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Ezekiel 47

Amplified Bible, 2015 (AMP)

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¹ the third chariot had white horses (victory), and the fourth chariot had strong dappled horses (death through judgment).

² Then I said to the angel who was speaking with me, "What are these, my lord?"

³ The angel answered me, "These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go out after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth,

⁴ with the chariot with the black horses going toward the north country; then the one with the white horses follows after them [because there are two northern powers to overcome], and the chariot with the dappled horses goes toward the south country."

⁵ When the strong horses went out, they were eager to patrol the earth. And the LORD said, "Go, patrol the earth." So they patrolled the earth [watching and protecting it].

⁶ Then He called out to me and said to me, "See, those who are going to the north country have quieted My Spirit [of wrath] in the north country."

⁷ The word of the LORD also came to me, saying,

⁸ Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, from Tobijah, and from Jedaiah [as representatives]; and you go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have arrived from Babylon. Take silver and gold [from them], and make an ornate crown and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Then say to Joshua, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, Behold (look, keep in sight, watch), a Man (Messiah) whose name is Branch, for He shall branch out from His place (Israel, the Davidic line); and He shall build the [ultimate] temple of the LORD.

⁹ Yes, [you are to build a temple of the LORD, but] it is He who shall build the [ultimate] temple of the LORD, and He shall bear the honor and majesty [as the only begotten of the Father] and sit and rule on His throne. And He shall be a[2] Priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between the two offices [Priest and King]."'

¹⁰ Now the crown shall become a reminder in the temple of the LORD to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah.

¹¹ And those who are far away will come and [help] build the temple of the LORD." Then you shall know [without any doubt] that the LORD of hosts sent me (Zechariah) to you. And it will come about if you will diligently obey the [voice of the] LORD your God.

¹² In the fourth year of [the reign of] King Darius [of Persia], the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev (Dec 7, 518 b.c.).

¹³ Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men to seek the favor of the LORD,

¹⁴ speaking to the priests who belong to the house of the LORD of hosts and to the prophets, saying, "[Now that I am returned from exile] shall I weep in the fifth month [mourning the destruction of the temple], and fast as I have done these many years [in Babylon]?"

¹⁵ Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me (Zechariah), saying,

¹⁶ Speak to all the people of the land and to the priests, saying, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years [that you were in exile], was it actually for Me that you fasted? When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and do you not drink for yourselves [to satisfy your own needs]? Should you not hear the words which the LORD proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous along with her cities around her, and the South (the Negev) and the foothills were inhabited?'

¹⁷ Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying,

¹⁸ Thus has the LORD of hosts said, 'Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion, to each other; and do not oppress or exploit the widow or the fatherless, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise or even imagine evil in your hearts against one another.' But they refused to listen and pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder [stiffening themselves in resistance] and stopped up their ears. They made their hearts [hard] like flint, so that they could not hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great wrath came from the LORD of hosts. And just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen, says the LORD of hosts;

¹⁹ but I scattered them with a storm wind among all the nations whom they have not known. Thus the land was desolate after they had gone, so that no one passed through or returned, for they [by their sins] had made the pleasant land desolate and deserted.'

²⁰ Then the word of the LORD of hosts came [to me], saying,

²¹ Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'I am[1] jealous for Zion with great jealousy [demanding what is rightfully and uniquely mine], and I am jealous for her with great wrath [against her enemies].' Thus says the LORD, 'I shall return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the [faithful] City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.' Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Old men and old women will again sit in the[2] streets (public places) of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand because of his advanced age. And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.' Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'If it is difficult in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days [in which this comes to pass], will it also be difficult in My sight?' declares the LORD of hosts. Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Behold, I am going to save My people from the east country and from the west, and I will bring them home and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth (faithfulness) and in righteousness.' Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Let your hands be strong, you who in these days hear these words from the mouths of the prophets who, on the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, foretold that the temple might be rebuilt.

²² For before those days there were no wages for man or animal; nor was there any peace or success for him who went out or came in because of his enemies, for I set all men against one another.

²³ But now [in this time since you began to build] I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,' declares the LORD of hosts.

#	AMP
1	the third chariot had white horses (victory), and the fourth chariot had strong dappled horses (death through judgment).
2	Then I said to the angel who was speaking with me, "What are these, my lord?"
3	The angel answered me, "These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go out after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth,
4	with the chariot with the black horses going toward the north country; then the one with the white horses follows after them [because there are two northern powers to overcome], and the chariot with the dappled horses goes toward the south country."
5	When the strong horses went out, they were eager to patrol the earth. And the LORD said, "Go, patrol the earth." So they patrolled the earth [watching and protecting it].
6	Then He called out to me and said to me, "See, those who are going to the north country have quieted My Spirit [of wrath] in the north country."
7	The word of the LORD also came to me, saying,
8	Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, from Tobijah, and from Jedaiah [as representatives]; and you go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have arrived from Babylon. Take silver and gold [from them], and make an ornate crown and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Then say to Joshua, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, Behold (look, keep in sight, watch), a Man (Messiah) whose name is Branch, for He shall branch out from His place (Israel, the Davidic line); and He shall build the [ultimate] temple of the LORD.
9	Yes, [you are to build a temple of the LORD, but] it is He who shall build the [ultimate] temple of the LORD, and He shall bear the honor and majesty [as the only begotten of the Father] and sit and rule on His throne. And He shall be a[2] Priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between the two offices [Priest and King]."'
10	Now the crown shall become a reminder in the temple of the LORD to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah.
11	And those who are far away will come and [help] build the temple of the LORD." Then you shall know [without any doubt] that the LORD of hosts sent me (Zechariah) to you. And it will come about if you will diligently obey the [voice of the] LORD your God.
12	In the fourth year of [the reign of] King Darius [of Persia], the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev (Dec 7, 518 b.c.).
13	Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men to seek the favor of the LORD,
14	speaking to the priests who belong to the house of the LORD of hosts and to the prophets, saying, "[Now that I am returned from exile] shall I weep in the fifth month [mourning the destruction of the temple], and fast as I have done these many years [in Babylon]?"
15	Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me (Zechariah), saying,
16	Speak to all the people of the land and to the priests, saying, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years [that you were in exile], was it actually for Me that you fasted? When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and do you not drink for yourselves [to satisfy your own needs]? Should you not hear the words which the LORD proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous along with her cities around her, and the South (the Negev) and the foothills were inhabited?'
17	Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying,
18	Thus has the LORD of hosts said, 'Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion, to each other; and do not oppress or exploit the widow or the fatherless, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise or even imagine evil in your hearts against one another.' But they refused to listen and pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder [stiffening themselves in resistance] and stopped up their ears. They made their hearts [hard] like flint, so that they could not hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great wrath came from the LORD of hosts. And just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen, says the LORD of hosts;
19	but I scattered them with a storm wind among all the nations whom they have not known. Thus the land was desolate after they had gone, so that no one passed through or returned, for they [by their sins] had made the pleasant land desolate and deserted.'
20	Then the word of the LORD of hosts came [to me], saying,
21	Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'I am[1] jealous for Zion with great jealousy [demanding what is rightfully and uniquely mine], and I am jealous for her with great wrath [against her enemies].' Thus says the LORD, 'I shall return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the [faithful] City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.' Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Old men and old women will again sit in the[2] streets (public places) of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand because of his advanced age. And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.' Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'If it is difficult in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days [in which this comes to pass], will it also be difficult in My sight?' declares the LORD of hosts. Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Behold, I am going to save My people from the east country and from the west, and I will bring them home and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth (faithfulness) and in righteousness.' Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Let your hands be strong, you who in these days hear these words from the mouths of the prophets who, on the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, foretold that the temple might be rebuilt.
22	For before those days there were no wages for man or animal; nor was there any peace or success for him who went out or came in because of his enemies, for I set all men against one another.
23	But now [in this time since you began to build] I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,' declares the LORD of hosts.

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Ezekiel 47

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