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Zechariah 6 (Zecharyah) in Hebrew and English

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Tenakh Study · Read Zechariah in Hebrew and English, one chapter per page. Our Tenakh study meets every Wednesday at 7 pm (Central Time) on Zoom. Text us for the Zoom link.

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Tenakh Study · Zechariah 6:1–15

Zechariah, Chapter 6

זכריה ו

Zecharyah sees four chariots with red, black, white and grisled and bay horses come out from between two mountains of bronze, the four spirits of the heavens; then he is told to make crowns for Yehoshua son of Yehotzadak, for the man whose name is the Branch shall build the temple of Hashem.

6:1And I turned, and lifted up my eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of bronze.

אוָאָשֻׁ֗ב וָאֶשָּׂ֤א עֵינַי֙ וָֽאֶרְאֶ֔ה וְהִנֵּ֨ה אַרְבַּ֤ע מַרְכָּבוֹת֙ יֹֽצְא֔וֹת מִבֵּ֖ין שְׁנֵ֣י הֶֽהָרִ֑ים וְהֶהָרִ֖ים הָרֵ֥י נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃

6:2In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;

בבַּמֶּרְכָּבָ֥ה הָרִֽאשֹׁנָ֖ה סוּסִ֣ים אֲדֻמִּ֑ים וּבַמֶּרְכָּבָ֥ה הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית סוּסִ֥ים שְׁחֹרִֽים׃

6:3And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses.

גוּבַמֶּרְכָּבָ֥ה הַשְּׁלִשִׁ֖ית סוּסִ֣ים לְבָנִ֑ים וּבַמֶּרְכָּבָה֙ הָרְבִעִ֔ית סוּסִ֥ים בְּרֻדִּ֖ים אֲמֻצִּֽים׃

The four spirits of the heavens

6:4Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”

דוָאַ֨עַן֙ וָֽאֹמַ֔ר אֶל־הַמַּלְאָ֖ךְ הַדֹּבֵ֣ר בִּ֑י מָה־אֵ֖לֶּה אֲדֹנִֽי׃

6:5And the angel answered and said unto me, “These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.

הוַיַּ֥עַן הַמַּלְאָ֖ךְ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֑י אֵ֗לֶּה אַרְבַּע֙ רֻח֣וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם יוֹצְא֕וֹת מֵֽהִתְיַצֵּ֖ב עַל־אֲד֥וֹן כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

6:6The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country.”

ואֲשֶׁר־בָּ֞הּ הַסּוּסִ֣ים הַשְּׁחֹרִ֗ים יֹֽצְאִים֙ אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ צָפ֔וֹן וְהַלְּבָנִ֔ים יָצְא֖וּ אֶל־אַֽחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם וְהַ֨בְּרֻדִּ֔ים יָצְא֖וּ אֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ הַתֵּימָֽן׃

6:7And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, “Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth.” So they walked to and fro through the earth.

זוְהָאֲמֻצִּ֣ים יָצְא֗וּ וַיְבַקְשׁוּ֙ לָלֶ֨כֶת֙ לְהִתְהַלֵּ֣ך בָּאָ֔רֶץ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לְכ֖וּ הִתְהַלְּכ֣וּ בָאָ֑רֶץ וַתִּתְהַלַּ֖כְנָה בָּאָֽרֶץ׃

6:8Then cried he upon me, and spoke unto me, saying, “Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country.”

חוַיַּזְעֵ֣ק אֹתִ֔י וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֵלַ֖י לֵאמֹ֑ר רְאֵ֗ה הַיּֽוֹצְאִים֙ אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ צָפ֔וֹן הֵנִ֥יחוּ אֶת־רוּחִ֖י בְּאֶ֥רֶץ צָפֽוֹן׃

Crowns for Yehoshua

6:9And the word of Hashem came unto me, saying,

טוַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃

6:10“Take of them of the captivity, even of Cheldai (Heldai), of Toviyah (Tobijah), and of Yeda’yah (Jedaiah), which are come from Bavel (Babylon), and come you the same day, and go into the house of Yoshiyah (Josiah) the son of Tzefanyah (Zephaniah);

ילָק֨וֹחַ֙ מֵאֵ֣ת הַגּוֹלָ֔ה מֵחֶלְדַּ֕י וּמֵאֵ֥ת טוֹבִיָּ֖ה וּמֵאֵ֣ת יְדַֽעְיָ֑ה וּבָאתָ֤ אַתָּה֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא וּבָ֗אתָ בֵּ֚ית יֹאשִׁיָּ֣ה בֶן־צְפַנְיָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֖אוּ מִבָּבֶֽל׃

6:11Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Yehoshua (Joshua) the son of Yehotzadak (Josedech), the high priest;

יאוְלָקַחְתָּ֥ כֶֽסֶף־וְזָהָ֖ב וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ עֲטָר֑וֹת וְשַׂמְתָּ֗ בְּרֹ֛אשׁ יְהוֹשֻׁ֥עַ בֶּן־יְהוֹצָדָ֖ק הַכֹּהֵ֥ן הַגָּדֽוֹל׃

6:12And speak unto him, saying, ‘Thus speaks Hashem of hosts, saying, “Behold the man whose name is The Branch; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of Hashem:

יבוְאָמַרְתָּ֤ אֵלָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֛ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת לֵאמֹ֑ר הִנֵּה־אִ֞ישׁ צֶ֤מַח שְׁמוֹ֙ וּמִתַּחְתָּ֣יו יִצְמָ֔ח וּבָנָ֖ה אֶת־הֵיכַ֥ל יְהוָֽהּ׃

6:13Even he shall build the temple of Hashem; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”’

יגוְ֠הוּא יִבְנֶ֞ה אֶת־הֵיכַ֤ל יְהוָה֙ וְהֽוּא־יִשָּׂ֣א ה֔וֹד וְיָשַׁ֥ב וּמָשַׁ֖ל עַל־כִּסְא֑וֹ וְהָיָ֤ה כֹהֵן֙ עַל־כִּסְא֔וֹ וַעֲצַ֣ת שָׁל֔וֹם תִּהְיֶ֖ה בֵּ֥ין שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃

6:14And the crowns shall be to Chelem (Helem), and to Toviyah, and to Yeda’yah, and to Chen (Hen) the son of Tzefanyah, for a memorial in the temple of Hashem.

ידוְהָעֲטָרֹ֗ת תִּֽהְיֶה֙ לְחֵ֨לֶם֙ וּלְטוֹבִיָּ֣ה וְלִידַֽעְיָ֔ה וּלְחֵ֖ן בֶּן־צְפַנְיָ֑ה לְזִכָּר֖וֹן בְּהֵיכַ֥ל יְהוָֽה׃

6:15And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of Hashem, and you shall know that Hashem of hosts has sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of Hashem your God.”

טווּרְחוֹקִ֣ים ׀ יָבֹ֗אוּ וּבָנוּ֙ בְּהֵיכַ֣ל יְהוָ֔ה וִידַעְתֶּ֕ם כִּֽי־יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת שְׁלָחַ֣נִי אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם וְהָיָה֙ אִם־שָׁמ֣וֹעַ תִּשְׁמְע֔וּן בְּק֖וֹל יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃

Sources & method

Hebrew text
The Masoretic text with vowels (nikkud) and cantillation marks (ta’amim), from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain) as published by the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (CC BY 4.0). Where the written text (ketiv) differs from the reading (qere), the reading is shown and the written form follows in small type. A paragraph mark (ס or פ) inside a verse is shown in small type.
English translation
The King James Version (public domain), lightly modernized by Benei Avraham: “thee/thou/ye” become “you,” older verb forms are updated (“hath” to “has”), and archaic words are replaced only where the meaning would otherwise be unclear. People and places carry their Hebrew names, with the King James spelling in parentheses the first time on each page (e.g., Yehudah (Judah)). The Divine Name (יהוה, “the LORD” in the KJV) is written “Hashem”; “God” (Elohim) is unchanged, and “law” is “Torah” where the Hebrew is תּוֹרָה.
Verse numbers
Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible. In Zechariah they differ from most English Bibles, or a verse is divided differently, in chapters 1 and 2; a note under the summary on those pages explains how.
Hebrew font
SBL Hebrew, by the Society of Biblical Literature.