זכריה 7

1 וַֽיְהִי בִּשְׁנַת אַרְבַּע לְדָרְיָוֶשׁ הַמֶּלֶךְ הָיָה דְבַר־יְהוָה אֶל־זְכַרְיָה בְּאַרְבָּעָה לַחֹדֶשׁ הַתְּשִׁעִי בְּכִסְלֵֽו׃

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 וַיִּשְׁלַח בֵּֽית־אֵל שַׂר־אֶצֶר וְרֶגֶם מֶלֶךְ וַֽאֲנָשָׁיו לְחַלּוֹת אֶת־פְּנֵי יְהוָֽה׃

The people of Bethel sent Sharezer and Regem Melech, and their men, to entreat the LORD's favor,

3 לֵאמֹר אֶל־הַכֹּֽהֲנִים אֲשֶׁר לְבֵית־יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת וְאֶל־הַנְּבִיאִים לֵאמֹר הַֽאֶבְכֶּה בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַחֲמִשִׁי הִנָּזֵר כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי זֶה כַּמֶּה שָׁנִֽים׃

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 וַיְהִי דְּבַר־יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת אֵלַי לֵאמֹֽר׃

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

5 אֱמֹר אֶל־כָּל־עַם הָאָרֶץ וְאֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִים לֵאמֹר כִּֽי־צַמְתֶּם וְסָפוֹד בַּחֲמִישִׁי וּבַשְּׁבִיעִי וְזֶה שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה הֲצוֹם צַמְתֻּנִי אָֽנִי׃

"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 וְכִי תֹאכְלוּ וְכִי תִשְׁתּוּ הֲלוֹא אַתֶּם הָאֹכְלִים וְאַתֶּם הַשֹּׁתִֽים׃

When you eat, and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?

7 הֲלוֹא אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר קָרָא יְהוָה בְּיַד הַנְּבִיאִים הָרִֽאשֹׁנִים בִּהְיוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַם יֹשֶׁבֶת וּשְׁלֵוָה וְעָרֶיהָ סְבִיבֹתֶיהָ וְהַנֶּגֶב וְהַשְּׁפֵלָה יֹשֵֽׁב׃

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 וַֽיְהִי דְּבַר־יְהוָה אֶל־זְכַרְיָה לֵאמֹֽר׃

The word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying,

9 כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת לֵאמֹר מִשְׁפַּט אֱמֶת שְׁפֹטוּ וְחֶסֶד וְרַֽחֲמִים עֲשׂוּ אִישׁ אֶת־אָחִֽיו׃

"Thus has the LORD of hosts spoken, saying, 'Execute true judgment, and show kindness and compassion every man to his brother.

10 וְאַלְמָנָה וְיָתוֹם גֵּר וְעָנִי אַֽל־תַּעֲשֹׁקוּ וְרָעַת אִישׁ אָחִיו אַֽל־תַּחְשְׁבוּ בִּלְבַבְכֶֽם׃

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 וַיְמָאֲנוּ לְהַקְשִׁיב וַיִּתְּנוּ כָתֵף סֹרָרֶת וְאָזְנֵיהֶם הִכְבִּידוּ מִשְּׁמֽוֹעַ׃

But they refused to listen, and turned their backs, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear.

12 וְלִבָּם שָׂמוּ שָׁמִיר מִשְּׁמוֹעַ אֶת־הַתּוֹרָה וְאֶת־הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַח יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת בְּרוּחוֹ בְּיַד הַנְּבִיאִים הָרִֽאשֹׁנִים וַֽיְהִי קֶצֶף גָּדוֹל מֵאֵת יְהוָה צְבָאֽוֹת׃

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 וַיְהִי כַאֲשֶׁר־קָרָא וְלֹא שָׁמֵעוּ כֵּן יִקְרְאוּ וְלֹא אֶשְׁמָע אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאֽוֹת׃

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 וְאֵסָעֲרֵם עַל כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־יְדָעוּם וְהָאָרֶץ נָשַׁמָּה אַֽחֲרֵיהֶם מֵֽעֹבֵר וּמִשָּׁב וַיָּשִׂימוּ אֶֽרֶץ־חֶמְדָּה לְשַׁמָּֽה׃

"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."