1 Zechariah|strong="H2148" received|strong="H1961" a|strong="H1961" message|strong="H1697" from|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0413" LORD|strong="H3068" in|strong="H8141" the|strong="H0413" fourth|strong="H0702" year|strong="H8141" that|strong="H1697" Darius|strong="H1867" was|strong="H1961" the|strong="H0413" king|strong="H4428" of|strong="H4428" Persia. This|strong="H1697" was|strong="H1961" on|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0413" fourth|strong="H0702" day|strong="H2320" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H0413" ninth|strong="H8671" month|strong="H2320" (Kislev|strong="H3691").
2 The|strong="H0853" people|strong="H0376" of|strong="H0376" Bethel|strong="H1008" sent|strong="H7971" Sharezer|strong="H8272", Regem-Melech, and|strong="H3068" his|strong="H3068" men|strong="H0376" to|strong="H3068" ask the|strong="H0853" LORD|strong="H3068" a|strong="H7971" question.
3 They|strong="H0834" went|strong="H0413" to|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0559" prophets|strong="H5030" and|strong="H3068" to|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0559" priests|strong="H3548" at|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0559" Temple|strong="H1004" of|strong="H1004" the|strong="H0559" LORD|strong="H3068" All-Powerful. They|strong="H0834" asked|strong="H0559" them|strong="H0413" this|strong="H2088" question: “For|strong="H0413" many|strong="H4100" years|strong="H8141" we|strong="H0834" have|strong="H0834" shown|strong="H6213" our|strong="H3068" sadness for|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0559" destruction of|strong="H1004" the|strong="H0559" Temple|strong="H1004". In|strong="H8141" the|strong="H0559" fifth|strong="H2549" month|strong="H2320" of|strong="H1004" each|strong="H2088" year|strong="H8141", we|strong="H0834" have|strong="H0834" had|strong="H3068" a|strong="H0834" special time|strong="H8141" of|strong="H1004" crying|strong="H1058" and|strong="H3068" fasting|strong="H5144". Should|strong="H4100" we|strong="H0834" continue to|strong="H0413" do|strong="H6213" this|strong="H2088"?”
4 I|strong="H1697" received|strong="H1961" this|strong="H1697" message|strong="H1697" from|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0559" LORD|strong="H3068" All-Powerful:
5 “Tell|strong="H0559" the|strong="H3605" priests|strong="H3548" and|strong="H0776" the|strong="H3605" other|strong="H2088" people|strong="H5971" in|strong="H8141" this|strong="H2088" country|strong="H0776" this|strong="H2088": ‘For|strong="H3588" seventy|strong="H7657" years|strong="H8141" you|strong="H3588" fasted|strong="H6684" and|strong="H0776" showed your|strong="H3605" sadness in|strong="H8141" the|strong="H3605" fifth|strong="H2549" month and|strong="H0776" in|strong="H8141" the|strong="H3605" seventh|strong="H7637" month. But|strong="H3588" was|strong="H0776" that|strong="H3588" fasting|strong="H6684" really|strong="H2088" for|strong="H3588" me|strong="H0413"?
6 And|strong="H0398" when|strong="H3588" you|strong="H0859" ate|strong="H0398" and|strong="H0398" drank|strong="H8354", was|strong="H3808" that|strong="H3588" for|strong="H3588" me|strong="H0398"? No|strong="H3808", it|strong="H3588" was|strong="H3808" for|strong="H3588" your|strong="H3588" own good.
7 The|strong="H0853" LORD|strong="H3068" used|strong="H1961" the|strong="H0853" earlier|strong="H7223" prophets|strong="H5030" to|strong="H1961" say|strong="H1697" the|strong="H0853" same|strong="H0853" thing|strong="H1697" long ago. That|strong="H0834" was|strong="H1961" when|strong="H1961" Jerusalem|strong="H3389" was|strong="H1961" still|strong="H3427" a|strong="H1961" rich city|strong="H5892" filled with|strong="H3068" people|strong="H3427" and|strong="H3068" there|strong="H1961" were|strong="H0834" still|strong="H3427" people|strong="H3427" living|strong="H3427" in|strong="H3427" the|strong="H0853" surrounding|strong="H5439" towns|strong="H5892", in|strong="H3427" the|strong="H0853" Negev|strong="H5045", and|strong="H3068" in|strong="H3427" the|strong="H0853" western foothills|strong="H8219".’”
8 This|strong="H1697" is|strong="H3068" the|strong="H0559" LORD’S|strong="H3068" message|strong="H1697" to|strong="H0413" Zechariah|strong="H2148":
9 “This|strong="H3541" is|strong="H3068" what|strong="H3541" the|strong="H0559" LORD|strong="H3068" All-Powerful said|strong="H0559":
10 Don’t|strong="H0408" hurt widows|strong="H0490" and|strong="H0376" orphans|strong="H3490",
11 But|strong="H3513" they|strong="H8085" refused|strong="H3985" to|strong="H8085" listen|strong="H8085"
12 They|strong="H0834" were|strong="H0834" very|strong="H1419" stubborn
13 So|strong="H3651" the|strong="H0559" LORD|strong="H3068" All-Powerful said|strong="H0559",
14 I|strong="H0834" will|strong="H0776" bring|strong="H7725" the|strong="H3605" other|strong="H3605" nations|strong="H1471" against|strong="H5921" them|strong="H5921" like|strong="H0834" a|strong="H7760" storm|strong="H5590".