So I saidto the angelwho was speakingwith me, "Whatare these?"And he answeredme, "Theseare the hornswhichhave scatteredJudah,Israeland Jerusalem."
Then Zedekiahthe sonof Chenaanahmadehornsof ironfor himself and said,"Thussaysthe LORD,With theseyou will gorethe Arameansuntilthey are consumed.'"
Now when the enemiesof Judahand Benjaminheardthat the peopleof the exilewere buildinga templeto the LORDGodof Israel,
Then the peopleof the landdiscouragedthe peopleof Judah,and frightenedthem from building,
And in the daysof Artaxerxes,Bishlam,Mithredath,Tabeeland the restof his colleagueswroteto Artaxerxeskingof Persia;and the textof the letterwas writtenin Aramaicand translated[from] Aramaic.
At that timeTattenai,the governorof [the province] beyondthe River,and Shethar-bozenaiand their colleaguescameto them and spoketo them thus,"Whoissuedyou a decreeto rebuildthistempleand to finishthisstructure?"
"I saidto the boastful,'Do not boast,'And to the wicked,Do not liftup the horn;
Do not liftup your hornon high,Do not speakwith insolentpride.'"
"The hornof Moabhas been cutoffand his armbroken,"declaresthe LORD.
I heardthe mandressedin linen,whowas abovethe watersof the river,as he raisedhis righthandand his lefttowardheaven,and sworeby Him wholivesforeverthat it would be for a time,times,and half[a [time]; and as soon as they finishshatteringthe powerof the holypeople,allthese[events] will be completed.
"I approachedoneof those who were standingby and began askinghim the exactmeaningof allthis.So he toldme and madeknownto me the interpretationof these things:
You who rejoicein Lodebar,And say,"Have we not by our [own] strengthtakenKarnaimfor ourselves?"
You piercedwith his own spearsThe headof his throngs.They stormedin to scatterus; Their exultation[was] likethose Who devourthe oppressedin secret.
Then I liftedup my eyesand looked,and behold,[there were] fourhorns.
I said,"Whatare thesecomingto do?"And he said,"Theseare the hornswhichhave scatteredJudahsothat nomanliftsup his head;but these[craftsmen] have cometo terrifythem, to throwdownthe hornsof the nationswho have liftedup [their] hornsagainstthe landof Judahin order to scatterit."
Then I said,"My lord,whatare these?"And the angelwho was speakingwith me saidto me, "I will showyou whattheseare."
So I said,"Whereare you going?"And he saidto me, "To measureJerusalem,to seehowwideit is and howlongit is."
"For thussaysthe LORDof hosts,'Justas I purposedto doharmto you when your fathersprovokedMe to wrath,'saysthe LORDof hosts,and I have not relented,
