Zechariah 6

The Four Chariots

6 <1> Then I turned around. I looked up and saw four chariots[15] going between two bronze mountains. <2> Red horses were pulling the first chariot. Black horses were pulling the second chariot. <3> White horses were pulling the third chariot, and horses with red spots were pulling the fourth chariot. <4> I asked the angel who was talking with me, "Sir, what does this mean?"

<5> The angel said, "These are the four winds.[16] They have just come from the Master of the whole world. <6> The black horses will go north, [the red horses will go east,] the white horses will go west, and the horses with red spots will go south."

<7> The red spotted horses were anxious to go look at their part of the earth, so the angel told them, "Go walk through the earth." So they went walking through their part of the earth.

<8> Then he shouted at me and said, "Look, those horses that were going north finished their job [in Babylon]. They have calmed my spirit; I am not angry now!"

Joshua the Priest Gets a Crown

<9> Then I received another message from the Lord. He said, <10> "Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah have come from the captives[17] in Babylon. Get silver and gold from these men and then go to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. <11> Use the silver and gold to make a crown. Put it on the head of the high priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak. <12> Then tell him this is what the Lord All-Powerful says:

'There is a man called The Branch.

He will grow strong,

and he will build the Lord's Temple.

<13> He will build the Lord's Temple,

and he will receive the honor.

He will sit on his throne and be the ruler,

and a priest will stand by his throne.

These two men will work together in peace.'

<14> "They will put the crown in the Temple to be a reminder for Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Zephaniah's son, Josiah. It will help them remember [that the king's power comes from God]. <15> People living far away will come and build the Lord's Temple." Then you will know for sure that the Lord All-Powerful sent me to you people. All these things will happen if you do what the Lord your God says.