Zacarias 1 – OL & NIRV

O Livro

Zacarias 1:1-21

Uma chamada ao arrependimento

1Estas mensagens da parte do Senhor foram comunicadas ao profeta Zacarias, filho de Berequias e neto de Ido, no oitavo mês1.1 Mês de Bul. Entre a lua nova do mês de outubro e o mês de novembro. do segundo ano de reinado de Dario.

2“O Senhor dos exércitos irou-se extremamente com vossos pais. 3Anuncia, pois, diante de todo o povo: Assim diz o Senhor dos exércitos: Retornem para mim e eu me voltarei para vocês, diz o Senhor dos exércitos! 4Não sejam como os vossos pais! Os primeiros profetas em vão insistiram com eles para que se arrependessem dos seus maus caminhos. Venham, tornem para mim, dizia o Senhor Deus. Mas não, não quiseram ouvir-me, não me deram ouvidos! 5Os vossos antepassados e os profetas há muito que faleceram. 6Lembrem-se, no entanto, da lição que eles tiveram de aprender, pois a palavra de Deus é persistente. Apanhou-os e castigou-os. Por fim, arrependeram-se: ‘Tivemos o que merecíamos!’, reconheceram eles. ‘O Senhor fez-nos aquilo que nos avisou que faria.’ ”

7No dia 24 do décimo primeiro mês1.7 Mês de Sebate. Entre a lua nova do mês de janeiro e o mês de fevereiro., era ainda o segundo ano do reinado de Dario, o Senhor comunicou outra mensagem ao profeta Zacarias, filho de Berequias e neto de Ido, 8numa visão dada durante a noite, em que vi um homem sentado num cavalo vermelho, que estava parado entre murtas num vale. Atrás dele estavam outros cavalos, vermelhos, castanhos e brancos, cada um com o seu condutor. 9Um anjo pôs-se ao meu lado e perguntei-lhe: “Para que servem todos esses cavalos?”

“Vou mostrar-te o que significa.”

10Então o homem que estava entre as murtas respondeu-me: “O Senhor enviou-os para patrulharem a Terra!”

11Nessa altura, os outros cavaleiros dirigiram-se ao anjo do Senhor que estava entre as murtas e disseram: “Acabámos de percorrer a Terra inteira; por toda a parte há prosperidade e paz.”

12Após ter ouvido isto, o anjo do Senhor exclamou: “Ó Senhor dos exércitos, durante 70 anos a tua ira se derramou sobre Jerusalém e sobre as cidades de Judá! Quando mostrarás, enfim, a tua misericórdia sobre elas?”

13O Senhor respondeu ao anjo que estava de pé ao meu lado, falando-lhe palavras de bondade e conforto.

14Então o anjo disse: “Proclama esta mensagem da parte do Senhor dos exércitos: ‘Sinto um grande zelo por Jerusalém e por Sião! 15É grande a minha ira contra os povos pagãos que as rodeiam e vivem desafogadamente. Eu estava apenas um pouco irado com o meu povo, mas outros afligiram-no mais do que deviam.’

16Por isso, o Senhor declara: ‘Voltei-me para Jerusalém cheio de bondade. O meu templo tornará a ser reconstruído, diz o Senhor dos exércitos, e o mesmo acontecerá com Jerusalém.

17Diz ainda o seguinte: O Senhor dos exércitos declara que as minhas cidades tornarão a transbordar de prosperidade. Darei o meu conforto a Sião e darei a minha preferência a Jerusalém.’ ”

Quatro chifres e quatro ferreiros

18Então reparei em quatro chifres. 19“O que significa isto?”, perguntei ao anjo que falava comigo.

Respondeu-me: “Representam quatro forças mundiais que dispersaram Judá, Israel e Jerusalém.”

20Depois o Senhor mostrou-me quatro ferreiros. 21“Que vieram estes homens fazer?”, perguntei.

Ele respondeu: “Vieram para derrubar as quatro forças que dispersaram Judá tão terrivelmente. Vieram para os triturar na bigorna e os lançar para longe.”

New International Reader’s Version

Zechariah 1:1-21

The Lord Wants His People to Return to Him

1A message from the Lord came to Zechariah the prophet. Zechariah was the son of Berekiah. Berekiah was the son of Iddo. It was the eighth month of the second year that Darius was king of Persia. Here is what Zechariah said.

2The Lord who rules over all was very angry with your people of long ago. 3And now he says to us, “Return to me. Then I will return to you,” announces the Lord. 4“Do not be like your people of long ago. The earlier prophets gave them my message. I said, ‘Stop doing what is evil. Turn away from your sinful practices.’ But they would not listen to me. They would not pay any attention,” announces the Lord. 5“Where are those people now? And what about my prophets? Do they live forever? 6I commanded my servants the prophets what to say. I told them what I planned to do. But your people refused to obey me. So I had to punish them.

“Then they had a change of heart. They said, ‘The Lord who rules over all has punished us because of how we have lived. He was fair and right to do that. He has done to us just what he decided to do.’ ”

A Vision of a Horseman Among Some Myrtle Trees

7A message from the Lord came to Zechariah the prophet. Zechariah was the son of Berekiah. Berekiah was the son of Iddo. The message came during the second year that Darius was king. It was the 24th day of the 11th month. That’s the month of Shebat.

8I had a vision at night. I saw a man sitting on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a valley. Behind him were red, brown and white horses.

9An angel was talking with me. I asked him, “Sir, what are these?”

He answered, “I will show you what they are.”

10Then the man standing among the myrtle trees spoke. He said, “They are the messengers the Lord has sent out. He told them to go all through the earth.”

11They brought a report to the angel of the Lord. He was standing among the myrtle trees. They said to him, “We have gone all through the earth. We’ve found the whole world enjoying peace and rest.”

12Then the angel of the Lord spoke up. He said, “Lord, you rule over all. How long will you keep from showing your tender love to Jerusalem? How long will you keep it from the towns of Judah? You have been angry with them for 70 years.” 13So the Lord replied with kind and comforting words. He spoke them to the angel who talked with me.

14Then the angel said, “Announce this message. Say, ‘The Lord who rules over all says, “I am very jealous for my people in Jerusalem and Zion. 15And I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry with my people. But the nations went too far and tried to wipe them out.”

16“ ‘So the Lord says, “I will return to Jerusalem. I will show its people my tender love. My temple will be rebuilt there. Workers will use a measuring line when they rebuild Jerusalem,” announces the Lord.

17“ ‘He says, “My towns will be filled with good things once more. I will comfort Zion. And I will choose Jerusalem again.” ’ ”

A Vision of Four Horns and Four Skilled Workers

18Then I looked up and saw four animal horns. 19I spoke to the angel who was talking with me. “What are these horns?” I asked.

He said, “They are the powerful nations that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.”

20Then the Lord showed me four skilled workers. 21I asked, “What are they coming to do?”

He answered, “The horns are the powerful nations that scattered the people of Judah. That made Judah helpless. But these four skilled workers have come to terrify the horns. The workers will destroy the power of those nations. Those nations had used their power to scatter Judah’s people.”