Zechariah 7

1 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of Jehovah came to Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chislev.

And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the Lord came to Zacharias, in the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Casleu.

2 Now those of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech, and their men, to entreat the favor of Jehovah,

When Sarasar, and Rogommelech, and the men that were with him, sent to the house of God, to entreat the face of the Lord:

3 and to speak to the priests of the house of Jehovah of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?

To speak to the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts, and to the prophets, saying: Must I weep in the fifth month, or must I sanctify myself as I have now done for many years?

4 Then the word of Jehovah of hosts came to me, saying,

And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying:

5 Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month, even these seventy years, did ye at all fast to me, even to me?

Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying: When you fasted, and mourned in the fifth and the seventh month for these seventy years: did you keep a fast unto me?

6 And when ye eat, and when ye drink, do ye not eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?

And when you did eat and drink, did you not eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?

7 Should ye not hear the words which Jehovah cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?

Are not these the words which the Lord spoke by the hand of the former prophets, when Jerusalem as yet was inhabited, and was wealthy, both itself and the cities round about it, and there were inhabitants towards the south, and in the plain?

8 And the word of Jehovah came to Zechariah, saying,

And the word of the Lord came to Zacharias, saying:

9 Thus Jehovah of hosts has spoken, saying, Execute true justice, and show kindness and compassion every man to his brother.

Thus saith the Lord of hosts, saying: Judge ye true judgment, and shew ye mercy and compassion every man to his brother.

10 And do not oppress the widow, nor the fatherless, the sojourner, nor the poor man. And let none of you devise evil against his brother in your heart.

And oppress not the widow, and the fatherless, and the stranger, and the poor: and let not a man devise evil in his heart against his brother.

11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear.

But they would not hearken, and they turned away the shoulder to depart: and they stopped their ears, not to hear.

12 Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which Jehovah of hosts had sent by his Spirit by the former prophets. Therefore great wrath came from Jehovah of hosts.

And they made their heart as the adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts sent in his spirit by the hand of the former prophets: so a great indignation came from the Lord of hosts.

13 And it has come to pass that, as he cried, and they would not hear, so they shall cry, and I will not hear, said Jehovah of hosts.

And it came to pass that as he spoke, and they heard not: so shall they cry, and I will not hear, saith the Lord of hosts.

14 But I will scatter them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they have not known. Thus the land was desolate after them, so that no man passed through nor returned. For they laid the pleasant land desolate.

And I dispersed them throughout all kingdoms, which they know not: and the land was left desolate behind them, so that no man passed through or returned: and they changed the delightful land into a wilderness.