1
And it is made in the fourth year of Darius, king, the word of the Lord was made to Zechariah, in the fourth day of the ninth month, that is Chisleu, that is, November. (And it was done in the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord was made to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, that is Chisleu, or November.)
2
And Sherezer, and Regemmelech, and men that were with them, sent to the house of the Lord, for to pray the face of the Lord; (And Sherezer, and Regemmelech, and the men who were with them, sent word to the House of the Lord, for them to pray to the Lord;)
3
that they should say to priests of the house of the Lord of hosts, and to prophets, and speak, Whether it is to weep to me in the fifth month, either I shall hallow me, as I did now many years? (and so that they could ask the priests of the House of the Lord of hosts, and the prophets, Is it for me to weep and to consecrate, or to dedicate, myself in the fifth month, as I have done now for so many years?)
4
And the word of the Lord [of hosts] was made to me, and said,
5
Speak thou to all the people of the land, and to priests, and say thou, When ye fasted, and wailed in the fifth and seventh month(s), by these seventy years, whether ye fasted a fast to me? (Speak thou to all the people of the land, and to the priests, and say thou, When ye fasted, and wailed in the fifth month and in the seventh month, during those seventy years, did ye ever fast in honour of me?)
6
And when ye ate, and drank, whether ye ate not to you, and drank not to yourselves? (And when ye ate, and drank, did ye not eat, and drink, to please only yourselves?)
7
Whether the words of prophets be not, which the Lord spake in the hand of the former prophets, when yet Jerusalem was inhabited, and was full of riches, and it, and the cities thereof in compass thereof, and at the south and in field place was inhabited? (Were not these the words of the prophets, which the Lord spoke by the earlier prophets, or by the prophets of old, when Jerusalem was still inhabited, and was full of riches, and it, and the cities there all around it, and to the south, or in the Negeb, and on the lowlands, or on the Shephelah, were all inhabited?)
8
And the word of the Lord was made to Zechariah, and said,
9
The Lord of hosts saith these things, and speaketh, Deem ye true doom, and do ye mercy, and doings of mercy, each man with his brother. (The Lord of hosts speaketh these things, and saith, Judge ye with true justice, and do ye mercy, and doings of mercy, each man with his brother/each person with his neighbour.)
10
And do not ye falsely challenge a widow, and fatherless, either motherless, and comeling, and poor man; and a man think not in his heart evil to his brother. (And do not ye oppress a widow, or the fatherless, or the motherless, child, or a newcomer, that is, a stranger, or a poor person; and do not let anyone think evil in his heart against his brother, or against his neighbour.)
