Zechariah

Septuaginta. The Old Testament in Greek According to the Septuagint. Volume 3: Hosea-4 Maccabees, Psalms of Solomon, Enoch, The Odes. Swete, Henry Barclay, editor. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1905

Open Greek and Latin · CC BY-SA 4.0

Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.

This book is a prophetic work that encourages the people of Israel who returned from the Babylonian exile to rebuild the Temple, and proclaims the restoration of Jerusalem and future eschatological salvation. Featuring the prophet Zechariah as the primary speaker, the text is structured through a series of vivid nocturnal visions and divine oracles in the first half, followed by poetic prophecies in the second half. The work begins with a call to repentance, which is followed by eight symbolic visions—including the high priest Joshua and the leader Zerubbabel—promising the reconstruction of the Temple and the protection of the city. In the middle section, the Lord demands the practice of true justice and mercy rather than hollow fasting, promising the restoration of peace and joy to Jerusalem. The latter half predicts the coming of a peaceful king, the gathering of the dispersed people, the broken covenant due to unfaithful shepherds, and severe trials surrounding Jerusalem. Finally, the narrative culminates in a grand eschatological vision where the Lord intervenes to defeat the enemies, leading to a state where all surviving nations gather to worship the Lord, and everything in Jerusalem is consecrated as holy.