And it came to pass in the fourth year
of king
Darius
, that the word
of the LORD
came unto Zechariah
in the fourth
day of the ninth
month
, even in Chisleu
;
When they had sent unto the house
of God
Sherezer
and Regemmelech
, and their men
, to pray
before
the LORD
,
And to speak unto the priests
which were in 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
?
Then came the word of the LORD
of hosts
unto me, saying
,
Speak unto all the people
of the land
, and to the priests
, saying
, When ye fasted
and mourned
in the fifth
and seventh
month , even those seventy
years
, did ye at all
fast
unto me, even to me?
And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink
, did not ye eat
for yourselves , and drink
for yourselves ?
Should ye not hear the words which the LORD
hath cried
by
the former
prophets
, when Jerusalem
was inhabited
and in prosperity
, and the cities
thereof round about her
, when men inhabited
the south
and the plain
?
And the word of the LORD
came unto Zechariah
, saying
,
Thus speaketh the LORD
of hosts
, saying
, Execute
true
judgment
, and shew
mercy
and compassions
every man
to his brother
:
And oppress not the widow
, nor the fatherless
, the stranger
, nor the poor
; and let none of you imagine
evil
against
his brother
in your heart
.
But they refused to hearken
, and pulled away
the shoulder
, and stopped
their ears
, that they should not hear
.
Yea, they made their hearts
as an adamant stone
, lest they should hear
the law
, and the words
which the LORD
of hosts
hath sent
in his spirit
by
the former
prophets
: therefore came a great
wrath
from the LORD
of hosts
.
Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear
; so they cried
, and I would not hear
, saith
the LORD
of hosts
:
But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations
whom they knew
not. Thus the land
was desolate
after
them, that no man passed through
nor returned
: for they laid
the pleasant
land
desolate
.