11. They reported their findings to the Angel of God in the birch grove: “We have looked over the whole earth and all is well. Everything’s under control.”
12. The Angel of God reported back, “O God-of-the-Angel-Armies, how long are you going to stay angry with Jerusalem and the cities of Judah? When are you going to let up? Isn’t seventy years long enough?”
13-15. God reassured the Angel-Messenger—good words, comforting words—who then addressed me: “Tell them this. Tell them that God-of-the-Angel-Armies has spoken. This is God’s Message: ‘I care deeply for Jerusalem and Zion. I feel very possessive of them. But I’m thoroughly angry with the godless nations that act as if they own the whole world. I was only moderately angry earlier, but now they’ve gone too far. I’m going into action.
16-17. “‘I’ve come back to Jerusalem, but with compassion this time.’This is God speaking.‘I’ll see to it that my Temple is rebuilt.’A Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies!‘The rebuilding operation is already staked out.’Say it again—a Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies:‘My cities will prosper again,God will comfort Zion again,Jerusalem will be back in my favor again.’”
18. I looked up, and was surprised by another vision: four horns!
19. I asked the Messenger-Angel, “And what’s the meaning of this?”He said, “These are the powers that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem abroad.”
20. Then God expanded the vision to include four blacksmiths.
21. I asked, “And what are these all about?”He said, “Since the ‘horns’ scattered Judah so badly that no one had any hope left, these blacksmiths have arrived to combat the horns. They’ll dehorn the godless nations who used their horns to scatter Judah to the four winds.”