Zechariah 2:6

New Living Translation

The Lord says, "Come away! Flee from Babylon in the land of the north, for I have scattered you to the four winds.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
"Hurry! Leave the land in the North in a hurry. Yes, it is true that I scattered your people in every direction.

New American Standard Bible
"You there! Flee from the land of the north," declares the LORD, "because I have spread you out like the four winds of the heavens," declares the LORD.

New Century Version
"Oh no! Oh no! Run away from Babylon, because I have scattered you like the four winds of heaven," says the Lord .

Update Bible Version
Ho, ho, flee from the land of the north, says Yahweh; for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, says Yahweh.

Webster's Bible Translation
Ho, ho, [come forth], and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD.

Amplified Bible
"Hear this! Flee from [Babylon] the land of the north [which shall come under judgment]," declares the LORD, "for I have scattered you like the four winds of the heavens," declares the LORD.

English Standard Version
Up! Up! Flee from the land of the north, declares the Lord . For I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, declares the Lord .

World English Bible
Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,' says Yahweh; 'for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the sky,' says Yahweh.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
A! A! A! fle ye fro the lond of the north, seith the Lord, for in foure wyndis of heuene Y scateride you, seith the Lord.

English Revised Version
Ho, ho, flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible
"Get up! Get up! Flee from the land of the north," declares the LORD, "for I have scattered you like the four winds of heaven," declares the LORD.

Contemporary English Version
The Lord says to his people, "Run! Escape from the land in the north, where I scattered you to the four winds.

American Standard Version
Ho, ho, flee from the land of the north, saith Jehovah; for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, saith Jehovah.

Bible in Basic English
Ho, ho! go in flight from the land of the north, says the Lord: for I have sent you far and wide to the four winds of heaven, says the Lord.

Complete Jewish Bible
I asked, "Where are you going?" He said to me, "To measure Yerushalayim, to determine its width and length."

Darby Translation
Ho, ho! flee from the land of the north, saith Jehovah; for I have scattered you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, saith Jehovah.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then said I: 'Whither goest thou?' And he said unto me: 'To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.'

King James Version (1611)
Ho, ho, come foorth, and flee from the land of the North, saith the Lord: for I haue spread you abroad as the foure windes of the heauen, sayth the Lord.

New Life Bible
"Come, come, run from the land of the north!" says the Lord. "For I have sent you to the four winds of the heavens," says the Lord.

New Revised Standard
Up, up! Flee from the land of the north, says the Lord ; for I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven, says the Lord .

Geneva Bible (1587)
Ho, ho, come forth, & flee from the land of the North, saith the Lord: for I haue scattered you into the foure winds of the heauen, saith ye Lord.

George Lamsa Translation
Ah! Ah! Flee from the land of the north, says the LORD; for I have scattered you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, says the LORD.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Ho! ho! flee ye, therefore, out of the land of the North, urgeth Yahweh. For, as the four winds of the heavens, have I spread you abroad, declareth Yahweh.

Douay-Rheims Bible
O, O flee ye out of the land of the north, saith the Lord, for I have scattered you into the four winds of heaven, saith the Lord.

Revised Standard Version
Ho! ho! Flee from the land of the north, says the LORD; for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, says the LORD.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
O get you foorth, O flee from the land of the north, saith the Lorde: for I haue scattred you into the foure windes of the heauen, saith the Lorde.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Ho, ho, flee from the land of the north, saith the Lord: for I will gather you from the four winds of heaven, saith the Lord,

Good News Translation
The Lord said to his people, "I scattered you in all directions. But now, you exiles, escape from Babylonia and return to Jerusalem.

Christian Standard Bible®
“Listen! Listen! Flee from the land of the north”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“for I have scattered you like the four winds of heaven”—this is the Lord’s declaration.

Hebrew Names Version
Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,' says the LORD; 'for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the sky,' says the LORD.

King James Version
Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the Lord : for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the Lord .

Lexham English Bible
"Woe! Woe! Flee from the land of the north," declares Yahweh, "for I have scattered you like the four winds of the heavens," declares Yahweh.

Literal Translation
Ho! Ho! Flee then from the land of the north, says Jehovah. For I have scattered you as the four winds of the heavens, declares Jehovah.

Young's Literal Translation
Ho, ho, and flee from the land of the north, An affirmation of Jehovah, For, as the four winds of the heavens, I have spread you abroad, An affirmation of Jehovah.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
O get you forth, O fle from the londe of ye north (saieth the LORDE) ye, whom I haue scatred in to the foure wyndes vnder heaue, saieth the LORDE.

THE MESSAGE
"Up on your feet! Get out of there—and now!" God says so. "Return from your far exile. I scattered you to the four winds." God 's Decree. "Escape from Babylon, Zion, and come home—now!"

New English Translation
"You there! Flee from the northland!" says the Lord , "for like the four winds of heaven I have scattered you," says the Lord .

New King James Version
"Up, up! Flee from the land of the north," says the LORD; "for I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven," says the LORD.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Ho there! Flee from the land of the north," declares the LORD, "for I have dispersed you as the four winds of the heavens," declares the LORD.

Legacy Standard Bible
"Ho there! Flee from the land of the north," declares Yahweh, "for I have dispersed you as the four winds of the heavens," declares Yahweh.

Contextual Overview

⁶ The Lord says, "Come away! Flee from Babylon in the land of the north, for I have scattered you to the four winds. ⁷ Come away, people of Zion, you who are exiled in Babylon!" ⁸ After a period of glory, the Lord of Heaven's Armies sent me against the nations who plundered you. For he said, "Anyone who harms you harms my most precious possession. ⁹ I will raise my fist to crush them, and their own slaves will plunder them." Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven's Armies has sent me.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

ho: Ruth 4:1, Isaiah 55:1

and flee: Zechariah 2:7, Genesis 19:17, Isaiah 48:20, Isaiah 52:11, Isaiah 52:12, Jeremiah 1:14, Jeremiah 3:18, Jeremiah 31:8, Jeremiah 50:8, Jeremiah 51:6, Jeremiah 51:45, Jeremiah 51:50, 2 Corinthians 6:16, 2 Corinthians 6:17, Revelation 18:4

spread: Deuteronomy 28:64, Jeremiah 15:4, Jeremiah 31:10, Ezekiel 5:12, Ezekiel 11:16, Ezekiel 12:14, Ezekiel 12:15, Ezekiel 17:21, Amos 9:9

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 22:43 - did spread 2 Chronicles 36:23 - Who is there Psalms 102:16 - he shall Isaiah 52:2 - Shake Jeremiah 31:21 - turn Ezekiel 5:10 - the whole Hosea 1:7 - will save Zechariah 7:14 - scattered

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Ho, ho,.... This word expresses a call and proclamation; and is doubled, as Kimchi observes, to confirm it; and so the Targum paraphrases it,

"proclaim to the dispersed:''

[come forth], and flee from the land of the north, saith the Lord; that is, from Babylon, which lay north of Judea; see Jeremiah 1:13 Jeremiah 3:12 where many of the Jews continued, and did not return with the rest when they came up out of the captivity; and are therefore called to come forth from thence in haste; and figuratively designs, either the people of God that are among the men of the world, and are called to separate from them, and have no fellowship with there; or such as will be in mystical Babylon, a little before its destruction; and will be called out of it, lest they partake of her plagues; see Revelation 18:4:

for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the Lord; meaning either the dispersion of the Jews in Babylon, and other countries; or of the people of God, being scattered up and down in the jurisdiction of Rome Papal; or the sense is, that it was his will and purpose, when they were come out of Babylon, that they should be spread in the several parts of the world, to support the cause of Christ, and strengthen his interest.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ho! ho! and flee - Such being the safety and glory in store for God’s people in Jerusalem, He who had so provided it, the Angel of the Lord, bids His people everywhere to come to it, saving themselves also from the peril which was to come on Babylon. So Isaiah bade them, “Go ye forth of Babylon; flee ye from the Chaldaeans with a voice of singing; declare ye, tell this, utter it to the end of the earth; say ye, The Lord hath redeemed His servant Jacob” Isaiah 48:20. “Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence; touch no unclean thing: go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord” Isaiah 52:11; and Jeremiah, “Flee ye out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul; be not cut off in her iniquity, for this is the time of the Lord’s vengeance. He will render unto her a recompense” (Jeremiah 51:6, add. Jeremiah 50:8). “My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye, every man his soul from the fierce anger of the Lord” Jeremiah 51:45.

The words, “flee, deliver thyself,” imply an imminent peril on Babylon, such as came upon her, two years after this prophecy, in the fourth year of Darius. But the earnestness of the command, its repetition by three prophets, the context in isaiah and Jeremiah, imply something more than temporal peril, the peril of the infection of the manners of Babylon, which may have detained there many who did not return. Whence in the New Testament, the words are cited, as to the great evil city of the world; “Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you” 2 Corinthians 6:17; and under the name of Babylon; “I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” Revelation 18:4.

For I have spread you abroad as the four winds of heaven - The north country, although its capital and center was Babylon, was the whole Babylonian empire, called “the North” Jeremiah 1:13-14; Jeremiah 3:18; Jeremiah 4:6; Jeremiah 6:1, Jeremiah 6:22; Jeremiah 23:8 because its invasions always came upon Israel from the north. But the book of Esther shows that, sixty years after this, the Jews were dispersed over the 127 provinces of the Persian empire, from India (the Punjab) to Ethiopia Esther 1:1; Esther 3:8, Esther 3:12-14; Esther 8:5, Esther 8:9, whether they were purposely placed by the policy of the conquerors in detatched groups, as the ten tribes were in the “cities of the Medes” 2 Kings 17:6, or whether, when more trusted, they migrated of their own accord. God, in calling them to return, reminds them of the greatness of their dispersion. He had dispersed them abroad as the four winds of heaven . He, the Same, recalled them.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Zechariah 2:6. Flee from the land of the north — From Chaldee, Persia, and Babylon, where several of the Jews still remained. See Zechariah 2:7.