| New King James Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Now in the fourth year of King Darius it came to pass that the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Chislev, | 1In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. |
| 2when the people sent Sherezer, with Regem-Melech and his men, to the house of God, to pray before the LORD, | 2Now the town of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and their men to seek the favor of the LORD, |
| 3and to ask the priests who were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and the prophets, saying, “Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?” | 3speaking to the priests who belong to the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, "Shall I weep in the fifth month and abstain, as I have done these many years?" |
| 4Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, | 4Then the word of the LORD 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 during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me? | 5"Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted? |
| 6When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves? | 6'When you eat and drink, do you not eat for yourselves and do you not drink for yourselves? |
| 7Should you not have obeyed the words which the LORD proclaimed through the former prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around it were inhabited and prosperous, and the South and the Lowland were inhabited?’ ” | 7Are not these the words which the LORD proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous along with its cities around it, and the Negev and the foothills were inhabited?'" |
| 8Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying, | 8Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah saying, |
| 9“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion Everyone to his brother. | 9"Thus has the LORD of hosts said, 'Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; |
| 10Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, The alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart Against his brother.’ | 10and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.' |
| 11“But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. | 11"But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing. |
| 12Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the LORD of hosts. | 12"They made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the LORD of hosts. |
| 13Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen,” says the LORD of hosts. | 13"And just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen," says the LORD of hosts; |
| 14“But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate.” | 14"but I scattered them with a storm wind among all the nations whom they have not known. Thus the land is desolated behind them so that no one went back and forth, for they made the pleasant land desolate." |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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