The Book of Zechariah, Chapter 7זכריה 7

וַֽיְהִי֙ בִּשְׁנַ֣ת אַרְבַּ֔ע לְדָרְיָ֖וֶשׁ הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ הָיָ֨ה דְבַר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל זְכַרְיָ֗ה בְּאַרְבָּעָ֛ה לַחֹ֥דֶשׁ הַתְּשִׁעִ֖י בְּכִסְלֵֽו

And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, the word of YHWH came to Zechariah in the fourth of the ninth month, in Chisleu;

וַיִּשְׁלַח֙ בֵּֽית אֵ֔ל שַׂר אֶ֕צֶר וְרֶ֥גֶם מֶ֖לֶךְ וַֽאֲנָשָׁ֑יו לְחַלּ֖וֹת אֶת פְּנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה

When they had sent to the house of God Sherezer and Regemmelech, and their men, to pray before YHWH,

לֵאמֹ֗ר אֶל הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ לְבֵית יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת וְאֶל הַנְּבִיאִ֖ים לֵאמֹ֑ר הַֽאֶבְכֶּה֙ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַחֲמִשִׁ֔י הִנָּזֵ֕ר כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֔יתִי זֶ֖ה כַּמֶּ֥ה שָׁנִֽים

to speak to the priests which in the house of YHWH of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?

וַיְהִ֛י דְּבַר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר

Then came the word of YHWH of hosts to me, saying,

אֱמֹר֙ אֶל כָּל עַ֣ם הָאָ֔רֶץ וְאֶל הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים לֵאמֹ֑ר כִּֽי צַמְתֶּ֨ם וְסָפ֜וֹד בַּחֲמִישִׁ֣י וּבַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י וְזֶה֙ שִׁבְעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה הֲצ֥וֹם צַמְתֻּ֖נִי אָֽנִי

Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh , even those seventy years, did you at all fast to me, to me?

וְכִ֥י תֹאכְל֖וּ וְכִ֣י תִשְׁתּ֑וּ הֲל֤וֹא אַתֶּם֙ הָאֹ֣כְלִ֔ים וְאַתֶּ֖ם הַשֹּׁתִֽים

And when you did eat, and when you did drink, did not you eat , and drink ?

הֲל֣וֹא אֶת הַדְּבָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר קָרָ֤א יְהוָה֙ בְּיַד֙ הַנְּבִיאִ֣ים הָרִֽאשֹׁנִ֔ים בִּהְי֤וֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֨ם֙ יֹשֶׁ֣בֶת וּשְׁלֵוָ֔ה וְעָרֶ֖יהָ סְבִיבֹתֶ֑יהָ וְהַנֶּ֥גֶב וְהַשְּׁפֵלָ֖ה יֹשֵֽׁב

not the words which YHWH has cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when inhabited the south and the plain?

וַֽיְהִי֙ דְּבַר יְהוָ֔ה אֶל זְכַרְיָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר

And the word of YHWH came to Zechariah, saying,

כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֛ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת לֵאמֹ֑ר מִשְׁפַּ֤ט אֱמֶת֙ שְׁפֹ֔טוּ וְחֶ֣סֶד וְרַֽחֲמִ֔ים עֲשׂ֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ אֶת אָחִֽיו

Thus speaketh YHWH of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:

וְאַלְמָנָ֧ה וְיָת֛וֹם גֵּ֥ר וְעָנִ֖י אַֽל תַּעֲשֹׁ֑קוּ וְרָעַת֙ אִ֣ישׁ אָחִ֔יו אַֽל תַּחְשְׁב֖וּ בִּלְבַבְכֶֽם

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.

וַיְמָאֲנ֣וּ לְהַקְשִׁ֔יב וַיִּתְּנ֥וּ כָתֵ֖ף סֹרָ֑רֶת וְאָזְנֵיהֶ֖ם הִכְבִּ֥ידוּ מִשְּׁמֽוֹעַ

But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.

וְלִבָּ֞ם שָׂ֣מוּ שָׁמִ֗יר מִ֠שְּׁמוֹעַ אֶת הַתּוֹרָ֤ה וְאֶת הַדְּבָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר שָׁלַ֜ח יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ בְּרוּח֔וֹ בְּיַ֖ד הַנְּבִיאִ֣ים הָרִֽאשֹׁנִ֑ים וַֽיְהִי֙ קֶ֣צֶף גָּד֔וֹל מֵאֵ֖ת יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת

Yea, they made their hearts an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which YHWH of hosts has sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from YHWH of hosts.

וַיְהִ֥י כַאֲשֶׁר קָרָ֖א וְלֹ֣א שָׁמֵ֑עוּ כֵּ֤ן יִקְרְאוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א אֶשְׁמָ֔ע אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת

Therefore it is come to pass, as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, says YHWH of hosts:

וְאֵ֣סָעֲרֵ֗ם עַ֤ל כָּל הַגּוֹיִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא יְדָע֔וּם וְהָאָ֨רֶץ֙ נָשַׁ֣מָּה אַֽחֲרֵיהֶ֔ם מֵֽעֹבֵ֖ר וּמִשָּׁ֑ב וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ אֶֽרֶץ חֶמְדָּ֖ה לְשַׁמָּֽה

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.