New Century Version NCV
Good News Translation GNT
1 In the fourth year Darius was king, on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is called Kislev, the Lord spoke his word to Zechariah.
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In the fourth year that Darius was emperor, on the fourth day of the ninth month (the month of Kislev), the Lord gave me a message.
2 The city of Bethel sent Sharezer, Regem-Melech, and their men to ask the Lord a question.
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The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and their men to the Temple of the Lord Almighty to pray for the Lord's blessing
3 They went to the prophets and priests who were at the Temple of the Lord All-Powerful. The men said, "For years in the fifth month of each year we have shown our sadness and gone without food. Should we continue to do this?"
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and to ask the priests and the prophets this question: "Should we continue to mourn because of the destruction of the Temple, by fasting in the fifth month as we have done for so many years now?"
4 The Lord All-Powerful spoke his word to me, saying,
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This is the message of the Lord that came to me.
5 "Tell the priests and the people in the land: 'For seventy years you went without food and cried in the fifth and seventh months, but that was not really for me.
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He said, "Tell the people of the land and the priests that when they fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during these seventy years, it was not in honor of me.
6 And when you ate and drank, it was really for yourselves.
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And when they ate and drank, it was for their own satisfaction."
7 The Lord used the earlier prophets to say the same thing, when Jerusalem and the surrounding towns were at peace and wealthy, and people lived in the southern area and the western hills.'"
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This is what the Lord said through the earlier prophets at the time when Jerusalem was prosperous and filled with people and when there were many people living not only in the towns around the city but also in the southern region and in the western foothills.
8 And the Lord spoke his word to Zechariah again, saying,
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The Lord gave this message to Zechariah:
9 "This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: 'Do what is right and true. Be kind and merciful to each other.
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"Long ago I gave these commands to my people: "You must see that justice is done, and must show kindness and mercy to one another.
10 Don't hurt widows and orphans, foreigners or the poor; don't even think of doing evil to somebody else.'
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Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners who live among you, or anyone else in need. And do not plan ways of harming one another.'
11 "But they refused to pay attention; they were stubborn and did not want to listen anymore.
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"But my people stubbornly refused to listen. They closed their minds
12 They made their hearts as hard as rock and would not listen to the teachings of the Lord All-Powerful. And they would not hear the words he sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord All-Powerful became very angry.
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and made their hearts as hard as rock. Because they would not listen to the teaching which I sent through the prophets who lived long ago, I became very angry.
13 "'When I called to them, they would not listen. So when they called to me, I would not listen,' says the Lord All-Powerful.
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Because they did not listen when I spoke, I did not answer when they prayed.
14 'I scattered them like a hurricane to other countries they did not know. This good land was left so ruined behind them that no one could live there. They had made the desired land a ruin.'"
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Like a storm I swept them away to live in foreign countries. This good land was left a desolate place, with no one living in it."
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.