Zechariah 7
1 And in the fourth yeere of King Darius, the worde of the Lord came vnto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth moneth, euen in Chisleu,
It happened in the fourth year of king Daryavesh that the word of the LORD came to Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Chislev.
2 For they had sent vnto the House of God Sharezer, and Regem-melech and their men to pray before the Lord,
The people of Bethel sent Sharezer and Regem Melech, and their men, to entreat the LORD's favor,
3 And to speake vnto the Priests, which were in the House of the Lord of hostes, and to the Prophets, saying, Should I weepe in the fift moneth, and separate my selfe as I haue done these so many yeeres?
and to speak to the cohanim of the house of the LORD 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 Then came the word of the Lord of hostes vnto me, saying,
Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying,
5 Speake vnto all the people of the land, and to the Priests, and say, When ye fasted, and mourned in the fift and seuenth moneth, euen the seuentie yeeres, did ye fast vnto me? doe I approoue it?
"Speak to all the people of the land, and to the cohanim, saying, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month for these seventy years, did you at all fast to me, really to me?
6 And when ye did eate, and when ye did drinke, did ye not eate for your selues, and drinke for your selues?
When you eat, and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?
7 Should ye not heare the wordes, which the Lord hath cryed by the ministerie of the former Prophets when Ierusalem was inhabited, and in prosperitie, and the cities thereof round about her, when the South and the plaine was inhabited?
Aren't these the words which the LORD proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and its cities around her, and the Negev and the lowland were inhabited?'"
8 And the worde of the Lord came vnto Zechariah, saying,
The word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying,
9 Thus speaketh the Lord of hostes, saying, Execute true iudgement, and shewe mercy and compassion, euery man to his brother,
"Thus has the LORD of hosts spoken, saying, 'Execute true judgment, and show kindness and compassion every man to his brother.
10 And oppresse not the widowe, nor the fatherles, the stranger nor the poore, and let none of you imagine euil against his brother in your heart.
Do not oppress the widow, nor the fatherless, the foreigner, nor the poor; and let none of you devise evil against his brother in your heart.'
11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their eares, that they should not heare.
But they refused to listen, and turned their backs, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear.
12 Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, least they should heare the Lawe and the wordes which the Lord of hostes sent in his spirit by the ministerie of ye former Prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hostes.
Yes, they made their hearts as hard as flint, lest they might hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by his Ruach by the former prophets. Therefore great wrath came from the LORD of hosts.
13 Therefore it is come to passe, that as he cried, and they would not heare, so they cried, and I would not heare, sayth the Lord of hostes.
It has come to pass that, as he called, and they refused to listen, so they will call, and I will not listen," said the LORD of hosts;
14 But I scattered them among all the nations, whom they knew not: thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they layd the pleasant land waste.
"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 made the pleasant land desolate."
