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1. In King Darius' fourth year, on the fourth day of Kislev, the ninth month, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah.
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1. And it came to pass H1961 in the fourth H702 year H8141 of king H4428 Darius H1867 , that the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came H1961 unto H413 Zechariah H2148 in the fourth H702 day of the ninth H8671 month H2320 , even in Chisleu H3691 ;
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2. Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melech and their companions to seek the LORD's favor
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2. When they had sent H7971 unto the house of God H1008 Sherezer H8272 and Regem H7278 -melech , and their men H376 , to pray H2470 H853 before H6440 the LORD H3068 ,
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3. by asking both the priests of the temple of the LORD WHO RULES OVER ALL and the prophets, "Should we weep in the fifth month, fasting as we have done over the years?"
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3. And to speak H559 unto H413 the priests H3548 which H834 were in the house H1004 of the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 , and to H413 the prophets H5030 , saying H559 , Should I weep H1058 in the fifth H2549 month H2320 , separating myself H5144 , as H834 I have done H6213 these H2088 so many H4100 years H8141 ?
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4. The word of the LORD who rules over all then came to me,
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4. Then came H1961 the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 unto H413 me, saying H559 ,
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5. "Speak to all the people and priests of the land as follows: 'When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and seventh months through all these seventy years, did you truly fast for me� for me, indeed?
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5. Speak H559 unto H413 all H3605 the people H5971 of the land H776 , and to H413 the priests H3548 , saying H559 , When H3588 ye fasted H6684 and mourned H5594 in the fifth H2549 and seventh H7637 month , even those H2088 seventy H7657 years H8141 , did ye at all fast H6684 H6684 unto me, even to me H589 ?
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6. And now when you eat and drink, are you not doing so for yourselves?'"
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6. And when H3588 ye did eat H398 , and when H3588 ye did drink H8354 , did not H3808 ye H859 eat H398 for yourselves , and drink H8354 for yourselves ?
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7. Should you not have obeyed the words that the LORD cried out through the former prophets when Jerusalem was peacefully inhabited and her surrounding cities, the Negev, and the Shephelah were also populated?
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7. Should ye not H3808 hear H853 the words H1697 which H834 the LORD H3068 hath cried H7121 by H3027 the former H7223 prophets H5030 , when Jerusalem H3389 was H1961 inhabited H3427 and in prosperity H7961 , and the cities H5892 thereof round about H5439 her , when men inhabited H3427 the south H5045 and the plain H8219 ?
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8. Again the word of the LORD came to Zechariah:
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8. And the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came H1961 unto H413 Zechariah H2148 , saying H559 ,
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9. "The LORD who rules over all said, 'Exercise true judgment and show brotherhood and compassion to each other.
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9. Thus H3541 speaketh H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 , saying H559 , Execute H8199 true H571 judgment H4941 , and show H6213 mercy H2617 and compassions H7356 every man H376 to H854 his brother H251 :
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10. You must not oppress the widow, the orphan, the foreigner, or the poor, nor should anyone secretly plot evil against his fellow human being.'
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10. And oppress H6231 not H408 the widow H490 , nor the fatherless H3490 , the stranger H1616 , nor the poor H6041 ; and let none H408 of you imagine H2803 evil H7451 H376 against his brother H251 in your heart H3824 .
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11. "But they refused to pay attention, turning away stubbornly and stopping their ears so they could not hear.
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11. But they refused H3985 to hearken H7181 , and pulled H5414 away H5637 the shoulder H3802 , and stopped H3513 their ears H241 , that they should not hear H4480 H8085 .
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12. Indeed, they made their heart as hard as diamond, so that they could not obey the Torah and the other words the LORD who rules over all had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore, the LORD who rules over all had poured out great wrath.
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12. Yea , they made H7760 their hearts H3820 as an adamant stone H8068 , lest they should hear H4480 H8085 the H853 law H8451 , and the words H1697 which H834 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 hath sent H7971 in his spirit H7307 by H3027 the former H7223 prophets H5030 : therefore came H1961 a great H1419 wrath H7110 from H4480 H854 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 .
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13. "'It then came about that just as I cried out, but they would not obey, so they will cry out, but I will not listen,' the LORD LORD WHO RULES OVER ALL had said.
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13. Therefore it is come to pass H1961 , that as H834 he cried H7121 , and they would not H3808 hear H8085 ; so H3651 they cried H7121 , and I would not H3808 hear H8085 , saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 :
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14. 'Rather, I will sweep them away in a storm into all the nations they are not familiar with.' Thus the land had become desolate because of them, with no one crossing through or returning, for they had made the fruitful land a waste."
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14. But I scattered them with a whirlwind H5590 among H5921 all H3605 the nations H1471 whom H834 they knew H3045 not H3808 . Thus the land H776 was desolate H8074 after H310 them , that no man passed through H4480 H5674 nor returned H4480 H7725 : for they laid H7760 the pleasant H2532 land H776 desolate H8047 .
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