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IN THE eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of HaShem unto Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying

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'The HaShem hath been sore displeased with your fathers

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Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith HaShem of hosts: Return unto Me, saith HaShem of hosts, and I will return unto you, saith HaShem of hosts

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Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying: Thus saith HaShem of hosts: Return ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings; but they did not hear, nor attend unto Me, saith HaShem

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Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever

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But My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? so that they turned and said: Like as HaShem of hosts purposed to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath He dealt with us.

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Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of HaShem unto Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying-

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I saw in the night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle-trees that were in the bottom; and behind him there were horses, red, sorrel, and white

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Then said I: 'O my lord, what are these?' And the angel that spoke with me said unto me: 'I will show thee what these are.

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And the man that stood among the myrtle-trees answered and said: 'These are they whom HaShem hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.

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And they answered the angel of HaShem that stood among the myrtle-trees, and said: 'We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.

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Then the angel of HaShem spoke and said: 'O HaShem of hosts, how long wilt Thou not have compassion on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which Thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years

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And HaShem answered the angel that spoke with me with good words, even comforting words-

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so the angel that spoke with me said unto me: 'Proclaim thou, saying: Thus saith HaShem of hosts: I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy

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and I am very sore displeased with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, and they helped for evil

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Therefore thus saith HaShem: I return to Jerusalem with compassions: My house shall be built in it, saith HaShem of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth over Jerusalem

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Again, proclaim, saying: Thus saith HaShem of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity; and HaShem shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.