Zechariah 6

Expanded Bible

The Vision of the Four Chariots

6 I looked up again and saw four chariots ·going [coming] out between two mountains, mountains of bronze. ² Red horses pulled the first chariot. Black horses pulled the second chariot. ³ White horses pulled the third chariot, and strong, ·spotted [dappled] horses pulled the fourth chariot. ⁴ I asked the ·angel [messenger] who was talking with me, “What are these, sir?”

⁵ He said, “These are the four spirits of heaven. They have just come from ·the presence of [or presenting themselves before] the Lord of the whole world. ⁶ The chariot pulled by the black horses will go to the land of the north. The white horses will go ·to the land of the west [or after them], and the spotted horses will go to the land of the south.”

⁷ When the powerful horses went out, they were ·eager [seeking] to go through all the earth. So he said, “Go ·through all [or and patrol] the earth,” and they did.

⁸ Then he ·called [cried out] to me, “Look, the horses that went north have caused my ·spirit to rest [anger to be appeased; or Spirit to rest] in the land of the north.”

A Crown for Joshua

⁹ The Lord spoke his word to me, saying, ¹⁰ “Take silver and gold from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who were captives in Babylon. Go that same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah, who came from Babylon [^Cmay refer to the three men rather than to Josiah]. ¹¹ Make the silver and gold into a crown, and put it on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. ¹² Tell him this is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts] says: ‘A man whose name is the Branch [3:8] will branch out from where he is, and he will build the Temple of the Lord. ¹³ It is he who will build the Temple of the Lord and will ·receive honor [or be clothed in splendor/majesty]. He will sit on his throne and rule [^Creferring to Zerubbabel and ultimately to the Messiah]. And there will be a priest on his throne [^Creferring to Joshua the high priest and ultimately to the Messiah]. And ·these two will work together in peace [^Lthe counsel of peace will be between the two].’ ¹⁴ The crown will be kept in the Temple of the Lord to remind ·Heldai [^LHelem; ^Cprobably another name for Heldai], Tobijah, Jedaiah, and ·Josiah [^LHen; ^Cperhaps a nickname for Josiah, meaning “gracious one”] son of Zephaniah. ¹⁵ People living far away will come and build the Temple of the Lord. Then you will know the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts] has sent me to you. This will happen if you completely obey the [^Lvoice of the] Lord your God.”