TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Zechariah - Chapter 1

1In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, this word of Hashem came to the Navi Zecharya son of Berechya son of Ido:

אבַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁמִינִי בִּשְׁנַת שְׁתַּיִם לְדָרְיָוֶשׁ הָיָה דְבַר־יְהֹוָה אֶל־זְכַרְיָה בֶּן־בֶּרֶכְיָה בֶּן־עִדּוֹ הַנָּבִיא לֵאמֹר׃

2Hashem was very angry with your fathers.

בקָצַף יְהֹוָה עַל־אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם קָצֶף׃

3Say to them further: Thus said the lord of Hosts: Turn back to me—says the lord of Hosts—and I will turn back to you—said the lord of Hosts.

גוְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת שׁוּבוּ אֵלַי נְאֻם יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת וְאָשׁוּב אֲלֵיכֶם אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת׃

4Do not be like your fathers! For when the earlier Neviim called to them, “Thus said the lord of Hosts: Come, turn back from your evil ways and your evil deeds, they did not obey or give heed to Me—declares Hashem.

דאַל־תִּהְיוּ כַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר קָרְאוּ־אֲלֵיהֶם הַנְּבִיאִים הָרִאשֹׁנִים לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת שׁוּבוּ נָא מִדַּרְכֵיכֶם הָרָעִים ומעליליכם [וּמַעֲלְלֵיכֶם] הָרָעִים וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ וְלֹא־הִקְשִׁיבוּ אֵלַי נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה׃

5Where are your fathers now? And did the Neviim live forever

האֲבוֹתֵיכֶם אַיֵּה־הֵם וְהַנְּבִאִים הַלְעוֹלָם יִחְיוּ׃

6But the warnings and the decrees with which I charged My servants the Neviim overtook your fathers—did they not?—and in the end they had to admit, ‘Hashem has dealt with us according to our ways and our deeds, just as He purposed.'”

ואַךְ דְּבָרַי וְחֻקַּי אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִי אֶת־עֲבָדַי הַנְּבִיאִים הֲלוֹא הִשִּׂיגוּ אֲבֹתֵיכֶם וַיָּשׁוּבוּ וַיֹּאמְרוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר זָמַם יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת לַעֲשׂוֹת לָנוּ כִּדְרָכֵינוּ וּכְמַעֲלָלֵינוּ כֵּן עָשָׂה אִתָּנוּ׃

7On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month of the second year of Darius—the month of Shevat—this word of Hashem came to the Navi Zecharya son of Berechya son of Ido:

זבְּיוֹם עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה לְעַשְׁתֵּי־עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ הוּא־חֹדֶשׁ שְׁבָט בִּשְׁנַת שְׁתַּיִם לְדָרְיָוֶשׁ הָיָה דְבַר־יְהֹוָה אֶל־זְכַרְיָה בֶּן־בֶּרֶכְיָהוּ בֶּן־עִדּוֹא הַנָּבִיא לֵאמֹר׃

8In the night, I had a vision. I saw a man, mounted on a bay horse, standing among the myrtles in the Deep, and behind him were bay, sorrel, and white horses.

חרָאִיתִי הַלַּיְלָה וְהִנֵּה־אִישׁ רֹכֵב עַל־סוּס אָדֹם וְהוּא עֹמֵד בֵּין הַהֲדַסִּים אֲשֶׁר בַּמְּצֻלָה וְאַחֲרָיו סוּסִים אֲדֻמִּים שְׂרֻקִּים וּלְבָנִים׃

9I asked, “What are those, my lord?” And the angel who talked with me answered, “I will let you know what they are.”

טוָאֹמַר מָה־אֵלֶּה אֲדֹנִי וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי הַמַּלְאָךְ הַדֹּבֵר בִּי אֲנִי אַרְאֶךָּ מָה־הֵמָּה אֵלֶּה׃

10Then the man who was standing among the myrtles spoke up and said, “These were sent out by Hashem to roam the earth.”

יוַיַּעַן הָאִישׁ הָעֹמֵד בֵּין־הַהַדַסִּים וַיֹּאמַר אֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַח יְהֹוָה לְהִתְהַלֵּךְ בָּאָרֶץ׃

11And in fact, they reported to the angel of Hashem who was standing among the myrtles, “We have roamed the earth, and have found all the earth dwelling in tranquility.”

יאוַיַּעֲנוּ אֶת־מַלְאַךְ יְהֹוָה הָעֹמֵד בֵּין הַהֲדַסִּים וַיֹּאמְרוּ הִתְהַלַּכְנוּ בָאָרֶץ וְהִנֵּה כָל־הָאָרֶץ יֹשֶׁבֶת וְשֹׁקָטֶת׃

12Thereupon the angel of Hashem exclaimed, “O lord of Hosts! How long will You withhold pardon from Yerushalayim and the towns of Yehuda, which You placed under a curse seventy years ago?”

יבוַיַּעַן מַלְאַךְ־יְהֹוָה וַיֹּאמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת עַד־מָתַי אַתָּה לֹא־תְרַחֵם אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלַ ִם וְאֵת עָרֵי יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר זָעַמְתָּה זֶה שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה׃

13Hashem replied with kind, comforting words to the angel who talked with me.

יגוַיַּעַן יְהֹוָה אֶת־הַמַּלְאָךְ הַדֹּבֵר בִּי דְּבָרִים טוֹבִים דְּבָרִים נִחֻמִים׃

14Then the angel who talked with me said to me: “Proclaim! Thus said the lord of Hosts: I am very jealous for Yerushalayim—for Tzion

ידוַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי הַמַּלְאָךְ הַדֹּבֵר בִּי קְרָא לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת קִנֵּאתִי לִירוּשָׁלַ ִם וּלְצִיּוֹן קִנְאָה גְדוֹלָה׃

15and I am very angry with those nations that are at ease; for I was only angry a little, but they overdid the punishment.

טווְקֶצֶף גָּדוֹל אֲנִי קֹצֵף עַל־הַגּוֹיִם הַשַּׁאֲנַנִּים אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי קָצַפְתִּי מְּעָט וְהֵמָּה עָזְרוּ לְרָעָה׃

16Assuredly, thus said Hashem: I graciously return to Yerushalayim. My House shall be built in her—declares the lord of Hosts—the measuring line is being applied to Yerushalayim.

טזלָכֵן כֹּה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה שַׁבְתִּי לִירוּשָׁלַ ִם בְּרַחֲמִים בֵּיתִי יִבָּנֶה בָּהּ נְאֻם יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת וקוה [וְקָו] יִנָּטֶה עַל־יְרוּשָׁלָ ִם׃

17Proclaim further: Thus said the lord of Hosts: My towns shall yet overflow with bounty. For Hashem will again comfort Tzion; He will choose Yerushalayim again.”

OD k'-RA lay-MOR KOH a-MAR a-do-NAI tz'-va-OT OD t'-fu-TZE-nah a-RAI mi-TOV v'-ni-KHAM a-do-NAI OD et tzi-YON u-va-KHAR OD bee-ru-sha-LA-im

יזעוֹד קְרָא לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת עוֹד תְּפוּצֶינָה עָרַי מִטּוֹב וְנִחַם יְהֹוָה עוֹד אֶת־צִיּוֹן וּבָחַר עוֹד בִּירוּשָׁלָ ִם׃

 1:17  My towns shall yet overflow with bounty

The prophet Zecharya lives at a very exciting time in Jewish history, when the Persian King Darius allows his Jewish subjects to return to Yerushalayim and rebuild the Beit Hamikdash. While there are some who heed the call, many do not respond with the proper enthusiasm. Zecharya tries to encourage the Children of Israel to return by reiterating God’s promises and blessings regarding the Land of Israel. In this verse, Hashem promises, “My towns shall yet overflow with bounty. For Hashem will again comfort Tzion, He will choose Yerushalayim again.” According to many commentators, such as Malbim and Metzudat David, these prophecies apply not only to the time of Zecharya, but also to the days of the future redemption. Recent years have begun to see the fulfillment of these prophecies, as many cities in Israel flourish again, and God has chosen Yerushalayim by returning His children to the holy city.