of him that of the streets in the battle: and they shall passeth by, and because of him that fight, because the LORD is with them, and returneth and no oppressor shall pass the riders on horses shall be confounded. through them any more: for now have I 6 And I will strengthen the house of seen with mine eyes. Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, 9¶ Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; and I will bring them again to place them; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, for I have mercy upon them and they thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and shall be as though I had not cast them off: having salvation; lowly, and riding upon for I am the LORD their God, and will hear an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. them.

10 And I will cut off the chariot from 7 And they of Ephraim shall be like a Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice and the battle-bow shall be cut off: and he as through wine: yea, their children shall shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his see it, and be glad; their heart shall redominion shall be from sea even to sea, and joice in the LORD.

from the river even to the ends of the earth. 8 I will hiss for them, and gather them; 11 As for thee also, by the blood of thy for I have redeemed them: and they shall covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners increase as they have increased.

out of the pit wherein is no water.

9 And I will sow them among the peo

12 Turn ye to the strong hold, ye ple: and they shall remember me in far prisoners of hope: even to-day do I de- countries; and they shall live with their clare that I will render double unto thee; children, and turn again. 13 When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, Greece, and made thee as the sword of mighty man.

a

10 I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria; and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and place shall not be found for them.

14 And the LORD shall be seen over 11 And he shall pass through the sea them; and his arrow shall go forth as the with affliction, and shall smite the waves in lightning and the Lord GoD shall blow the sea, and all the deeps of the river shall the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds dry up: and the pride of Assyria shall be of the south. brought down, and the sceptre of Egypt

15 The LORD of hosts shall defend shall depart away. them; and they shall devour and subdue 12 And I will strengthen them in the with sling-stones; and they shall drink, LORD; and they shall walk up and down and make a noise as through wine; and in his name, saith the LORD, they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar.

16 And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land..

17 For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids. CHAP. X.

ASK ye of the LORD rain in the time of

OPEN

CHAP. XI.

PEN thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars.

2 Howl, fir-tree, for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down.

3 There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled.

a

4 Thus saith the LORD my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter;

the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers 5 Whose possessors slay them, and hold of rain, to every one grass in the field. themselves not guilty and they that sell 2 For the idols have spoken vanity, and them say, Blessed be the LORD; for I am the diviners have seen a lie, and have told rich and their own shepherds pity them false dreams; they comfort in vain: there- not.

fore they went their way as a flock, they 6 For I will no more pity the inhabitants were troubled, because there was no shep- of the land, saith the LORD: but lo, I will herd. deliver the men every one into his neigh 3 ¶ Mine anger was kindled against the bour's hand, and into the hand of his king: shepherds, and I punished the goats: for and they shall smite the land, and out of the LORD of hosts hath visited his flock their hand I will not deliver them. the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle.

7 And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took

Of Judah's restoration.

CHAP. XII, XIII. The repentance of Jerusalem. unto me two staves; the one I called Beau-lem shall be my strength in the LORD of ty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed hosts their God. the flock.

61 In that day will I make the govern

8 Three shepherds also I cut off in one ors of Judah like an hearth of fire among month; and my soul loathed them, and the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; their soul also abhorred me.web and they shall devour all the people round 9 Then said I, I will not feed you: that about, on the right hand and on the left: that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest her own place, even in Jerusalem. eat, every one the flesh of another.

7 The LORD also shall save the tents of

10 And I took my staff, even Beauty, Judah first, that the glory of the house of and cut it asunder, that I might break my David and the glory of the inhabitants of covenant which I had made with all the Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against people. Judah.

11 And it was broken in that day: and 8 In that day shall the LORD defend the so the poor of the flock that waited upon inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is me knew that it was the word of the feeble among them at that day shall be as LORD. David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. 9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

12 And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.

13 And the LORD said unto me, Cast it 10 ¶ And I will pour upon the house of unto the potter: a goodly price that I was David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusaprized at of them. And I took the thirty lem, the spirit of grace and of supplicapieces of silver, and cast them to the potter tions: and they shall look upon me whom in the house of the LORD. they have pierced, and they shall mourn

14 Then I cut asunder mine other staff, for him, as one mourneth for his only son, even Bands, that I might break the brother- and shall be in bitterness for him, as one hood between Judah and Israel. that is in bitterness for his first-born.

15 ¶ And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.

11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. 16 For lo, I will raise up a shepherd in 12 And the land shall mourn, every famithe land, which shall not visit those that be ly apart; the family of the house of David cut off, neither shall seek the young one, apart, and their wives apart; the family of nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that the house of Nathan apart, and their wives that standeth still but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces.

17 Wo to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened. CHAP. XII.

apart;

13 The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;

14 All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart. CHAP. XIII.

HE burden of the word of the LORD IN that day there shall be a fountain

THE

opened to the house of David and to the for Israel, saith the LORD, which inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for unstretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the cleanness. foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.

2 ¶ And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will 2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup cut off the names of the idols out of the of trembling unto all the people round land, and they shall no more be rememberabout, when they shall be in the siege both ed: and also I will cause the prophets and against Judah and against Jerusalem. the unclean spirit to pass out of the land. 3 And in that day will I make Jerusa- 3 And it shall come to pass, that when lem a burdensome stone for all people: all any shall yet prophesy, then his father and that burden themselves with it shall be cut his mother that begat him shall say unto in pieces, though all the people of the earth him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest be gathered together against it. lies in the name of the LORD: and his father

4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will and his mother that begat him shall thrust smite every horse with astonishment, and him through when he prophesieth. nis rider with madness: and I will open 4 And it shall come to pass in that day, mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and that the prophets shall be ashamed every will smite every horse of the people with one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; blindness. neither shall they wear a rough garment 5 And the governors of Judah shall say to deceive: in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusa

5 But he shall say, I am no prophet, I

The coming of Christ,

ZECHARIAH. and the grace of his kingdom.

am an husbandman; for man taught me to 10 All the land shall be turned as a keep cattle from my youth. plain from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jeru

6 And one shall say unto him, What are salem and it shall be lifted up, and inthese wounds in thine hands? Then he habited in her place, from Benjamin's gate shall answer, Those with which I was unto the place of the first gate, unto the wounded in the house of my friends. corner gate, and from the tower of Hana7 ¶ Awake, O sword, against my Shep-neel unto the king's wine-presses. herd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn mine hand upon the little

ones.

8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.

11 And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.

12 ¶ And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

13 And it shall come to pass in that day,

9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: that a great tumult from the LORD shall be they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, The LORD is my God. CHAP. XIV.

midst of thee.

LORD

among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.

BEHOLD, the day of the Lord cometh, 14 And Judah also shall fight at Jerusa round about shall be gathered together, 2 For I will gather all nations against gold, and silver, and apparel, in great Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be abundance. taken, and the houses rifled, and the wo- 15 And so shall be the plague of the men ravished; and half of the city shall go horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of forth into captivity, and the residue of the the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in people shall not be cut off from the city. these tents, as this plague.

3 ¶ Then shall the LORD go forth, and 16¶ And it shall come to pass, that every fight against those nations, as when he one that is left of all the nations which fought in the day of battle. came against Jerusalem shall even go up 4 And his feet shall stand in that day up-from year to year to worship the King, the on the mount of Olives, which is before LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of taJerusalem on the east, and the mount of bernacles.

Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof 17 And it shall be, that whoso will not toward the east and toward the west, and come up of all the families of the earth there shall be a very great valley; and half unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the of the mountain shall remove toward the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no north, and half of it toward the south. rain.

5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the 18 And if the family of Egypt go not mountains; for the valley of the mountains up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD like as ye fled from before the earthquake will smite the heathen that come not up to in the days of Uzziah king of Judah; and keep, the feast of tabernacles. the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.

19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark 7 But it shall be one day which shall be 20 ¶ In that day shall there be upon the known to the LORD, not day, nor night: bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO but it shall come to pass, that at evening THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD'S time it shall be light. house shall be like the bowls before the

8 And it shall be in that day, that living altar. waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of 21 Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in them toward the former sea, and half of Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of them toward the hinder sea: in summer hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall and in winter shall it be. come and take of them, and seethe therein:

9 And the LORD shall be King over all and in that day there shall be no more the earth in that day shall there be one the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of LORD, and his name one.

hosts.