Zechariah 7

1 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius that the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, in Kislev;

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.

2 When they had sent unto Beth-el Sherezer and Regem-melech, and his men, to make entreaty before the Lord.

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

3 [And] to say unto the priests who were in the house of the Lord of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Shall I weep in the fifth month with abstinence, as I have done already these many years?

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?

4 Then came the word of the Lord of hosts unto me, saying,

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

5 Say unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, as followeth, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh [month], already these seventy years, did ye in anywise fast for me, yea, for me?

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?

6 And if ye do eat, and if ye do drink, are ye not yourselves those that eat, and yourselves those that drink?

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

7 Are not these the words which the Lord hath proclaimed by means of the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, with her cities round about her, when [men] inhabited the south, and the lowlands?

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?

8 And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying,

And the word of Jehovah came to Zechariah, saying,

9 Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true justice, and show kindness and mercy every man to his brother;

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

10 And defraud not the widow, or the fatherless, the stranger, or the poor; and imagine not evil in your heart one against the other.

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.

11 But they refused to listen, and turned away rebelliously the shoulder, and stopped their ears, so as not to hear;

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

12 And their heart they rendered as an adamant, so as not to hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent through his spirit, by means of the former prophets: wherefore came a great anger from the Lord of hosts.

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.

13 And it is come to pass, that as he proclaimed, and they would not hear: so had they to call, and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts;

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.

14 And I resolved to scatter them with a storm-wind among all the nations that they had not known; and the land was left desolate after them, without any one to pass through it forward or backward; and the pleasant land have they changed into a desert.

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.