Zechariah 1:3

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

therefore shalt thou say unto them, Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, Return ye unto me, urgeth Yahweh of hosts, - that I may return unto you, saith Yahweh of hosts.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
So you must tell the people what the Lord All-Powerful says, "Come back to me, says the Lord All-Powerful, and I will come back to you." This is what the Lord All-Powerful said.

New American Standard Bible
"Therefore say to them, 'This is what the LORD of armies says: "Return to Me," declares the LORD of armies, "that I may return to you," says the LORD of armies.

New Century Version
So tell the people: This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: ‘Return to me, and I will return to you,' says the Lord All-Powerful.

Update Bible Version
Therefore you say to them, Thus says Yahweh of hosts: Return to me, says Yahweh of hosts, and I will return to you, says Yahweh of hosts.

Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore say thou to them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye to me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn to you, saith the LORD of hosts.

Amplified Bible
"Therefore say to the Jews, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts (armies), "Return to Me," declares the LORD of hosts, "and I shall return to you.

English Standard Version
Therefore say to them, Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.

World English Bible
Therefore tell them: Thus says Yahweh of Hosts: 'Return to me,' says Yahweh of Hosts, 'and I will return to you,' says Yahweh of Hosts.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thou schalt seie to hem, The Lord of oostis seith these thingis. Be ye conuertid to me, seith the Lord of oostis, and Y schal be conuertid to you, seith the Lord of oostis.

English Revised Version
Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts: Return unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.

Berean Standard Bible
So tell the people that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: 'Return to Me,' declares the LORD of Hosts, 'and I will return to you,' says the LORD of Hosts.

American Standard Version
Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Return unto me, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I will return unto you, saith Jehovah of hosts.

Bible in Basic English
And you are to say to them, These are the words of the Lord of armies: Come back to me, says the Lord of armies, and I will come back to you.

Complete Jewish Bible
Therefore, tell them that Adonai -Tzva'ot says this: ‘"Return to me," says Adonai -Tzva'ot, "and I will return to you," says Adonai -Tzva'ot.

Darby Translation
And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Return unto me, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I will return unto you, saith Jehovah of hosts.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts: Return unto Me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.

King James Version (1611)
Therefore say thou vnto them, Thus saith the Lord of hostes; Turne ye vnto me, saith the Lord of hostes, and I will turne vnto you, saith the Lord of hostes.

New Living Translation
Therefore, say to the people, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven's Armies says: Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Heaven's Armies.'

New Life Bible
So tell them, ‘The Lord of All says, "Return to Me, that I may return to you.

New Revised Standard
Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Therefore say thou vnto them, Thus sayth the Lord of hostes, Turne ye vnto me, saith the Lord of hostes, and I will turne vnto you, saith the Lord of hostes.

George Lamsa Translation
Therefore say to them, Thus says the LORD of hosts: Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And thou shalt say to them: Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Turn ye to me, saith the Lord of hosts: and I will turn to you, saith the Lord of hosts.

Revised Standard Version
Therefore say to them, Thus says the LORD of hosts: Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And say thou vnto them, thus sayth the Lorde of hoastes: Turne you vnto me saith the Lord of hoastes, & I wil turne vnto you, sayth the Lord of hoastes.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And thou shalt say to them, Thus saith the Lord Almighty: Turn to me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn to you, saith the Lord of hosts.

Good News Translation
but now I say to you, ‘Return to me, and I will return to you.

Christian Standard Bible®
So tell the people, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: Return to me—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies—and I will return to you, says the Lord of Armies.

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

King James Version
Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.

Lexham English Bible
You must say to them: ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts: "Return to me," declares Yahweh of hosts, "and I will return to you," says Yahweh of hosts.

Literal Translation
And you say to them, So says Jehovah of Hosts: Turn back to Me, says Jehovah of Hosts, and I will turn back to you, says Jehovah of Hosts.

Young's Literal Translation
And thou hast said unto them, Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, turn back unto Me, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, And I turn back unto you, said Jehovah of Hosts.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And saye thou vnto them: thus saieth the LORDE of hoostes. Turne you vnto me (saieth the LORDE of hoostes) and I wil turne me vnto you, saieth the LORDE of hoostes.

New English Translation
Therefore say to the people: The Lord who rules over all says, "Turn to me," says the Lord who rules over all, "and I will turn to you," says the Lord who rules over all.

New King James Version
Therefore say to them, "Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Return to Me," says the LORD of hosts, "and I will return to you," says the LORD of hosts.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Return to Me," declares the LORD of hosts, "that I may return to you," says the LORD of hosts.

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, "Return to Me," declares Yahweh of hosts, "that I may return to you," says Yahweh of hosts.

Contextual Overview

¹ In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Yahweh unto Zechariah, son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, the prophet, saying: - ² Yahweh, was sore displeased, with your fathers: ³ therefore shalt thou say unto them, Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, Return ye unto me, urgeth Yahweh of hosts, - that I may return unto you, saith Yahweh of hosts. ⁴ Do not become like your fathers, unto whom the former prophets, proclaimed, saying, Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, Return, I pray you, from your wicked ways, and from your wicked practices; but they heard not, nor hearkened unto me, declareth Yahweh. ⁵ Your fathers, where are they? and, the prophets, to times age-abiding, do they live? ⁶ Howbeit, as for my words and my statutes with which I charged my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? and so they returned and said, Just as Yahweh of hosts planned to do unto us, according to our ways and according to our practices, So hath he dealt with us?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Turn: Deuteronomy 4:30, Deuteronomy 4:31, Deuteronomy 30:2-10, 1 Kings 8:47, 1 Kings 8:48, 2 Chronicles 15:4, 2 Chronicles 30:6-9, Nehemiah 9:28, Isaiah 31:6, Isaiah 55:6, Isaiah 55:7, Jeremiah 3:12-14, Jeremiah 3:22, Jeremiah 4:1, Jeremiah 25:5, Jeremiah 35:15, Lamentations 3:39-41, Ezekiel 33:11, Hosea 6:1, Hosea 14:1, Joel 2:12, Malachi 3:7, Luke 15:18-20, James 4:8-10

and: Jeremiah 12:15, Jeremiah 29:12-14, Jeremiah 31:18-20, Hosea 14:4, Micah 7:19, Micah 7:20, Luke 15:21, Luke 15:22

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 17:13 - all 2 Chronicles 30:7 - like Ezra 5:1 - in the name Job 22:23 - return Proverbs 29:1 - General Isaiah 1:16 - put away Jeremiah 18:11 - return Lamentations 3:40 - turn Ezekiel 18:19 - When Hosea 12:6 - turn Amos 4:6 - yet Zechariah 1:4 - Turn Zechariah 7:7 - cried Malachi 2:2 - ye will not hear Matthew 21:34 - he sent Mark 12:2 - a servant Luke 20:10 - sent

Cross-References

Job 36:30
Lo! he hath spread out over it, his lightning, The bed of the sea, hath he covered.

Job 38:19
Where then is the way, the light shall abide? And, the darkness, where then is its place?

Psalms 33:6
By the word of Yahweh, the heavens were made, and, by the spirit of his mouth, all their host:

Psalms 33:9
For, he, spake, and it was, He, commanded, and it stood forth.

Psalms 97:11
Light, is sown for the righteous one, And, for the upright in heart, rejoicing:

Psalms 104:2
Putting on light, as a robe, Stretching out the heavens, as a curtain;

Psalms 118:27
Yahweh is GOD, and hath shed on us light, - Bind ye the festal sacrifice with cords, Up to the horns of the altar.

Psalms 148:5
Let them praise the Name of Yahweh, for, he, commanded, and they were created;

Isaiah 45:7
Forming light and creating darkness, Making prosperity, and creating misfortune, - I - Yahweh, who doeth all these.

Isaiah 60:19
Thou shalt no more have the sun, for light by day, neither for brightness, shall the moon, give light unto thee, - But Yahweh shall become thine age-abiding light, And thy God thine adorning:

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Therefore say thou unto them,.... This is an order from the Lord to Zechariah, to say unto them, in the name of the Lord:

thus saith the Lord of hosts; of the hosts above and below, of angels and of men, of heaven and earth, and all that is therein: this is said, that the greater regard might be had to his words:

turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts; by repentance, and acknowledgment of former sins; by reformation for the future; by attending to the worship and service of God, and seeking to glorify him. So the Targum, "return to my worship": this is not the condition of what follows, but what follows is the motive and encouragement to this:

and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts; to dwell among them, manifest himself unto and protect them. Three times the phrase, "the Lord of hosts", is used in this verse: it may be with respect to the three Persons in the Godhead, Father, Son, and Spirit; who manifest themselves unto, and take up their abode with, such as love the Lord, and keep his commandments; see John 14:21.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Therefore say thou - Literally, “And thou sayest,” that is, this having been so, it follows that thou sayest or must say, “Turn ye unto Me.” In some degree they had turned to God, for whose sake they had returned to their land; and again when, after some negligence Haggai 1:2-11, they renewed the building of the temple, and God had said, “I am with you” Haggai 1:13. But there needed yet a more inward, more complete turning, whereon God promises a yet nearer presence, as Malachi repeats the words Malachi 3:7, and James exhorts, “Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you” James 4:8. Those who have turned to God need ever to turn more into the center of the narrow way. As the soul opens itself more to God, God, whose communication of Himself is ever hindered only by our closing the door of our hearts against Him, enters more into it. “If a man love Me, he will keep My words, and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him” John 14:23.

Osorius: “People are said to be converted, when leaving behind them deceitful goods, they give their whole mind to God, bestowing no less pains and zeal on divine things than before on the nothings of life.”

Conc. Trid. Sess. vi. c. 5: “When it is said in Holy Scripture, “Turn unto Me and I will turn unto you,” we are admonished as to our own freedom; when we answer, “Turn us, Lord, unto Thee, and we shall be turned,” we confess that we are forecome by the grace of God.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Zechariah 1:3. Turn ye unto me — This shows that they had power to return, if they would but use it.

And I will turn unto you — I will show you mercy and grant you salvation, if you will use the grace I have already given you. Men are lost, because they turn not unto God; but no man is lost because he had not power to return. God gives this, and he will require it.