Visions, Revelations, and Questions

1. Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains. And the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2. The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses, 3. the third white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses — all of them strong. 4. Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5. And the angel answered and said to me, “These are going out to the four winds of heaven, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth. 6. The chariot with the black horses goes toward the north country, the white ones go after them, and the dappled ones go toward the south country.” 7. When the strong horses came out, they were impatient to go and patrol the earth. And he said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth. 8. Then he cried to me, “Behold, those who go toward the north country have set my Spirit at rest in the north country.” 9. And the word of the LORD came to me: 10. “Take from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon, and go the same day to the house of Josiah, the son of Zephaniah. 11. Take from them silver and gold, and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12. And say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD. 13. It is he who shall build the temple of the LORD and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”’ 14. And the crown shall be in the temple of the LORD as a reminder to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah. 15. “And those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the LORD. And you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. And this shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God.”

7

1. In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. 2. Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men to entreat the favor of the LORD, 3. saying to the priests of the house of the LORD of hosts and the prophets, “Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?” 4. Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me: 5. “Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? 6. And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? 7. Were not these the words that the LORD proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, with her cities around her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?’” 8. And the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying, 9. “Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, 10. do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” 11. But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. 12. They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of hosts. 13. “As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear,” says the LORD of hosts, 14. “and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known. Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went to and fro, and the pleasant land was made desolate.”

1. “Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.” 2. And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. And he said: 3. “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. 4. I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, 5. as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished. 6. “As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. 7. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8. And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ 9. Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 10. And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ 11. And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus. 12. “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, 13. came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him. 14. And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; 15. for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. 16. And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’ 17. “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance 18. and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ 19. And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. 20. And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ 21. And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” 22. Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” 23. And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24. the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this. 25. But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” 26. When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” 27. So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” 28. The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” 29. So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him. 30. But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them.

23

1. And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” 2. And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. 3. Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” 4. Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God's high priest?” 5. And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’” 6. Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” 7. And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. 9. Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” 10. And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks. 11. The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.” 12. When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 13. There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. 14. They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. 15. Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.” 16. Now the son of Paul's sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. 17. Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.” 18. So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, “Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.” 19. The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” 20. And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him. 21. But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.” 22. So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of these things.”

13. The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. 14. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban. 15. I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. 16. I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know. 17. I broke the fangs of the unrighteous and made him drop his prey from his teeth. 18. Then I thought, ‘I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand, 19. my roots spread out to the waters, with the dew all night on my branches, 20. my glory fresh with me, and my bow ever new in my hand.’ 21. “Men listened to me and waited and kept silence for my counsel. 22. After I spoke they did not speak again, and my word dropped upon them. 23. They waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain. 24. I smiled on them when they had no confidence, and the light of my face they did not cast down. 25. I chose their way and sat as chief, and I lived like a king among his troops, like one who comforts mourners.