Zechariah
Chapter 2

1

¹ I raised my eyes and looked; there were four horns.

2

Then I asked the angel who spoke with me what these were. He answered me, "These are the horns that scattered Judah and Israeland Jerusalem."

3

Then the LORD showed me four blacksmiths. And I asked, "What are these coming to do?"

4

And he said, "Here are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no man raised his head any more; but these have come to terrify them: to cast down the horns of the nations that raised their horns to scatter the land of Judah."

5

Again I raised my eyes and looked: there was a man with a measuring line in his hand.

6

"Where are you going?" I asked. "To measure Jerusalem," he answered; "to see how great is its width and how great its length."

7

Then the angel who spoke with me advanced, and another angel came out to meet him,

8

² and said to him, "Run, tell this to that young man: People will live in Jerusalem as though in open country, because of the multitude of men and beasts in her midst.

9

But I will be for her an encircling wall of fire, says the LORD, and I will be the glory in her midst."

10

³ Up, up! Flee from the land of the north, says the LORD; for I scatter you to the four winds of heaven, says the LORD.

11

Up, escape to Zion! you who dwell in daughter Babylon.

12

For thus said the LORD of hosts (after he had already sent me) concerning the nations that have plundered you: Whoever touches you touches the apple of my eye.

13

See, I wave my hand over them; they become plunder for their slaves. Thus you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me.

14

Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD.

15

Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day, and they shall be his people, and he will dwell among you, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.

16

The LORD will possess Judah as his portion of the holy land, and he will again choose Jerusalem.

17

Silence, all mankind, in the presence of the LORD! for he stirs forth from his holy dwelling.

Table of Contents Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Footnotes

¹ [1-4] Four horns: symbolic of the hostile forces which, from the four corners of the earth, invaded and devastated the land of Judah. Four blacksmiths: the powers used by God to destroy these enemies of his people.

² [8] That young man: the angel or man with a measuring line of Zechariah 2:5.

³ [10] The land of the north: Babylonia (Zechariah 2:11).

New American Bible Copyright © 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

---

USCCB Home Page New American Bible Home Page




__________________________________

New American Bible
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 4th Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20017-1194 (202) 541-3000