Zacharias 7

1 And it came to pass in the fourth year of Darius the king, [that] the word of the Lord came to Zacharias on the fourth [day] of the ninth month, which is Chaseleu.

And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of YHWH came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu;

2 And Sarasar and Arbeseer the king and his men sent to Bethel, and [that] to propitiate the Lord,

When they had sent unto the house of El Sherezer and Regem-melech, and their men, to pray before YHWH,

3 speaking to the priests that were in the house of the Lord Almighty, and to the prophets, saying, The holy offering has come in hither in the fifth month, as it has done already many years.

And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of YHWH of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?

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

Then came the word of YHWH of hosts unto me, saying,

5 Speak to the whole people of the land, and to the priests, saying, Though ye fasted or lamented in the fifth or seventh [months] (yea, behold, these seventy years) have ye at all fasted to me?

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

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

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

7 Are not these the words which the Lord spoke by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and her cities round about her, and the hill country and the low country was inhabited?

Should ye not hear the words which YHWH hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?

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

And the word of YHWH came unto Zechariah, saying,

9 Thus saith the Lord Almighty; Judge righteous judgment, and deal mercifully and compassionately every one with his brother:

Thus speaketh YHWH of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:

10 and oppress not the widow, or the fatherless, or the stranger, or the poor; and let not one of you remember in his heart the injury of his brother.

And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.

11 But they refused to attend, and madly turned their back, and made their ears heavy, so that they should not hear.

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

12 And they made their heart disobedient, so as not to hearken to my law, and the words which the Lord Almighty sent forth by his Spirit by the former prophets: so there was great wrath from the Lord Almighty.

Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which YHWH of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from YHWH of hosts.

13 And it shall come to pass, [that] as he spoke, and they hearkened not, so they shall cry, and I will not hearken, saith the Lord Almighty.

Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith YHWH of hosts:

14 And I will cast them out among all the nations, whom they know not; and the land behind them shall be made utterly destitute of any going through or returning: yea they have made the choice land a desolation.

But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.