From the Greek Septuagint text as was used by First Century Christians

Chapter 1

¹ It was in the eighth month in the second year [of the reign] of Darius, that the word of the Lord came to ZechariJah (the son of BarachiJah and grandson of IdDo) the Prophet, saying, ² ‘Jehovah was provoked by your fathers, and [driven] into great rage, ³ so tell them that thus says Jehovah of Armies: Turn to Me, says Jehovah of Armies, and then I’ll turn back to you. ⁴ Do not become like your fathers, those whom the Prophets accused. For, they’d come beforehand and warned them… they said that Jehovah of Armies had told them, to turn from their wicked ways, and from the bad things that they did. But, they just paid no attention, and they wouldn’t listen to Me, says Jehovah.

⁵ ‘Now, where are your those Prophets and your forefathers? Have they lived to this age? ⁶ Yet, you have My words and My Law… all that I sent by My Breath, through My servants the Prophets… those who were seized by your fathers. For, they answered [the Prophets] and said, Whatever Jehovah of Armies planned to do, to us for our sins and our ways, He has already done.’

⁷ Well, it was on the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month (the month of Shebat), in the second year [of the reign] of Darius, that the word of the Lord came to ZechariJah (the son of BarachiJah and grandson of IdDo) the Prophet. And this [is how he described what he saw]: ⁸ ‘During the night, I looked up and saw a man who was riding a red horse. He was standing in the shade between the mountains, and behind him were red horses with white spots. ⁹ And I asked, What are these, O Lord? And [God’s] messenger (he who was speaking to me) replied, I will show you what all these things mean.

¹⁰ Then the man who was standing in the midst of the mountains spoke to me and said: ‘These are those whom Jehovah sent out, to travel about in the land.’

¹¹ Then these ones who were standing between the mountains said to the messenger of Jehovah: ‘We have traveled throughout the whole land, and {Look!} all the land is tranquil and lived in.’

¹² And the messenger of Jehovah said: ‘O Jehovah of Armies, how long will you fail to show mercy, upon Jerusalem and the cities of Judah? For this is the seventieth year of Your rage.’

¹³ And Jehovah replied to the messenger, ‘You, the one who is speaking to Me, bring him good words that bring comfort.’

¹⁴ Then the messenger spoke to me and said, ‘Shout aloud! For, thus says Jehovah the Almighty: Over Jerusalem I’m zealous, and I have great zeal over Zion! ¹⁵ So, by the nations I’ve been provoked… by those who joined to attack you. For, [you] men provoked Me a little, but they planned an attack for bad [reasons]. ¹⁶ And because of this, says Jehovah, to Jerusalem I’ll turn in compassion, and My Temple will then be rebuilt there, says Jehovah of Armies. So, upon Jerusalem a line will be stretched.’

¹⁷ [And the messenger then told me], ‘Shout out loud once again! For, Jehovah of Armies said this: To her cities good things will be sent, for Jehovah will show mercy on Zion, and Jerusalem is still His chosen one!’

¹⁸ Then I raised my eyes and I looked, and what I saw was four horns. ¹⁹ So I asked the messenger (the one who was speaking to me), ‘What are these, O Lord?’

And he replied, ‘These are the horns; the ones that brought scattering to Judah, as well as to Israel and Jerusalem.’

²⁰ And then the Lord showed me four workers. ²¹ And I asked, ‘What have these come to do?’

Then he replied to Me, saying, ‘Since those horns did the scattering of Judah, and they also broke Israel, so none could then raise their heads. So, they’ve come to [throw down] those horns with their hands… those horns which the nations have raised, to scatter the land of Jehovah.’

Chapter 2

¹ Then I raised My eyes and I saw a man, and in his hand was the string of a surveyor. ² So I asked him: ‘Where are you going?’

And he said: ‘I will use it to measure Jerusalem, to see how great is its length and its width.’

³ Well, at that point, {Look!} the messenger who was speaking to me stopped, and another of [God’s] messengers came to meet him. ⁴ And he said: ‘Tell him that Jerusalem will once more be lived in, with multitudes of men and cattle in her midst. ⁵ And [tell him] that Jehovah says this: I’ll be a wall of fire to surround her, and I’ll be the glory in her midst.

⁶ ‘O flee from the land of the north, says Jehovah, for, I’ll gather you from the four winds, said the Lord. ⁷ Escape unto Zion all those, who dwell among Babylon’s daughter.’

⁸ Then [the messenger said]: ‘I was sent to the nations by Jehovah, in order to bring back your glory, from all of those who had sacked you. For, those who have chosen to touch you, are touching the pupil of His eye.

⁹ ‘So, {Look!} against them I’ll raise my hand, and they’ll be the spoils of all those who served them. And then you surely will know, that I was sent by Jehovah the Almighty.

¹⁰ ‘So be happy and glad, O daughter of Zion, for I will come and camp in your midst,’ said the Lord. ¹¹ ‘And in that day many nations will come, to take refuge in Jehovah, and [to join with] His people. Then I will camp in your midst, and you’ll know that Jehovah the Almighty, was the [One] who sent me to you.

¹² ‘Then Judah will be the inheritance of Jehovah (His portion within the holy land), for, Jerusalem is still His chosen one. ¹³ So, let all flesh bow to Jehovah, for from His holy cloud He’s awakened.’

Chapter 3

¹ Then the Lord showed me JoShua the High Priest. And standing before him was the messenger of Jehovah; but the Slanderer was standing to his right, serving as an enemy against him.

² Then [the messenger] of Jehovah said to the Slanderer, ‘O Slanderer; May Jehovah bring reproaches against you… may the Lord who chose Jerusalem, bring reproaches upon you! Why, isn’t [this man] like a coal, that has been snatched from the fire?’

³ Well, JoShua was wearing filthy clothes, and he was standing in front of [God’s] messenger. ⁴ So, the messenger said to those who were standing before him, ‘Remove all of those filthy clothes!’ Then he said, ‘{Look!} Now that you’ve removed all his [filth], in a full-length robe you should dress him!’

⁵ Then he said: ‘Put the official [garments] upon him, and put a clean turban on his head!’ So, they dressed him in the official [garments], placed a clean turban on his head, and wrapped the robe around him.

⁶ And thereafter, the messenger of Jehovah stood there and testified to JoShua saying, ⁷ ‘Thus says Jehovah the Almighty: If you will walk in My ways, and if you’ll keep watch on My orders, you’ll officiate at My [Holy Temple]; you will keep watch at My courtyard; and I’ll give you [guards] who will pace, between the [guards] who stand still.

⁸ ‘Hear indeed, O JoShua the High Priest… you and your neighbors who sit there before you! For, these men are observers of signs, so, they’ll [sit and] watch as I bring to My servant, something that will elevate him; ⁹ Before JoShua’s face I’ll place a stone, and upon this stone will be seven eyes.

‘Look! I will dig [out a courtyard],’ says Jehovah the Almighty, ‘and there I’ll handle all injustice, throughout the land in a day. ¹⁰ And in that one day,’ says Jehovah the Almighty, ‘you will call to your neighbors, from under [your] grapevines and fig trees.’

Chapter 4

¹ Then the messenger who was speaking to me returned, and he woke me up in the same way that a man would be awakened from sleep. ² And he asked me, ‘What do you see?’

And I replied, ‘Well, I looked and saw a gold lampstand with a bowl of oil… there are seven lamps on it and seven oil funnels for the seven lamps. ³ There are also two olive trees; one is to the right of its bowl, and the other is on its left side.’

⁴ So I asked the messenger who was speaking to me: ‘What are these things, O Lord?’

⁵ And the messenger who was speaking to me asked, ‘Don’t you know what they are?’

And I replied, ‘No, O my Lord.’

⁶ Then he answered and told me: ‘This is the word of Jehovah to ZerubBabel. Tell him: Not by great power or by strength, but just by My Breath, says Jehovah the Almighty. ⁷ Who are you O great mountains, to stand before ZerubBabel’s face? For, he will bring forth the top (or inheritance) cornerstone, and I will show favor upon it.’

⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to Me, saying: ⁹ ‘The hands of ZerubBabel that laid the foundation, will also be the hands that complete it. Then you will know that Jehovah the Almighty, was the One who sent Me to you. ¹⁰ For, who has despised the days of small things? Yet, they will rejoice when they see the stone plumb bob, held in of ZerubBabel’s hands… the stone with the eyes of Jehovah, that look upon the whole earth.’

¹¹ Then I responded and asked him: ‘But, what [is the meaning] of the two olive trees; the one on the right of the lampstand, and the one on its left?’

¹² And I asked again (a second time), ‘What are these two branches of trees… those that run past the handles of gold (which are used to do pouring) and run past the funnels of gold?’

¹³ Then he spoke and asked me, ‘Don’t you know what these things are?’

And I replied, ‘No, O Lord.’

¹⁴ And he said: ‘These are the two sons of the faith (or anointed ones), who stand beside the Lord of the earth.’

Chapter 5

¹ Then I turned and raised my eyes and saw what looked like a flying sickle. ² And he asked me, ‘Now what do you see?’

And I replied, ‘I see a sickle that’s flying; it’s twenty forearms long and ten forearms wide.’

³ Then he told me, ‘This is the curse… the one that crosses the face of the earth. One side brings punishment of death to all thieves, and the other to all who would lie in a courtroom. ⁴ For, Jehovah the Almighty says this: I will [soon] bring it forth, and send it to thieves who would enter My [Temple], and those swearing false oaths by My Name. I will enter their houses, and I will completely destroy them, including their woodwork and stones.’

⁵ Then the messenger who was speaking to me came up to me and said: ‘Now, look up with your eyes and see what is coming!’

⁶ And I asked him, ‘What is it?’

And he said: ‘What comes is the measuring basket, and the unrighteousness of the earth is within it… ⁷ And look; I have here a measure of lead. And look; There’s a woman who sits in [in the basket]!’ ⁸ Then he said ‘This is lawlessness,’ as he tossed [the lead] at the basket, and it fell into her mouth.

⁹ Then I raised my eyes and I saw two women coming who had wings that were filled with the wind. These wings were as the wings of a hoopoe, and they lifted the basket between the earth and the sky.

¹⁰ So, I asked the messenger who was speaking to me, ‘Where are they taking this basket?’

¹¹ And he told me, ‘They’re building and preparing a [temple] for it, inside of the land of Babylon, and they’ll put it in a place they’ve prepared there.’

Chapter 6

¹ Then I turned and raised my eyes and saw four chariots coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of brass.

² The first chariot [that I saw] was pulled by red horses; the second had horses that were black; ³ the third had horses that were white; and the fourth had horses that were spotted dapple gray.

⁴ So, I spoke to the messenger and asked him (the one who was speaking with me), ‘And what are these, O my Lord?’

⁵ And the messenger replied (the one who was speaking with me): ‘These are the four winds of the sky, and they’re going to stand next to the Lord of the earth. ⁶ The black ones are going to the land of the north, the white are following close behind them, and the spotted are going to the land of the south.’

⁷ Then the dapple-gray ones left, and they looked to travel around the whole earth. And he said, ‘Now, go and travel around the whole earth!’ And they traveled throughout the whole earth.

⁸ Then he yelled out and spoke to me, saying, ‘Look! The ones that are going to the land of the north; Upon the land of the north, they have brought rest from my rage.’

⁹ Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, ¹⁰ ‘Take [silver and gold] from the rulers, as well as from those who are wealthy, and those who have higher knowledge! [Meet them] in the house of JosiAh (son of ZephaniJah), who, from Babylon, has just returned.

¹¹ ‘Then take the silver and gold to make a crown, and put it upon JoShua’s head (the son of JoZadek) the High Priest. ¹² And tell him that thus says Jehovah the Almighty: Look, there’s a male whose name is The Sprout, and he will grow from below, to rebuild the [Temple] of Jehovah. ¹³ Then he will receive all the greatness he needs, to sit and rule from his throne. For, there’ll be a Priest on [God’s throne], and there will be peace and purpose between them.

¹⁴ ‘This crown will be [in the Temple], as a reminder of those who showed recognition, and favor upon the son of ZephaniJah… it will serve as a psalm in the [Temple] of Jehovah.

¹⁵ ‘And from far away will come those, who will build in the [Temple] of Jehovah. Then you’ll know that to you I was sent, by Jehovah the Almighty. And all who hear would [wish] they’d paid attention, to the voice of Jehovah their God.’

Chapter 7

¹ Then in the fourth year of [the reign] of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to ZechariJah on the fourth day of the ninth month (which is Chislev). ² For, the king sent SherEzar, and Regem (and his men) to BethEl to atone [for their sins] before the Lord. ³ And they said to the Priests of the [Temple] of Jehovah the Almighty and to the Prophets: ‘The holy offering has been brought here again in this fifth month, as it has for a good number of years.’

⁴ Then the word of Jehovah of Armies came to me and said: ⁵ ‘Speak to all the people of the land, and to all of the Priests, and tell them [that thus says Jehovah]: In the fifth and seventh months you have fasted, and beat your chests for seventy years; but in all of this fasting, were you fasting to Me? ⁶ For, when you are eating and drinking, don’t you eat and drink to yourselves?

⁷ ‘Aren’t these the same words Jehovah once spoke, by the hands of the Prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prospered… when her cities, her plains, and her mountains were lived in?’

⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to ZechariJah, telling him that ⁹ Jehovah the Almighty said this: ‘With righteous judgments you must judge; let each show mercy and compassion to his brother! ¹⁰ Don’t tyrannize the widows or orphans, nor the foreigners or needy. And for whatever harm your brother may do, don’t hold resentment in your hearts.

¹¹ ‘But, they resisted and paid no attention; they turned their backsides and ranted, and covered their ears so they couldn’t hear. ¹² Their hearts were set for resisting persuasion, for they wouldn’t listen to My Law, or to the words that came from Jehovah… by His Breath through the hands of the Prophets (all those who He’d sent before). So, there was great rage from Jehovah the Almighty.

¹³ ‘This is the same as I told you before, when they wouldn’t listen to Me… when they called out and I wouldn’t listen,’ said Jehovah the Almighty. ¹⁴ ‘So, I cast them among all the nations (nations that they didn’t know). And the land they came from was wiped away, so they were unable to return… they’d ordered extinction upon their choice land.’

Chapter 8

¹ Then came the word Jehovah the Almighty, saying, ² ‘For Jerusalem and Zion I’ve shown great zeal… even in My rage I’ve been zealous for her.’

³ Jehovah said: ‘So, to Zion I will return, and in Jerusalem’s midst I will camp. Then Jerusalem will be called The True City, and The Holy Mountain of Jehovah the Almighty.’

⁴ Thus said Jehovah the Almighty: ‘Old men and women will once again sit, within Jerusalem’s squares, each with his cane in his hand, because they’ll have lived many days. ⁵ And then the city will also be filled, with boys and girls who will play in her squares.’

⁶ Thus says Jehovah the Almighty: ‘Can’t this be done for those who remain… for those who are left in those days? No! But, will this be impossible for Me,’ asks Jehovah the Almighty? ‘No!’

⁷ Thus says Jehovah the Almighty: ‘{Look!} I’ll [return] My people from the lands in the east, and from the lands in the west. ⁸ I will then bring them all back, and in Jerusalem’s midst they will camp. Then they’ll be a people to Me… in righteousness and truth, I’ll be their God.’

⁹ Thus says Jehovah the Almighty: ‘O you who would hear in these days; Strengthen your hands [to follow] the words, which will come from the mouths of the Prophets. [They’ve been the same] since the day, that His Temple was founded, and from the day that the Temple was built… ¹⁰ in those days when their wages brought them no profit, and they made no wage from their cattle. For those who entered and those who went out, there was affliction, not peace; and against his neighbor I sent every man.

¹¹ ‘But I won’t treat the remnant of this people, as I have done in the past,’ says Jehovah the Almighty. ¹² ‘Peaceful times I will show them; the grapevine will bring forth her fruit; the land will yield all her produce, and the sky will bring forth its dew… to the remnants of My people I’ll bring this.

¹³ ‘And, you O house of Judah; Though you became a curse among the nations, I’ll preserve you and you’ll be a blessing. So, [you must now] be courageous, and grow strong in your hands!’

¹⁴ Thus says Jehovah the Almighty: ‘As I once thought to bring evil upon you, because your fathers provoked Me to rage, and since then I’ve not relented,’ says Jehovah the Almighty, ¹⁵ ‘I’ve reconsidered and I am now ready, to do good to those in Jerusalem and Judah… so you must now be courageous! ¹⁶ And these are the things you must do: You must each speak truth to your neighbors; make decisions that bring about peace; you must restore justice to your gates! ¹⁷ Against your neighbor you must not consider, doing what’s evil in your hearts. And do not love lying oaths, for I detest all such things,’ said Jehovah the Almighty.

¹⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, ¹⁹ ‘You must fast in the fourth month and in the fifth; you must fast in the seventh and fast in the tenth. Then to Judah I’ll bring gladness and joy… good things they’ll bring to the holiday feasts. You’ll all be glad, for then there will be, truth, peace, and love [in the land].’

²⁰ Thus says Jehovah the Almighty: ‘Many peoples will then come to you, and there’ll be many cities to live in. ²¹ And those in the cities will all gather and say: Let’s go beg before the face of the Lord… let’s seek the face of Jehovah the Almighty… yes we’ll all go, even I! ²² To Jerusalem the peoples and nations will come, to seek the face of Jehovah the Almighty, and to atone [for their sins] before Him.’

²³ Thus says Jehovah the Almighty: ‘In those days, ten men from all nations and tongues, will come to take hold of the decorative hem, [of the robe] of a man who’s a Jew. And they’ll say: We now wish to [join] with you, because we have heard God is with you!’

Chapter 9

¹ This is a proclamation: It’s the word of Jehovah against the land of [the God] Hadrach, and against Damascus [the place where] his sacrifices [are offered]. For, [as well as] the tribes of Israel, all men are inspected by Jehovah. ² [This proclamation is also against] the area around Hamath, as well as Tyre and Sidon, for they all have the same mindset.

³ ‘Tyre built a fortress for herself; she treasured up silver like dust, and gathered up gold like mud in the streets. ⁴ For this she’ll be inherited by the Lord. He’ll strike her power over the seas, and she’ll be consumed in a fire.

⁵ ‘AshKelon will then see this and fear, and Gaza will be very grieved. Ekron will be shamed by all her transgressions, for their king from Gaza will perish, and no way will AshKelon be lived in. ⁶ Foreigners will then dwell in AshDod, for the insolence of the Philistines I’ll demolish. ⁷ I’ll remove all the blood from their mouths, and the disgusting things in their teeth. They’ll leave such things for our God, and be assigned to a Judean general… as the Jebusi Ekron will be.

⁸ ‘Then I’ll stand in My [Temple] in the heights, from which I will not leave. There’s no way that [armies] will then come against them, because My eyes will be watching.

⁹ ‘So rejoice, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, Jerusalem’s daughter! For look, your king is now coming to you… the righteous one who’s your savior. He’s gentle, and on a beast of burden he comes… even upon a young foal. ¹⁰ He’ll destroy [all of] EphraIm’s chariots, and all of Jerusalem’s horses. He’ll destroy [all the weapons] of warfare… from the nations he’ll bring abundance and peace. Then he will rule to the waters of the seas, and from the rivers and passes of the earth.

¹¹ ‘Then, by the blood of your Sacred Agreement, you’ll [receive] prisoners [back] from dry pits. ¹² Prisoners of the gathering you’ll settle in forts, and for each day they [were captives], I will repay them with double. ¹³ For, I’ve held you tight to myself, O Judah… [yes, as tight] as a bow. EphraIm I’ll fill once again, and I will awaken your children, O Zion, against the sons of the Greeks… I’ll use you like a warrior’s sword. ¹⁴ Then the Lord will be seen over them, and like lightning He’ll [shoot] His arrows. Jehovah God will blow on His trumpet, and send intimidation [upon them]. ¹⁵ Their shield will be Jehovah Almighty, as they bring [destruction] upon them. They’ll heap upon them the stones of a sling; and they’ll drink their blood as though it were wine… like basins for the Altar they’ll fill their bowls.

¹⁶ ‘In that day, Jehovah will be their God, and the sheep of His people He’ll save; yes, as [gems in a crown they’ll be] in His land. ¹⁷ And for all of His that are found to be good, and for all of His that are found to be fair, there will be grain for the young men, and fragrant wine for the virgins.’

Chapter 10

¹ ‘Ask Jehovah for each season’s rains (both the early and late rains), for Jehovah has done what’s fantastic… on the pastures of their fields He’s brought winter rains.

² ‘Those declaring big things have brought trouble, and those who having visions have seen what is false. They speak of false dreams and offer no comfort. And because of this, they’ll dry up like sheep… they’ll become ill with no healing.

³ ‘My rage was provoked by the shepherds, so now I’ll visit their lambs. Jehovah God the Almighty, will visit His flock, the house of Judah. And as He has done to His handsome horse, He’ll give them orders for war.

⁴ ‘He’ll cause him to look out upon them; He’ll cause him to order a bow in His rage; He’ll cause him to send [His armies] against them… ⁵ but his warriors will tread mud in the battle. For though they’re attacked, Jehovah is with them, so those riding horses will then be disgraced. ⁶ For, the house of Judah I will strengthen, and house of Joseph I will save… because I love them I’ll save them, and they’ll be as before I disowned them… because I’m Jehovah their God, I’ll pay attention to them!

⁷ ‘Then they’ll be like EphraIm’s warriors… they’ll rejoice in their hearts as with wine. They’ll look at their children in joy, and rejoice in their hearts for their Lord. ⁸ I’ll give them a sign and accept them… I’ll pay their ransom and then they will grow, to be as many as they were before. ⁹ Then I’ll plant them among all the peoples, and I’ll be remembered by those far away.

¹⁰ ‘Then they’ll return and nourish their children… from the land of Egypt I’ll bring them back, and from Assyria I’ll take them. To the lands of Gilead and Lebanon I’ll bring them, and none will then be left behind… no not one!

¹¹ ‘They will walk through the narrows of the sea; they will strike the waves of the sea, and the depths of the rivers will all dry. Then the insolence of the Assyrians will be gone, and the scepter of Egypt will be removed.

¹² ‘I’ll make them strong in Jehovah their God, and in His Name they will boast,’ said the Lord.

Chapter 11

¹ ‘O Lebanon open your doors, and let fire devour all your cedars! ² May the pine trees all shriek, because the cedars have fallen… in misery are all the great ones. Shriek O you oaks of Bashan, for the groves that were planted have all been cut down.

³ ‘There’s the sound of the wailing of shepherds, because their greatness is gone. There’s the sound of the roaring of lions, for no one is guarding the Jordan.

⁴ Thus says Jehovah the Almighty: ‘Tend the sheep for the slaughter; ⁵ those who’ve been bought by the butcher, and have not repented for the things they have done. For those who sold them have said, Praise Jehovah for we have gained wealth! And their shepherds have suffered no loss over them.

⁶ ‘Because of this I will not spare, those who live in the land,’ says Jehovah. ‘{Look!} I’ll deliver each man to the hand of his neighbor, and into the hand of his king. Then they’ll cut their land into pieces… no way will I save them from their hands. ⁷ In the land of CanaAn I will tend them… all the sheep for the slaughter.

‘Then I’ll take two sticks for Myself; one I’ll call Beauty and the other Measured Land; and then I will tend all these sheep. ⁸ In the first month I’ll remove the three shepherds, and My soul will be heavy upon them, for their souls have roared out against Me.

⁹ ‘Then I said I won’t tend you; let those who are dying just die, and those who are failing just fail, and may the rest each eat the flesh of their neighbors!

¹⁰ ‘Then I’ll take My stick, the one [I called] Beauty, and I will throw it away, to erase the Agreement that I made with My people. ¹¹ It’ll be erased in that day, and those in CanaAn who have guarded My sheep, will know that this is the word of Jehovah.

¹² ‘And then I’ll tell them to do, whatever they find to be good… yes, pay My wage or forbid it! Then they established My wage… ‘twas thirty pieces of silver.’

¹³ Then the Lord said to me: ‘Now, throw them into the [treasury], but check to make sure that they’re pure, for this is my [value] before them.’

So, I took the thirty pieces of silver, and threw them into the [treasury], of the [Temple] of Jehovah.

¹⁴ ‘Then I’ll throw away My second stick, the one I called Measured Land, to wipe Israel and Judah from their posession.’

¹⁵ And the Lord said to Me: ‘Now, take for yourself the tools of a shepherd (one that is quite inexperienced). ¹⁶ For, {Look!} against the land I’ll wake a shepherd… one who won’t visit the [weak]… one who won’t search for the scattered. Those who are broken he will not heal, and those who are well he won’t lead. But he will devour their choicest of meats, and their necks he will [break].

¹⁷ ‘O you who are attending to vain things, and leaving behind all the sheep; A sword will come against your right arm, as well as against your right eye. Your arm will then become withered, and your right eye will be blinded.’

Chapter 12

¹ ‘This is the matter of the word of Jehovah over Israel,’ said the Lord, ‘He who stretched out the skies, who laid the foundations of the earth, and from Himself shaped the breath of mankind.

² ‘{Look!} I’ve appointed Jerusalem’s thresholds, to be shaken by the peoples roundabout them. Upon Judea they will come, and Jerusalem will be surrounded. ³ And it will be in that day, that I’ll appoint Jerusalem as a stone, to be trampled upon by all nations. All who trample upon her, will mock her and they’ll poke fun; for all nations of the earth will assemble against her.

⁴ ‘And in that day,’ says Jehovah the Almighty, ‘I will strike all the horses with wonder, and drive all their riders to ranting. But upon Judah’s house I’ll open My eyes, and strike all their horses with blindness. ⁵ And Judah’s generals will say in their hearts: Jerusalem’s [people are safe, in the strength] of their God Jehovah Almighty.

⁶ ‘But, in that day I will make, Judean generals like coals of fire amid wood, and as flaming lamps among stubble. Then they will devour (from the right and the left), all the peoples roundabout them; but Jerusalem will still dwell [in her place]. ⁷ Then Jehovah will rescue the tents of Judea, as He did long ago, so the haughty who dwell in Jerusalem, as well as those in Judea, won’t have any reason to boast, above the house of [King] David.

⁸ ‘And in that day, Jehovah will shield, all those who in Jerusalem dwell. And even the weak ones among them, will be like David in that day. So, the house of David will come to be, like the Temple of God… like the messenger of Jehovah who’s standing before them.

⁹ ‘And it will be in that day, that I’ll lift away all the nations… those whom against Jerusalem marched. ¹⁰ And I’ll pour out upon David’s house (as well as upon Jerusalem’s dwellers), the spirit of favor and compassion. Then they’ll turn to Me and beat on their chests, as one beats his chest for the death of a loved one, because they’ve been disrespectful to Me… they’ll grieve with the grief of the [deaths] of their first-born.

¹¹ ‘And in Jerusalem, on that day, they will beat on their chests, as for the loss of pomegranate groves. ¹² And the land will beat on its chest, for each of the tribes [by its name]; the tribe of David’s house by itself, and all of their wives by themselves; the tribe of Nathan’s house by itself, and all of their wives by themselves; ¹³ the tribe of the house of Levi by itself, and all of their wives by themselves; the tribe of Simeon by itself, and all of their wives by themselves; ¹⁴ and all the rest (each tribe by itself), and all of their wives by themselves.’

Chapter 13

¹ ‘In that Day, all [springs] will open wide, for the rinsing and cleansing of David’s house, and for those who live within Jerusalem. ² And in that Day it will be,’ says Jehovah of Armies; ‘I’ll destroy the names of their idols from the land, so they’ll no more be remembered. And I will remove from the land, the false Prophets with spirits that are unclean.

³ ‘And if there’s a man who still prophecies, his father and mother (those who gave him birth), must tell him that he will no longer live, for he has told lies in the Name of the Lord. Then his father and mother (those who gave him birth), will tie him up, because he prophesied. ⁴ And it will be in that Day, that the prophets will be disgraced by their visions, and by things which they prophesied. They’ll cover their heads with animal hides, because they will know that they’ve lied. ⁵ And then they will say, I’m not a prophet! I’m just as man works the ground… for this I was born since my youth!

⁶ ‘And then I will ask them, So, what are these [scars] on your hands?

‘And they will thereafter reply, ‘They were struck in the house of my loved ones.

⁷ ‘O broadsword, awaken against [such] a man, and against My shepherds [who live in] My land,’ says Jehovah the Almighty. ‘Strike the shepherds and scatter the sheep, for against the shepherds I’ll bring My hand.

⁸ ‘And it will be in that Day,’ says Jehovah; ‘Two-thirds will be destroyed and will cease, but a third will be left behind. Then I’ll try them as [you] try gold. But they will call on My Name, and, I will reply: These are [truly] My people! And they will say, Jehovah’s our God.’

Chapter 14

¹ ‘Look; The Lord’s [Great] Day is now coming, when spoils will be divided among them. ² Against Jerusalem I’ll assemble all nations, and the city will thereafter be captured. All the homes will be looted, and all the women will be tainted. Then half of the city will be led off as captives, and the rest of my people in the city, will not be destroyed from the [land]. ³ For, the Lord will come and attack all those nations, in his battle array in the Day of the war.

⁴ ‘And in that Day, his feet will then stand, on the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem’s east. Then the Mount of Olives will split in two parts… in halves to the east and the west in great chaos. Half of the mountain will lean toward the north, and half will lean toward the south.

⁵ ‘Then flee to the valley of my mountain, which [runs] to the Wadi Azal. You must flee as in the day of the earthquake, [that happened] in the days of UzziJah (king of Judah).

‘Then Jehovah my God will arrive, and all of His Holy Ones with Him. ⁶ There’ll be no light in that Day… there’ll be just coldness and ice. ⁷ But it will [all last just] one day, and that Day will be known by the Lord. There’ll be no daytime or night, but light will come toward the evening.

⁸ ‘And it will be in that Day; from Jerusalem, living water will flow. Half will flow to the [Dead] Sea, and half will flow to the other… in the springtime and summer this will happen. ⁹ Then the Lord will be the King of the earth; in that Day there will be just one Lord, and he will have just one name.

¹⁰ ‘Then deserts will encircle the land, south of Jerusalem, from Geba to RemMon (though Rama will remain in its place), from the gate of Benjamin to the First Gate, and the gate at the corners to the Tower of HananeEl, and to the wine-vats of the king.

¹¹ ‘Then, without danger [the people] will dwell there… for Jerusalem there will be security.

¹² ‘And this will be the great downfall, when the Lord will strike all the peoples… all who against Jerusalem marched. Their flesh will melt as they stand on their feet; their eyes will flow from their sockets; and their tongues will melt in their mouths.

¹³ ‘And in that Day, there will come, great astonishment from Jehovah upon them. Each will grab hold of his neighbor’s hand; they’ll join hand-to-hand with their neighbors.

¹⁴ ‘Then in Jerusalem, the Judeans will prepare, and collect the might of the peoples round about… all the gold and the silver, along with huge numbers of clothes.

¹⁵ ‘And this is the downfall of horses and mules, as well as the camels and burros, and all the cattle that are found in those camps, in the great day of that downfall.

¹⁶ ‘Then all who remain from the nations, that against Jerusalem marched, will ascend each year to bow to the King – to Jehovah the Almighty – and observe the feast of the Pitching of Tents. ¹⁷ Then to all who won’t come [in that Day] (to bow before Jehovah the Almighty, from all the tribes of the earth), these things will be added to them, and upon them won’t fall any rain.

¹⁸ ‘And if the tribe of Egypt won’t come here; upon them will also come the downfall, with which Jehovah struck the nations… those who won’t observe the holiday, of the Pitching of Tents. ¹⁹ For, this will be Egypt’s sin, and the sin of all nations… those who refuse to ascend, to observe the feast of the Pitching of Tents.

²⁰ ‘In that Day, there’ll be [written], upon the bridles of horses, Holy to Jehovah the Almighty. And the stew pots in the [Temple] of Jehovah, will be as the bowls before the Altar. ²¹ And in Jerusalem and Judah, all the stew pots, will be holy to Jehovah the Almighty. So, all who then bring sacrifices, will take them and use them to cook with.

‘And in that Day, there’ll no longer be, CanaAnites who approach Jehovah of Armies.’

Notes

Soul

The Greek word psyche (as in psychology) has been translated many ways, including soul, life, etc. However, psyche actually means something that breathes. It is used in the Bible to describe both breathing animals and breathing humans. So by definition, a soul cannot leave the body, because a soul is what the living body (whether human or animal) is (see Genesis 2:7).

In ancient Greece, philosophers eventually added another meaning to psyche: The inner person (as opposed to the person that others see and come to know). And with time, the pagan religion of Greece started to teach that this inner person is its own entity and can never die (is immortal). Over the centuries, this pagan Greek doctrine thereafter crept into the Christian religions. Please see the link Soul for more history of the word.

However, such Greek philosophical thought never influenced Jesus and his Apostles. So, they consistently used psyche to indicate a living person or animal. Therefore, the later teaching that the soul is immortal stands in direct conflict with Jesus’ promise of a resurrection, because, if a person is immortal (can never die) he/she can never be resurrected (brought back to life).

In addition, the teaching of the immortality of the human soul is totally without support from the Bible. For the word immortal(ity) (Gr: athanasia or undying) is only mentioned in the Bible in two places, and it isn’t used with or applied to the word soul in either case. Both of these scriptures show that immortality is only given by God as a reward for righteousness. And as Ezekiel 18:4 says, ‘The person (gr. psyche or ‘soul’) that is sinning will die (gr. apothaneitai).’

Of course, there are places in the Bible where the word soul means more than just a living, fleshly body. For example, God is recorded to have spoken of ‘My Soul’ in several places. Obviously, God is much more than just a ‘soul’ as most people think of that term, and He surely wasn’t talking about His having a human body. So we must conclude that what He was referring to is His life.

Then there are Jesus’ words found at Matthew 10:28, which read, ‘Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the person (psyche or soul). Rather, be afraid of him who can destroy both the person (soul) and the body in the garbage dump.’ Here, Jesus is using the word psyche (soul) to refer to the value of life that remains with God until the resurrection. And he obviously isn’t referring the soul as immortal in this instance, because he says God will destroy (gr. apolesai) the [unrighteous] soul or person.

Unfortunately, no single word can be used to translate psyche in every possible Bible application, so various terms are used herein, depending on the circumstances, but always in an attempt to harmonize with the meaning.

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The Heavens or Sky, the Earth or the Land?

In both the Ancient Scriptures of Israel (OT) and the Christian Era Scriptures (NT), we find all the realm of creation divided into three entities; the heavens (or sky), the earth (the land or ground), and the seas (the waters). Now, in contemporary English, we understand that there is a difference between the heavens and the sky, the earth and the land (or ground), and the seas and waters. However, in both Hebrew and Greek, these fine distinctions that we accept because of our modern technology, can’t be found. So, Genesis 1:1 could literally be translated as, ‘In the beginning, God created the sky and the ground.’

This is accurate, because it was the view of man from the earth. There was the land that he stood on, the sky above him, and the waters or seas over there. There was no technical understanding of the earth as a planet, because men didn’t view the earth as we do today, as a ball in space… it just wasn’t necessary at the time! However, because of these distinctions that we understand so well today, translators must choose the proper words to provide the right nuances in English, in order for readers to grasp the proper meaning of each text.

This is why you’ll find the Greek word ourano translated as both heaven(s) and sky herein, depending on the context. You’ll also find the Greek words ge and ges translated as earth, ground, or land, depending on the context. So, the symbolic words at 2 Peter 3:5, 6, for example, are translated herein as, ‘The thing that they don’t want to understand is this: That the ancient earth and sky were out of the water, but (in obedience to God’s instructions) they stood together between the waters.’ (For an example of the problems created by the wrong use of the words ge and ges, see the linked document Isaiah 24 - Is It Speaking of Armageddon?).

Notice that the ‘earth and sky’ were located ‘between the water.’ So, although other Bibles translated this verse as speaking of the ‘heavens and earth,’ the reference is to the portion of the heavens that are close to the earth… to the sky. Likewise, at Matthew 5:5, where Jesus spoke of the ‘meek’ as inheriting ‘the earth; since he was talking about people receiving an ‘allotment’ on the earth,’ we have chosen to translate ges as earth, not land or ground. However, the words land and ground are equally correct.

And finally, when it comes to the seas (gr. thalassa), there are already distinctions as to different types of waters in the Greek text. For instance, seas are called thalassa and rivers are called potamos (or ‘flowing’). However, notice (in Revelation 20: 13) how the resurrection of the dead is divided between those who died on land and those who were lost in the water, ‘The sea gave up its dead, death and the grave gave up those dead in them, and they were all judged by the things that they did.’

We again find all three of these realms of creation brought together symbolically at Revelation 21:1, where it says, ‘Then I saw a new earth and sky, because the previous earth and sky had disappeared, as did the sea.’

Also, in the case of where EliJah was taken in a celestial chariot, most people think he was taken to (as their Bibles put it) ‘heaven,’ where he went to live with God. This isn’t true, because King JehoRam later received a letter from Elijah (see 2 Chronicles 21:12). So, God had apparently used the celestial chariot to take him into the sky (the proper translation here), where he was then taken to another place here on the earth. For more information on this, see the linked document, The Hereafter.

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Hades: Hell or the Grave?

The Greek word Hades (they pronounced it hah-des) has been translated both as Hell (which is thought of as a place of torture) and as the Grave in other Bible versions (such as the King James). Since one word can’t mean two very different things, which translation is correct?

Hades (like the English word Hell) actually means the place of the dead. However, as pagan Greek philosophy started to develop and creep into Christianity, the later-day Greek view of Hades (a place of torture) was applied to it. Was this a correct application?

An insight into how the ancient Hebrews and the early Christians understood the word can be gained by looking at how it was applied in the Greek Septuagint translation of the Ancient Scriptures of Israel (the ‘Old Testament’ Bible of Jesus’ day). There, the Hebrew word Sheol is translated into Greek as Hades in every instance; yet in each case, these are obvious references to the grave (the place of the dead), not to a place of conscious torture (see Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10).

Another revealing application of the word Hades is found at Revelation the 20:13. It says there, ‘The sea (gr. he thalassa) gave up its dead, death and the grave (gr. thanatos kai ho hades) gave up those dead in them, and they were all judged by the things that they did.’

So, notice that those who die at sea are differentiated from those who are buried in graves (Hades) and in other places (thanatos). Therefore, Hades is better translated as grave.

In the book of Job, another word that is used once in the Christian-era Scriptures and often translated as Hell, is found in two places. That Greek word is Tartarus, which refers to the place where evil gods or angels are sent. For more information, see the linked document, Is There a Burning Hell?

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Zeal

At Psalm 37:8 we read, ‘Stop being angry and abandon your rage. Don’t allow zeal to make you act wicked’ (yes, we know, the word should be wickedly, but this is poetic license). However, those words could also be translated as, ‘Do not allow jealously to cause you to act wickedly,’ because the Greek word zelos can either be translated as zealous or as jealous, depending on the circumstances, for both words mean the same thing. Yet, the two words imply different things in English.

Zeal is usually thought of as something good… something that all Christians should have, as in zeal for God and righteousness. And jealously is thought of as something bad… as wanting something that belongs to someone else. Yet, God may be spoken of as being jealous over His Name and His position as God, so jealously isn’t always a bad thing. And we can have zeal for things that are ours and we are proud of (which is not bad), and be jealous of things that belong to others (which is bad). So, the same Greek word (zelos) may be correctly translated as zeal in one place, and as jealously in another, depending on the context.

Then, is it proper for a man to be jealous of his wife, or for a wife to be jealous of her husband? No, we should never be jealous of each other, but for each other. We shouldn’t want what the other has, but we should have a burning zeal for each other. So, if one has good reason to worry about losing the love of the other, that is zeal. However, if such concern is baseless, that is wicked suspicion, not jealously.

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Age

Two words imply infinite states in the Bible; one is the Greek word athanasia (undying), which is only found in two places, 1 Corinthians 15:53, where it mentions resurrected ones as clothing themselves with immortality, and at 1 Timothy 6:16, where Paul speaks of Jesus as having received it. The other Greek word is aidios, which is used at Romans 1:20 to describe God’s Power and Might as eternal, and at Jude 6 when speaking of the perpetual state of gloomy darkness that rebellious angels have been confined to.

However, the Greek word aionos (pronounced ai-on-oss), which is used throughout the Bible and is often translated as forever and everlasting, is what the English word eon is derived from. It means an indefinite period, and there is no exact English word to translate it. The best equivalents are age(s) or era(s).

Where the plural form of the word (aionion) is used, it refers to a long time… at least multiple generations. However, where the singular form is used (aionos), this appears to mean a much shorter period, such as a lifetime, generation, or era. And where the term ages of the ages is used (such as at Ephesians 3:21), which is usually said in reference to The God, we would assume that this truly means forever.

It is noteworthy that aionos is the word that is used in the Greek Septuagint in place of the Hebrew word ohlam, which is also translated as forever and time indefinite in popular versions of the Ancient Scriptures of Israel. So, this one word (aionos) is translated as forever, everlasting, eternal, system of things, time indefinite, [end of] the world, long ago, from of old, etc. Obviously, something is very wrong here, because the word can’t mean a period having a definite end in one place and infinity in another.

Take for example, the unique way that aionos is used in the question that Jesus’ Apostles asked him, which is found at Matthew 24:3: ‘Tell us; When will these things happen… what will be the signs when you are to arrive and this age will come to its conclusion?’ You can see that the word aionos obviously doesn’t mean forever, everlasting, or eternal in this case, nor did it mean world or system of things. It simply meant the age or, the time before the end would come. And for them, that meant the age when God’s Temple at Jerusalem would be destroyed, because that’s what Jesus had just told them.

The word aionos (which we have translated as age here) is also translated as world (KJ) and as system of things (NW) in other Bibles. However, if the Apostles had meant any of those words, they would have used the Greek word cosmos (world or system of things), not aionos.

The ancient Hebrews viewed everything (and rightly so) as having a beginning and an end. For that reason, you will only find three places in the Bible where words are used that imply no end, and none that imply no beginning. An interesting possible insight on the reason for this can be found at Hebrews 1:10-12, which says: ‘Long ago, O Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth and your hands made the heavens. They will destroy themselves, but you will remain. They will grow old just like clothes do. Then, as [you would do to] a robe, you will wrap them up and repair them like clothes. Yes, you are the one, and your years will never expire.’

So, notice; The Bible shows that even our universe will eventually end and need to be ‘wrapped up and repaired,’ which agrees with the conclusions of modern science.

The problem with most Bible translations is that; when they encounter the word aionos in all its different tenses, they interpret it according to accepted doctrine, not according to the way that Jesus and his disciples used it. So, the common renderings forever, eternal, and everlasting are used even when the word is in its singular forms (aioni, aiona, aionos, aionion, aionian, aionios, aioniou), and this totally distorts the meaning of the text.

Take for example, the scripture at John 5:24, where Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth; He who hears what I say and believes in the One that sent me, will have life in this age… he won’t have to be judged, for he has crossed over from death to life!’

Most Bibles translate Jesus as saying that those who believe in the One who sent him will have everlasting life (or the equivalent). However, the words that Jesus used there were, zoe aionos (life age – singular), not zoe aionion (life ages – plural).

Notice how Jesus explained the meaning of these words with his next statement, ‘He won’t have to be judged, for has crossed over from death to life.’

So, what Jesus was saying here, wasn’t that they would have everlasting life, but that they in their current lifetime would be considered among the living, not among the dead (see Revelation 20:12).

This doesn’t necessarily mean that they won’t live forever… it’s just that Jesus wasn’t really saying that. What we find (from consideration of the evidence found in the bulk of Jesus’ words about life) is that he never taught the hope of ‘life eternal,’ ‘everlasting life,’ or ‘immortality,’ in those specific words. However, the concept is still there. What he taught was that righteous people will receive ‘life in the age,’ or be considered worthy of (possibly everlasting) life by God during their current lifetimes… that their names would be written in ‘the scroll of life,’ and that they would not have to be judged, but will have already ‘crossed over from death to life,’ as Jesus said at John 5:24.

Yes, we know that this is a difficult concept to understand, but it’s what Jesus actually said.

For more information, select the linked documents, The Hereafter and Does the Bible Promise Everlasting Life?

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Breath

The Greek word pneuma (as in pneumonia, a breathing disease) means breath or wind – the movement of air. In other Bible translations, this word is often translated as spirit or ghost, as in Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. However, spirit is just a shortened form of the Latin word spiritu, which just means breath in Latin. And ghost conveys another meaning altogether.

The most common use of the word pneuma in the Bible is to imply an unseen force (such as breath or wind). And the problem with translating it as spirit or ghost is that many people have started believing that the unseen force that is called [God’s] Holy Breath herein, is another God-like person and part of a Divine ‘Trinity.’ This can’t be true, because the only scripture that can be used to support this theory (that is, where the Father, the Son, and the Holy Breath’ are spoken of together) is found at Matthew 28:19, which appears to be spurious (See the Note in Matthew). All other scriptures that are used to prove the Trinity theory fail to mention the Holy Breath as part of that group. And the King James wording of 1 John 5:7 (which was used for years to attempt to prove the Trinity) is also spurious (something that was added to the Bible). So, there are no actual Bible references that mention God’s Holy Breath along with the Father and the Son.

Therefore, to prevent confusion, the Greek word pneuma is frequently translated as breath herein. However, there are exceptions, as in instances where the Bible refers to demons as ‘spirits.’ Translating pneuma as breath in these cases, although correct, might just be confusing. There are also places where we have left pneuma translated as spirit, when the word implies a person's tendency (or spirit). And, since the nuance implied by the word spirit in the English language (an unseen power) is correct, we recently changed back to translating pneuma as spirit in several places, when referring to God’s Holy Spirit. However, recognize that pneuma is often best defined by calling it [God’s] Holy Breath. For an example, see the Note Worshiping God In Spirit and Truth.

Another important use of the word pneuma is in the phrase, ‘Breath of Life.’ This phrase appears to mean more than just breathing, for it seems to refer to the entire mechanics of life itself. It’s the unseen force of life for all creatures… it’s what makes each cell alive. However, nowhere does the Bible describe the ‘pneuma’ as immortal, nor is it the same as the soul (a breathing thing), so it can (figuratively) ‘return to God’ at death,’ because all hope of future life depends on God and His promise of a resurrection.

Note in particular how the term Breath is used at Job 27:3, where Job spoke of God’s Breath or Spirit. For there he asked, ‘Does the Breath of the Divine One remain in my nose?’ As you can see from his application of this word, pneuma obviously referred to God’s Breath, not to a person or to an unseen force. He was talking about that which comes from God and which caused him (Job) to breathe… the Breath of Life.

It is interesting that at Genesis 6:3 God says, ‘I won’t allow My Breath to stay with these men through the age, for they are fleshly.’ In Greek that reads, ‘Ou me katameine to pneuma mou en tois anthropois toutoiseis ton aiona, dia ai einai autous sarka,’ or, ‘Not not should stay the Breath Mine with these men the age through, their being flesh.’

While the words Breath Mine (pneuma mou) here can refer to God’s Holy Breath, it seems more likely that He is referring to the breath of life that He gave to Adam. So it appears as though; what God was saying here is that the breath of life (of the people of that age) would be removed prematurely. However, since God referred to it as ‘My Breath,’ there may be a link implied between God’s Holy Breath and the breath of life.
For more information, see the linked document, ‘The Powers of God’s Holy Spirit.’

However, when Jesus died (as the words recorded at John 19:30 say), ‘he hung his head and gave up the breath’ (gr. kai klinas ten kephalen paredoken to pneuma, or, and inclined his head giving/up the breath). In this case, the obvious reference is to ‘the breath of life,’ or that force which gave him life as a human.

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Capitals in Bible Names

You have likely noticed that we are putting some of the letters in Bible names in capital letters. For example, we’ve started spelling such names as Jonathan as JoNathan, Isaiah as IsaiJah, and Eliezer as EliEzer. Why? Well, partly to help with the correct pronunciations of the names, and partly to show some translating consistency.

We all know that the common English pronunciation of Jonathan (for example) is Jon-uh-thun. But did you know that the first part of the name (Io in Greek, Ieho in Hebrew) refers to the name Jehovah, and the second part of the Name (Nathan) means Gift? So, the name was originally pronounced closer to Ye-hoh-nuh-thahn.

In the case of names that end with an iah, as in Isaiah, the last part of the name often includes the name of God. Isaiah, for example, means Salvation [of] Jehovah, and it was originally pronounced Ee-sai-Yah. So, why have we substituted a capital ‘J’ for the letters ‘ie’ in both of the above cases? Well, we recognize that there is an inconsistency here, because there was no letter ‘J’ in Hebrew or Greek alphabets. However, we have the choice of changing all names that start with ‘J’ (such as Jesus, John, Jonah, Joshua, Jeremiah, etc.) to start with the letters ‘Ie’, or for consistency, we can change all the ‘Ies’ into ‘Js’, which is what we have done. Realize that several other Hebrew consonants are commonly mispronounced in English, which no one objects to, so this minor deviation should not be objectionable to the thinking.

Does this mean then that we are setting out a new rule for name spelling? Absolutely not, for centuries ago, a Bible translator first established this rule when he spelled the name Eliou (Greek spelling, pronounced ay-lee-ou) and wrote it as EliJah, because this name is regarded as meaning ‘My God is Jehovah.’

Also notice that where a name ends with an iah, as in Jeremiah (Jehovah exalts), we have often spelled it as iJah, because the I would typically be pronounced as a long E, followed by a Y in Hebrew, and writing it without the I (as in JeremJah) misses this nuance. So, we have rendered it as JeremiJah, which is similar to the way it is often pronounced by modern-day Hebrew-speaking Jews, YeremiYah.

Another important word in names that we usually capitalize is ‘El’ (from the Hebrew Elohe, or God). So EliEzer (which people commonly pronounce Eelai-eezer and means God [has] Helped) should actually be pronounced El-ee-eh-zer. The same is true for the letters Ai, especially in the names of cities, because Ai in Hebrew refers to the word city. So, AiLam (for example) probably meant the City of Lam.

Similar words, such as Bel (as in BelShazzar), Baal, and Beel, refer to ‘the Lord’ or ‘the God.’ Also, the prefixes ‘Ben’ and ‘Bar’ mean ‘the son of.’ ‘Beth’ means ‘the house of,’ ‘Beer’ refers to a ‘well,’ ‘Is’ or ‘Ish’ means ‘Man,’ etc.

Does this mean that we have put all the capitals in the right places? No, for we make no claim to Hebrew scholarship (all our translating here has been from Greek). So, what we are trying to do is provide a better understanding to how these names were pronounced by First-Century Christians.

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Messengers of God

Most Bible translations render the Greek word aggelos (pronounced ahn-gel-ose – with a hard g) as angel wherever it is found. However, aggelos is just the Greek word for messenger. True, in most cases where the Bible speaks of angels, it is referring to spirit messengers from God. However, this may not be the meaning in every instance, and always translating it as angel may distort what was said in certain instances.

For example, consider the words at Acts 12:15, where Peter had just been released from prison and had appeared at the door of some faithful Christians. In Greek, the latter part of this verse reads, ‘oi de elegon Ho aggelos estin autou’ and is often translated as, ‘They began to say, It is his angel.’

This rendering doesn’t sound reasonable, for it would have been unusual for Christians to assume that an angel from God (who looked like Peter) was standing and knocking at their door. Rather, the rendering we have used herein makes more sense, ‘So they said, It’s his messenger.’

Another good example of why aggelos shouldn’t always be translated as angel can be found at Genesis 32:3, which reads in Greek, ‘Apasteile de Iakob aggelous emprosthen autou pros Hesau ton adelphon autou’ or, ‘Sent of Jacob angels ahead of him toward Esau the brother of him.’ Here Jacob was obviously sending human messengers to his brother, not heavenly ones (angels).

And consider the words at Numbers 20:14, where we read that Moses sent messengers (gr. aggelous – messengers, plural) from Cades to the king of Edom.’ Then in verse 16, it says that ‘Jehovah … heard our voice and sent His messenger (gr. aggelon – messenger, singular) who brought us out of Egypt.’

Obviously, although the same word (with only conjugated variations) is used to speak of two different types of messengers here… those who are human and those who were sent from heaven by God. As the result, most Bibles translate the first instance as messengers, but the second as angel. We have not chosen to make this distinction, and we have rendered the word as messenger or messengers in each instance, because this proper translation of the word provides readers a better look at what position these heavenly sons of God held. For, angel isn’t a heavenly rank, it’s a duty.

Also, consider the words of Haggai 1:13, where we read: ‘Then the Messenger (or angel) of Jehovah, Haggai, one of the messengers (or angels) of Jehovah, said to the people: Jehovah says, I am with you!’

Yet, Haggai was just a man, not a spirit.

Translating aggelos as messenger (when it truly means an ‘angel’) helps to provide readers a better, deeper understanding of the actual role that such spiritual sons of God play in His dealings with mankind. And it helps us to understand why the Bible never speaks of female or baby angels.

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Satan, Devil, Lucifer, Beelzebub

It is appropriate that the heavenly name of the great Opposer and Slanderer of God is never given in the Bible. However, several terms (and one mistakenly) have been used to describe him. Here is a list of those descriptions:

· Satan: This is a Hebrew word meaning, opposer, resistor, and a smart person who does things to serve his own interests. It was applied to the Evil One, because of his opposition to God. And so, to keep from misleading people into thinking of it as a name, it is translated as ‘the Opposer’ (not Satan), herein.

· Devil: This is the only Greek word (Diabolos) used in the Bible to describe the evil one. The first part of the word, dia, means through, and bolos means throw (it’s where we get the English words ball and bowl). So, Devil means one who throws through, which amounts to slanderer in Greek, so that’s the way it’s translated herein.

· Lucifer: The name Lucifer is commonly tied to the Biblical Opposer; however, the name doesn’t appear in most versions of the Bible. It does appear once in the King James Version, at Isaiah 14:12, in which the King of Babylon is referred to as Lucifer, Son of the Morning. However, the original Hebrew words were: Helel ben Shahar – Day Star, Son of the Dawn. So, there is no direct link in the Bible between the entity known in Hebrew as Satan and the person who was referred to as Lucifer. This mistranslation was created by Augustine, when he was translating the text in Isaiah from the original Hebrew into Latin.

· BeelZebub: There are eight references in the Bible to this Hebrew noun, and it does refer to the Slanderer. However, once again, this is not a proper name. It appears to be a title. Beel (like Baal) means Lord, and Zebub appears to refer to flies (the insects). So, BeelZebub likely means Lord of Flies.

Is the Opposer (Slanderer or BeelZebub) a real person? All one has to do is look at the titles he was given above to realize that he is. To deny his existence negates the rest of the Bible. For example, when dealing with Adam’s sin, why did God adhere so closely to a law, when other options were available to Him? Why didn’t he just destroy rebellious Adam and create another man?

The fact is, He created men and His messengers with the ability to choose whether to serve Him or not, so none are automatons. And as a man failed in the Paradise of Pleasure, we can assume (and as the Scriptures support) that there were failures (and rebels) in the heavens also. This is the reason why it became necessary to have a law that clearly outlined what rebellion against God constituted, and what the consequences for violating that law would be. It was obviously for the sake of the millions of millions of heavenly spirit (breath) creatures that the issue of rebellion here on the earth had to be resolved by legal means, and in a way that demonstrated the love and loyalty of God’s first-born son, which resulted in the painful need for a ‘ransom’ (Jesus’ death).

And the idea, which some have promoted, that the Slanderer isn’t real, raises other questions. For example; While Jesus was being tempted in the desert, was he simply struggling with the bad within himself rather than against a real, evil personality? If so, we would have to conclude that there was bad in Jesus.

Also, was the battle in heaven (as spoken of at Revelation the Twelfth Chapter) just figurative and not a real war against the Opposer and his messengers? And if so, then there must be ‘evil thoughts’ in heaven, prior to that battle. And, in what sense would ‘the Opposer’ and his ‘messengers’ lose the battle and be confined to the earth? Also, why would internal evil be ‘angry’ in knowing that he just has ‘a short period of time left?’

And lastly, when the Opposer entered God’s presence and spoke to Him (Job the First Chapter), could we assume that this inherent evil was found in God? That isn’t likely.

However, there is some question as to the use of the Greek word Diabolos found at 1 Chronicles 21:1 (in the Greek Septuagint). First, since Diabolos is a Greek word and First Chronicles was written in Hebrew, we would assume that Diabolos (Slanderer) was substituted for the Hebrew word Satan (Opposer). But the text seems to imply that a slanderer (or resistor), not the Slanderer, had come to David. So, we don’t really know if the text implies that the Evil One came to him personally; if it was just an evil spirit that came over him; or if someone bad had urged David to defy God and take a census of Israel.

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Scroll or Sickle?

There is quite a discrepancy between the rendering of words as found in Hebrew and Greek texts of Zechariah Chapter Five. For, the Hebrew text tells us that Zechariah saw a flying scroll, but the Greek text calls it a δρέπανον πετόμενον, or flying sickle. Which is correct?

We’ll trust the Greek text on this one (although the Hebrew text could also be right), because the thing that he saw was used to bring punishment upon the wicked. Notice that Verse Three tells us: ‘This is the curse… the one that crosses the face of the earth. One side brings punishment of death to all thieves, and the other to all who would lie in a courtroom.’ So, although a scroll could decree their punishment, a sickle could actually bring the punishment of death.

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