A Call to Justice and Mercy

1And it will be in the fourth year to Darius the king, the word of Jehovah was to Zechariah in the fourth to the ninth month, in Chisleu; 2And he will send to the house of God, the chief of the treasure, and the friend of the king, and his men to beseech the face of Jehovah. 3To speak to the priests which were to the house of Jehovah of armies, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself according as I did, how many the years? 4And the word of Jehovah of armies was to me, saying, 5Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh, and this seventy years, fasting, fasted ye to me, me? 6And when ye shall eat, and when ye shall drink, are ye not eating, and are ye not drinking? 7Is it not the words which Jehovah called by the hand of the former prophets in Jerusalem being inhabited and in security, and its cities round about her, and inhabiting the south and the low country?

8And the word of Jehovah will be to Zechariah, saying, 9Thus said Jehovah of armies, saying. Judge ye the judgment of truth, and do mercy and compassions each to his brother. 10And the widow and the orphan, the stranger and the poor, ye shall not oppress; and ye shall not purpose evil in your heart a man to his brother. 11And they will refuse to attend, and they will give a stubborn shoulder, and their ears they made heavy from hearing. 12And their heart they set a diamond from hearing the instruction and the words which Jehovah of armies sent by his spirit by the hand of the former prophets: and there will be great wrath from Jehovah of armies. 13And it will be as he called and they heard not; so they shall call, and I will not hear, said Jehovah of armies: 14And I will toss them about among all the nations which they knew not: and the land was desolate after them from passing through and from turning back: and they shall set the land of desire for a desolation.