1 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Loʀᴅ came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is ANeh 1:1Chislev. 2 Now the town of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and 1Lit histheir men to 2Lit soften the face ofA1 Kin 13:6; Jer 26:19; Zech 8:21seek the favor of the Loʀᴅ, 3 speaking to the AEzra 3:10-12priests who belong to the house of the Loʀᴅ of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, “Shall I weep in the BZech 8:19fifth month 1Lit abstaining; or dedicating myselfand abstain, as I have done these many years?” 4 Then the word of the Loʀᴅ of hosts came to me, saying, 5 “Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months 1Lit and thesethese AZech 1:12seventy years, was it actually for BIs 1:11, 12; 58:5Me that you fasted? 6  ‘When you eat and drink, 1Lit is it not you who eat and you who drinkdo you not eat for yourselves and do you not drink for yourselves? 7  ‘Are not these the words which the Loʀᴅ AIs 1:16-20; Jer 7:5, 23; Zech 1:4proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and 1Or at easeBJer 22:21prosperous along with its cities around it, and the 2I.e. South countryCJer 13:19; 32:44Negev and the 3Heb Shephelahfoothills were inhabited?’ ”

8 Then the word of the Loʀᴅ came to Zechariah saying, 9 “Thus has the Loʀᴅ of hosts said, ‘AEzek 18:8; 45:9; Zech 8:16Dispense true justice and practice B2 Sam 9:7; Job 6:14; Mic 6:8kindness and compassion each to his brother; 10 and AEx 22:22; Ps 72:4; Jer 7:6do not oppress the widow or the 1Or fatherlessorphan, the 2Or resident alienstranger or the poor; and do BPs 21:11; Mic 2:1; Zech 8:17not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’ 11  “But they AJer 5:3; 8:5; 11:10refused to pay attention and 1Lit gaveBJer 7:26; 17:23turned a stubborn shoulder and 2Lit made heavyCPs 58:4; Jer 5:21stopped their ears from hearing. 12  “They made their A2 Chr 36:13; Ezek 2:4; 3:7-9hearts like 1Lit corundumBJer 17:1; Ezek 3:9flint 2Lit from hearingso that they could not hear the law and the CZech 7:7words which the Loʀᴅ of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the DNeh 9:30former prophets; therefore great E2 Chr 36:16; Dan 9:11, 12wrath came from the Loʀᴅ of hosts. 13  “And just as AJer 11:10, 14; 14:12He called and they would not listen, so BProv 1:24-28; Is 1:15they called and I would not listen,” says the Loʀᴅ of hosts; 14 “but I 1Lit stormed them away upon allADeut 4:27; 28:64scattered them with a BJer 23:19storm wind among all the nations whom they have not known. Thus the land is CJer 44:6desolated behind them 2Lit from passing and from returningso that DIs 60:15no one went back and forth, for they EJer 12:10made the pleasant land desolate.”