1 A nd in the fourth year of the reign of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, Chislev.

In the fourth year of king Darius, Yahweh’s word came to Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Chislev.

2 N ow the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men to pray and entreat the favor of the Lord

The people of Bethel sent Sharezer and Regem Melech, and their men, to entreat Yahweh’s favor,

3 A nd to speak to the priests 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 ?

and to speak to the priests of the house of Yahweh of Armies, and to the prophets, saying, “Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?”

4 T hen came the word of the Lord of hosts to me, saying,

Then the word of Yahweh of Armies came to me, saying,

5 S peak to all the people of the land and to the priests, saying, When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months, even those seventy years you were in exile, was it for Me that you fasted, for Me?

“Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, 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 A nd when you ate and when you drank, did you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves?

When you eat, and when you drink, don’t you eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?

7 S hould you not hear the words which the Lord cried by the former prophets when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity with her cities round about her, and the South (the Negeb) and the lowlands were inhabited?

Aren’t these the words which Yahweh proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and its cities around her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?’”

8 A nd the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying,

Yahweh’s word came to Zechariah, saying,

9 T hus has the Lord of hosts spoken: Execute true judgment and show mercy and kindness and tender compassion, every man to his brother;

“Thus has Yahweh of Armies spoken, saying, ‘Execute true judgment, and show kindness and compassion every man to his brother.

10 A nd oppress not the widow or the fatherless, the temporary resident or the poor, and let none of you devise or imagine or think evil against his brother in your heart.

Don’t 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 B ut they refused to listen and turned a rebellious and stubborn shoulder and made heavy and dull their ears that they might not hear.

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

12 Y es, they made their hearts as an adamant stone or diamond point, lest they should hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore there came great wrath from the Lord of hosts.

Yes, they made their hearts as hard as flint, lest they might hear the law, and the words which Yahweh of Armies had sent by his Spirit by the former prophets. Therefore great wrath came from Yahweh of Armies.

13 S o it came to pass that as He cried and they would not hear, So they shall cry and I will not answer, says the Lord of hosts,

It has come to pass that, as he called, and they refused to listen, so they will call, and I will not listen,” said Yahweh of Armies;

14 B ut I will scatter them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they know not and who know not them. Thus the land was desolate after they had gone, so that no man passed through or returned, for they had laid waste and forsaken the pleasant land (the land of desire).

“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.”