A paraphrasticall explication of the twelve minor prophets. Viz. Hoseah. Joel. Amos. Obadiah. Jonah. Micah. Nahum. Habakkuk. Zephaniah. Haggai. Zechariah. Malachi. / By Da. Stokes. D.D.

CHAP. I.

1. IN the eighth moneth, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Ze∣chariah, the son of Bara∣chiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,

2 The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers.

3 Therefore say thou un∣to 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.

4 Be not as your fathers unto whom the former Pro∣phets, have cried, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Turn ye now from your evil waies, and from your evill doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me saith the Lord.

5 Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?

6 But my words, and my statutes which I com∣manded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the Lord of hostes thought to do unto us, ac∣cording to our waies, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

7 Upon the four and twentieth day of the ele∣venth moneth, which is the moneth Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Ze∣chariah, the son of Bara∣chiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,

8 I saw by night, and behold, a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood a∣mong the myrtle-trees that were in the bottom, and be∣hind him were there red horses, speckled and white.

9 Then said I, O my Lord, what are these? And the Angel that talked with me, said unto me, I will shew thee what these be.

10 And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the Lord hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.

11 And they answered the angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle-trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.

12 Then the angel of the Lord answered, and said, O Lord of hostes, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Ierusalem, and on the ci∣ties of Iudah, against which thou hast had indignation these three-score and ten years?

13 And the Lord answe∣red the angel that talked with me, with good words and comfortable words.

14 So the angel that com∣muned with me, said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I am jealous for Ierusalem, and for Zion with a great jealousie.

15 And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the af∣fliction.

16 Therefore thus saith the Lord, I am returned to Ierusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Ierusalem.

17 Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, My cities through prosperitie shall yet be spread abroad, and the Lord shall yet com∣fort Zion, and shall ye choose Ierusalem.

18 Then lift I up mine eies, and saw, and be∣hold four hornes.

19 And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? and he an∣swered me, These are the hornes which have scattered Iudah, Israel, and Ieru∣salem.

20 And the Lord shew∣ed me four carpenters.

21 Then said I, What come these to do? and he spake, saying, These are the hornes which have scatter∣ed Iudah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lift up their horne over the land of Iudah to scatter it.