Then work stopped on God's house which is at Jerusalem. It stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet and ZECHARIAH the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem. They prophesied to them in the name of the God of Israel.

The elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and ZECHARIAH the son of Iddo. They built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

1. In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, The LORD's word came to ZECHARIAH the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying,

2. "The LORD was very displeased with your fathers.

3. Therefore tell them: the LORD of Hosts says: 'Return to me,' says the LORD of Hosts, 'and I will return to you,' says the LORD of Hosts.

4. Don't you be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying: the LORD of Hosts says, 'Return now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings;' but they did not hear, nor listen to me, says The LORD.

5. Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?

6. But my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, didn't they overtake your fathers?"Then they repented and said, 'Just as the LORD of Hosts determined to do to us, according to our ways, and according to our practices, so he has dealt with us.'"

7. On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, The LORD's word came to ZECHARIAH the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying,

In the fourth year of king Darius, The LORD's word came to ZECHARIAH in the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Chislev.