Nahum (Chapters 1-3)
Nahum’s pronouncement against the [Assyrian capital] Nineveh: “YHWH is slow to anger but eventually becomes vengeful. He’s very powerful, being able to dry the sea and make mountains quake. Who can resist him? Why would you plot against him seing that you can never oppose him twice? Those among you who resisted YHWH have actually left you. Now YHWH, will afflict you no more [unclear, contradicted by what follows] and sweep away your name and your temples and gods.”
“A herald will announce to Judah that never again will scoundrels invade their land. Brace yourselves, nations! YHWH is avenging Israel by creating another force that will devastate you. Its warriors are fearsome and will breach your walls. Nineveh will be desolate. Now others flee before you, but soon they will plunder you. What will have become of the lion’s den then?”
YHWH says: “Nineveh is a city of constant violence, of endless sorcery and prostitution. I will disfigure you. I will lift your skirts up and show your nakedness to the other nations. You’ll be no better than any other powerful nations which are exiled, their babies dashed to pieces. So get ready for the siege. Your noblemen will be bound in chains. Your traders were like stars and your guards like locusts. They will all disperse. Everyone who suffered at your hands will cheer your destruction.”
Habakkuk (Chapters 1-3)
Habakkuk to YHWH: “How long will I continue to complain to you (about the violence that’s happening) and get no answer? The onslaught of the Chaldeans [Babylonians] has been terrible. They are like vultures, tearing through the land. How can you stand by while the wrong devours the right [Israel], whom you have made as helpless as the fish in the sea?”
YHWH’s answer: “Write down my prophecy (which even if late will eventually come to pass). I reward righteous people with a good life, how can anyone think I’ll let evildoers prosper? Their days are numbered. They plundered many nations so other nations will plunder them. All of you [this might be a general address, not just to the Chaldeans] who have founded empires of crime, oppressed people, made people drink so you can have your way with them, all will be destroyed. And you who worship idols, can’t you see that they’re just dead artifacts that can’t give oracles or save you?”
Habakkuk to YHWH: “I am awed by you and your compassion. Indeed, YHWH is coming in a brilliant light, bringing pestilence and plague to the evildoers, making nations tremble. YHWH’s power will stop the sun and make mountains tremble. YHWH will trample other nations to save Judah from those who would attack it. I await this day calmly. Even though things are hard now with poor crops and rumours of war — still YHWH is my strength.”
Zephaniah (Chapters 1-3)
The word of Zephania son of Cushi [ie. “the Ethiopian”] during the reign of king Josiah of Judah [see Kings]. YHWH says: “I will sweep everything away and destroy humanity. I will wipe out Baal from Judah and Jerusalem, everyone who worships idols, commits fraud or has forsaken me. There will be a great outcry. Those who are indifferent to me will be wiped out too, the rich and tradesmen will not get to enjoy their wealth. A terrible day of calamity and destruction is coming because of the people’s sins.”
“Gather together, shameless [Canaanite] nations, and repent, before I get you too. Perhaps you’ll be spared. All your cities will be destroyed, because you have insulted and gloated over Israel. Your nations will become desolate and the remainder of Israel will possess them. I will make every idol in the world shrivel so all other nations worship me alone. Even your most secure cities (that are considered bastions of civilisation) will become wastes and lairs for beasts.”
“Jerusalem is a harlot city for not trusting me. Its judges are like wolves that leave nothing. Why haven’t you learned from all the other nations I’ve destroyed? Still, after I pour out my anger, I’ll make the remnant pure and humble. Those who remain will do no wrong. Then, a shout of joy will cry over Jerusalem, that I have forgiven Israel. At that time I’ll defeat your enemies and soothe you and make you the most renowned nation on earth.”
Haggai (Chapters 1-2)
In the time of King Darius [the Persian who ended the Babylonian exile and let the Jews return to Israel], YHWH tells Haggai to speak to Zerubbabel the [Persian-appointed Jewish] governor of Judah and to the high priest. “You say it’s not yet time to rebuild the Temple. How long will you wait? Especially since you two are well-off! It’s because of this delay that the people [who have returned from the exile] aren’t doing so well with agriculture. It’s a punishment for attending to your own houses while My House is still in ruins.”
The governor and the high priest take heed, gather the people and begin reconstruction. YHWH says: “Most of you haven’t seen the original Temple — this one is a shabby replacement. But don’t worry since I am with you now and I will bring the kind of prosperity you’d need to decorate the Temple properly. This second Temple will be more glorious than the first.”
YHWH gets Haggai to ask the priests if sacred meat makes other objects holy upon touching them and whether a corpse defiles other objects upon touching them. Their answer is no and yes. YHWH says: “Just as unsavoury things spread defilement but not vice versa, so too does bad behaviour make me look unfavourably on Israel [and is not cancelled out by your good behaviour]. I have struck you down before but since you’ve built the foundation of the new temple, things will improve.” YHWH promises to establish the governor of Judah and overturn Israel’s enemies.
Zechariah (Chapters 1-14)
YHWH speaks through Zechariah in the reign of the Persian King Darius: “Turn back to me (unlike your sinful fathers) and I’ll turn back to you.” YHWH shows him a vision of a man on a horse with white horses behind him. The man is YHWH and he is angry with the nations for overdoing his intended punishment on Israel. The horses are his army. The next vision: 4 horns which are the 4 winds through which Israel has been scattered (which they’ll be gathered from). Next vision: a man holding a measuring line about to measure how big Jerusalem is to be
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Next vision: Joshua the high priest standing before YHWH and Satan [the accusing angel] saying he was plucked from the fire [his grandfather was executed and his father exiled] but now YHWH will redeem him and make him part of the rebuilding if he listens to YHWH. Next vision: a seven-piped lampstand and 2 olive trees. The lamp is YHWH’s seven eyes looking over earth (to proclaim the future rebuilding of the Temple by Zerubbabel). The trees are the king and high priest overseeing reconstruction. Next: a flying scroll, showing that whoever has stolen or sworn falsely (as is forbidden on said scroll) will be punished. Next: a tub with a woman representing wickedness. It’s meant to be carried out to Shinar [Babylonia]. Next: 4 chariots with different coloured horses; these are the 4 winds [again, apparently].
YHWH gets Zechariah to make crowns for Joshua and others involved in the rebuilding. The community asks if they should continue their annual fast mourning the destruction of the Temple (since it’s being rebuilt). YHWH: “Was the fast for my benefit? No, it was for yours. I just wanted you to do justice but your forefathers paid no heed, causing the exile and leading to the land’s desolation. Still, I’m zealous for Jerusalem now and will bring my people here. I used to bait people against each other but will do so no more. Neither will I keep the land barren. Cleave to righteousness. [Eventually or in the Messianic time or during some other future time],the current fasts will turn to celebrations. Everyone will be righteous and all nations will come to enquire about me in Jerusalem and the Jews will lead them to me.”
YHWH will subdue Tyre, Sidon, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ashdod and Philistia and put the Israelites over them. Rejoice, Jerusalem! Your king is coming: victorious, yet humble enough to ride a donkey, a donkey foaled by a she-ass. [This is the origin of the idea that Jesus would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey. In a hyper-literal misreading of this verse, Matthew has Jesus arrive apparently on TWO donkeys!] His rule will extend from sea to sea. YHWH will arouse the Jews against the Greeks and will protect them. YHWH will provide rain and [finally] answer prayers. Judah and Israel will be as though YHWH has never disowned them, he will gather them in from afar. [The next bit is unclear and out of context.] YHWH gets Zechariah to tend a sheep meant for slaughter (a sign that YHWH will NOT be protective of the people) and break two staffs called Favour and Unity (to show that YHWH will punish everyone). YHWH gets Zechariah to deposit his shepherding wages of 30 silver shekels in the Temple treasury.
YHWH says: “In the end, all the nations will besiege Jerusalem. I will strike them with blindness, make Judah overrun them and all but annihilate them. But, I will give the Jews compassion so they’ll beg me to spare them. There’ll be a great cry over the city. I will erase all idols. False prophets will always be killed from then on. 2/3 of the people will die. The other third I’ll purify with fire and they’ll be [worthy of being] my people. On the day of the siege, first Jerusalem will be captured, then I will help. There’ll be continuous daylight and I will stand on the Mount of Olives. Afterwards, I will be king over the whole world, with all calling me by name. Those who made war with Jerusalem will get various gruesome deaths. Surviving nations will make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem once a year for Sukkot to pay tribute to me and make sacrifices. Otherwise the whole earth will be perfect, united in worshipping me.”
Malachi (Chapters 1-3)
[YHWH says]: “I have shown Israel love and by comparison have hated the nation of Edom and destroyed them. Why then do you not honour me? Why are your sacrifices [at the 2nd, rebuilt temple after the end of the Babylonian exile] so scornful? I am honoured by other nations too, your service is therefore nothing special now. This is especially a warning to the priests: if you don’t mend your ways I will curse you and smear dung on your faces for disregarding the Levitical rites.”
“The Israelites have broken their faith with me, especially in forsaking their wives of their youth — and I hate divorce. I am sending an angel. He will be like a smelter: purify the priests and destroy sorcerers, adulterers, those who cheat labourers and oppress the needy. Then will the sacrifices will be pleasing to me. From the very beginning [of the giving of the Torah], your forefathers have disobeyed the laws and you are still doing it. You defraud me of tithes and say it’s useless to worship me. If you stop, I will stop the curses that are on you. Otherwise I’ll keep track of all wrongdoing. The day is at hand when I’ll destroy the evildoers. I will send the prophet Elijah [who was taken up to heaven, see Kings] to reconcile parents with children and vice versa so that in my day of judgement there will be at least some righteous people and I won’t have to kill everyone.”
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