| English Standard Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 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. | 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. |
| 2Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men to entreat the favor of the LORD, | 2Now the town of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and their men to seek the favor of the LORD, |
| 3saying to the priests of the house of the LORD of hosts and the prophets, “Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, 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: | 4Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, |
| 5“Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? | 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? |
| 6And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? | 6'When you eat and drink, do you not eat for yourselves and do you not drink for yourselves? |
| 7Were not these the words that the LORD proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, with her cities around her, 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?'" |
| 8And 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, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, | 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, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” | 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.' |
| 11But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear. | 11"But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing. |
| 12They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger 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. |
| 13“As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear,” 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“and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known. Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went to and fro, and the pleasant land was made 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." |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. 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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