Zechariah · Chapter 1

[ edit] In þe eiȝte moneþ, in þe ſecounde ȝeer of Darius, þe word of þe Lord is maad to Zacharie, ſone of Barachie, ſone of Addo, prophete, ſeyinge, Þe Lord is wroþ vpon ȝour fadris wiþ wraþe. And þou ſhalt ſaye to hem. Þeſe þingis ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis. Be ȝe conuertid to me, ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis, and Y ſhal be conuertid to ȝou, ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis. Be ȝe not as ȝour fadris, to whom former prophetis crieden, ſayinge, Þeſe þingus ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis, Be ȝe conuertid of ȝour yuel wayes, and ȝoure warſt þouȝtes; and þei herden not, neþer token entente to me, ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis. Wher ben ȝour faders and prophetis? wher þei ſhuln lyue into wiþ outen eende?

Neþeleſe my wordis and my lawful þingis, whiche Y comaundide to my ſeruauntis prophetis, wher þei tauȝten not ȝoure fadris? And þei weren to gydre turned, and ſaiden, As þe Lord of ooſtis þouȝte for to do to vs vp oure wayes, and vp oure fyndyngis he dide to vs. In þe foure and twentiþe day of þe elleuenþe moneþ Sabaþ, in þe ſecounde ȝeer of Darius, þe word of þe Lord is maad to Sacharie, ſone of Barachie, ſone of Addo, prophete, ſayinge, Y ſawȝ bi niȝt, and loo! a man ſtyinge vp a rede hors; and he ſtode bitwixe þe places where myrtis wexen, þat weren in þe deepe, and after hym horſis dyuerſe, rede, and white. And Y ſaide, My lord, what ben þeſe?

And an angel of þe Lord ſaide to me, þat ſpac in me, Y ſhal ſhewe to þee what þeſe ben. And þe man þat ſtode bitwixe places wher myrtis wexen, anſwerde, and ſaide, Þeſe ben, whom þe Lord ſente, þat þei walke þorow erþe. And þei anſwerden to þe aungel of þe Lord, þat ſtode bitwixe places wher myrtis wexen, and ſaiden, We han walkid þorou erþe, and loo! al erþe is enhabitid, and reſtiþ. And þe aungel of þe Lord anſwerde, and ſaide, Lord of ooſtis, hou longe ſhalt þou not haue mercy of Jeruſalem, and of þe citees of Juda, to whiche þou art wroþ? Þis is now þe ſeuentiþe ȝeer. And þe Lord anſwerde to þe aungel, þat ſpac in me, good wordis, coumfortynge.

And þe aungel þat ſpac in me, ſaide to me, Crie þou, ſayinge, Þeſe þingus ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis, Y louede Jeruſalem and Syon in grete feruour; and in grete wroþ Y ſhal be wroþ vpon riche folkis; for Y was wroþe a litil, forſoþe þei holpen in to yuel. Þerfore þeſe þingis ſaiþ þe Lord, Y ſhal turne aȝein to Jeruſalem in mercyes. My hous ſhal be byldid in it, ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis; and an hangynge lyne, or meſure, ſhal be ſtreiȝt out vpon Jeruſalem. Ȝit crie þou, ſayinge, Þeſe þingus ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis, Ȝit my cytees ſhuln flete wiþ goodis, and ȝit þe Lord ſhal coumforte Syon, and ȝit he ſhal cheſe Jeruſalem. And Y reyſide myn eeȝen, and ſawȝ, and loo! foure horns.

And Y ſaide to þe aungel þat ſpak in me, What ben þeſe? And he ſaide to me, Þeſe ben hornes, þat wyndewiden Juda, and Iſrael, and Jeruſalem. And þe Lord ſhewide to me foure ſmyþis. And Y ſaide, What cummen þeſe for to do? Whiche ſaiþ, ſayinge, Þeſe ben þe hornes, þat wyndewiden Juda by alle men, and no man of hem reiſide his hed; and þeſe camen for to fere hem, þat þei caſte doun hornes of heiþen men, whiche reyſiden horn vpon þe lond of Juda, for to ſcatere it.