On the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, a message from the Self-existent, the Holy Spirit, came to Zechariah son of Berechiah son of Iddo, the prophet, to Israel, saying,

The Self-existent [the Almighty] has been sore displeased with your fathers.

Therefore, say to them, This is what the Self-existent [the Almighty], the God of armies, says: “You, turn to Me [the Self-existent, the Almighty] - this is the declaration of the Self-existent [the Almighty], the God of armies - and I [the Self-existent, the Almighty] will turn to you.” This is the declaration of the Self-existent [the Almighty], the God of armies.

“Be not as your fathers, to whom the former prophets spoke the words of the Self-existent [the Holy Spirit], the Commander of armies, “Turn from your evil ways and deeds,” but they did not hear or listen to Me [the Self-existent, the Almighty],” this is the declaration of the Self-existent [the Almighty],

“Your fathers, where are they? What about the prophets – do they live forever?

My words and My statutes which I commanded My servants the prophets, did they not come to pass on your fathers? Then they turned back and said, ‘As the Self-existent [the Almighty], the God of armies, thought to do to us, according to our works and according to our doings, He has dealt with us’.”

CHAPTER 1B

On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month – the month Sebat – in the second year of Darius, Zechariah son of Berechiah son of Iddo, the prophet, received a vision from the Self-existent, the Holy Spirit, and wrote it:

I SAW in the night, a Man [the Emissary of the Self-existent/Commander of celestial-messengers – the Self-existent, the Holy Spirit] riding a red horse, standing among the myrtle trees,that is, in the shade; red, speckled and white horses were behind Him.

Then I said, “Sovereign Ruler [the Self-existent, the Holy Spirit], what are these?” The celestial messenger who talked with me said to me, “I will  tell you what these are.”

Then the Man [the Self-existent, the Holy Spirit/Commander of celestial messengers] who stood among the myrtle trees answered, “These are those whom the Self-existent [the Almighty] had sent to walk to and fro through the earth.”

The question answered, they reported to the Emissary [Spirit] of the Self-existent [the Almighty] - the Self-existent, the Holy Spirit - who stood among the myrtle trees, “We have walked to and fro through the earth: All the earth is still and at rest.”

Then the Emissary [Spirit] of the Self-existent [the Almighty] — the Self-existent, the Holy Spirit — cried aloud, “The Self-existent [the Almighty], the God of armies, how long will You not have mercy on the city of the Peaceful One - Jerusalem, and on the cities of Judah, against which You have been angry these seventy years?”

The Self-existent [the Almighty], then, answered the Celestial Messenger [the Self-existent, the Holy Spirit] who talked with me with gracious and comforting words.

Accordingly, the Celestial Messenger who was talking to me said to me, “Cry out; say, ‘I am jealous for the city of the Peaceful One - Jerusalem - and for Judah [the southern kingdom] with great jealousy,

At the same time, I am sorely displeased with the foreign nations who are at ease, because I was a little displeased with the city of the Peaceful One - Jerusalem - and Judah, but they aggravated the distress’.”

The Self-existent, the Holy Spirit, continued, “I am back to the city of the Peaceful One - Jerusalem - with mercies: My house shall be built in it,” this is the declaration of the Self-existent [the Almighty] that must come true or cannot be countermanded, “and lands will still be cut out for sale in the city of the Peaceful One - Jerusalem,”

Cry out again, “This is what the Self-existent [the Almighty], the God of armies, says, ‘Through prosperity, My city shall still be widespread, in that the Self-existent [the Holy Spirit] shall still pity Zion [Judah, the southern kingdom] and shall again choose the city of the Peaceful One - Jerusalem -as His city’.”

Looking up, I saw four horns [foreign armies].

I asked the celestial messenger who talked with me, “What are these?” He answered me, “These are the horns [foreign armies] which have scattered Judah [the southern kingdom], Israel [the northern kingdom] and the city of the Peaceful One - Jerusalem.”

After, the Self-existent, the Holy Spirit, showed me four carpenters [celestial messengers].

Then  I asked,  “What have  these  come  to do?” He answered, “Since these are the horns [foreign armies] which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head, these have come to fray them, to scare away the armies of foreign nations who lifted up their horns over the land of Judah to scatter it.”