1 A nd it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of Jehovah came unto Zechariah on the fourth of the ninth month, in Chislev,

And 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.

2 w hen Bethel had sent Sherezer and Regem-melech, and his men, to supplicate Jehovah,

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

3 t o speak unto the priests that were in the house of Jehovah of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done now so many years?

And 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 ?

4 A nd the word of Jehovah of hosts came unto me, saying,

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

5 S peak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh, even those seventy years, did ye really fast unto me, unto me?

Speak 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?

6 A nd when ye ate, and when ye drank, was it not you that were eating and drinking?

And when you ate and when you drank, did you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves?

7 A re not these the words that Jehovah cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and at peace, and her cities round about her, when the south and the lowland were inhabited?

Should 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?

8 A nd the word of Jehovah came unto Zechariah, saying,

And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying,

9 T hus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew loving-kindness and mercies one to another,

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

10 a nd oppress not the widow and the fatherless, the stranger and the afflicted; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.

And 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.

11 B ut they refused to hearken, and turned a rebellious shoulder, and made their ears heavy, that they should not hear.

But they refused to listen and turned a rebellious and stubborn shoulder and made heavy and dull their ears that they might not hear.

12 A nd they made their heart an adamant, that they should not hear the law, and the words that Jehovah of hosts sent by his Spirit by the hand of the former prophets: therefore was there great wrath from Jehovah of hosts.

Yes, 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.

13 A nd it came to pass, like as he called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear, saith Jehovah of hosts;

So 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,

14 a nd I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not, and the land was desolate after them, so that no one passed through nor returned; and they laid the pleasant land desolate.

But 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).