Zechariah 7-8
King James Version
7 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu;
2 When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regemmelech, and their men, to pray before the Lord,
3 And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the Lord of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?
4 Then came the word of the Lord of hosts unto me, saying,
5 Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?
6 And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?
7 Should ye not hear the words which the Lord hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?
8 And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying,
9 Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:
10 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.
11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
12 Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts.
13 Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts:
14 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.
8 Again the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying,
2 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury.
3 Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain.
4 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age.
5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.
6 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the Lord of hosts.
7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country;
8 And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.
9 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.
10 For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour.
11 But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the Lord of hosts.
12 For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.
13 And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.
14 For thus saith the Lord of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the Lord of hosts, and I repented not:
15 So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.
16 These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:
17 And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord.
18 And the word of the Lord of hosts came unto me, saying,
19 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.
20 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities:
21 And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also.
22 Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord.
23 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
Zechariah 7-8
1599 Geneva Bible
7 5 The true fasting. 11 The rebellion of the people is the cause of their affliction.
1 And in the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in [a]Chislev,
2 For [b]they had sent unto the House of God Sharezer, and Regem-Melech and their men to pray before the Lord,
3 And to speak unto the Priests, which were in the House of the Lord of hosts, and to the Prophets, saying, Should I [c]weep in the fifth month, and [d]separate myself as I have done these so many [e]years?
4 Then came the word of the Lord of hosts unto me, saying,
5 Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the [f]Priests, and say, When ye fasted, and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even the seventy years, did ye fast unto me? [g]do I approve it?
6 And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did ye not eat[h]for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?
7 Should ye not hear the words which the Lord [i]hath cried by the ministry of the former Prophets when Jerusalem was inhabited, and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when the South and the plain was inhabited?
8 And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying,
9 Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, [j]Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassion, every man to his brother,
10 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.
11 But they refused to hearken, and [k]pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
12 Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the Law and the words which the Lord of hosts sent in his [l]Spirit by the ministry of the former Prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts.
13 Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear, so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts.
14 But I scattered them among all the nations, whom they knew not: thus the land was desolate [m]after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land [n]waste.
8 2 Of the return of the people unto Jerusalem, and of the mercy of God toward them. 16 Of good works. 20 The calling of the Gentiles.
1 Again the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying,
2 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I was [o]jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great wrath.
3 Thus saith the Lord, I will return unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a [p]city of truth, and the Mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy Mountain.
4 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, There shall yet old [q]men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age.
5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls, playing in the streets thereof.
6 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Though it be [r]impossible in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it therefore be impossible in my sight, saith the Lord of hosts?
7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will deliver my people from the East country, and from the West country.
8 And I will bring them, and they shall [s]dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and they shall be my people, and I will be their God in truth, and in righteousness.
9 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Let your [t]hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the Prophets, which were in the day, that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the Temple might be built.
10 For before these days there was no hire for [u]man, nor any hire for beast, neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men, everyone against his neighbor.
11 But now, I will not entreat the residue of this people as aforetime, saith the Lord of hosts.
12 For the seed shall be prosperous: the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew: and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.
13 And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel, so will I deliver you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.
14 For thus saith the Lord of hosts, As I thought to punish[v]you, when your fathers provoked me unto wrath, saith the Lord of hosts, and repented not,
15 So again have I determined in these days [w]to do well unto Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.
16 These are the things that ye shall do, Speak ye every man the truth unto his neighbor: execute judgment truly, and uprightly in your gates,
17 And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor, and love no false oath: for all these are the things that I hate, saith the Lord.
18 And the word of the Lord of hosts came unto me, saying,
19 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the [x]tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and prosperous high feasts: therefore love the truth and peace.
20 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, That there shall yet come [y]people, and the inhabitants of great cities.
21 And they that dwell in one city, shall go to another, saying, (A)Up, let us go and pray before the Lord, and seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also.
22 Yea great people and mighty nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord.
23 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, In those days shall ten men take hold out of all languages of the nations, even take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, and say, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
Footnotes
- Zechariah 7:1 Which contained part of November and part of December.
- Zechariah 7:2 That is, the rest of the people that remained yet in Chaldea, sent to the Church at Jerusalem, for the resolution of these questions, because these feasts were consented upon by the agreement of the whole Church, the one in the month that the Temple was destroyed, and the other when Gedaliah was slain, Jer. 41:2.
- Zechariah 7:3 By weeping and mourning, appear what exercises they used in their fasting.
- Zechariah 7:3 That is, prepare myself with all devotion to his fast.
- Zechariah 7:3 Which was now since the time the Temple was destroyed.
- Zechariah 7:5 For there were both of the people, and of the Priests, which doubted as touching this controversy, besides them which as yet remained in Chaldea, and reason of it, as of one of the chief points of their religion.
- Zechariah 7:5 For they thought they had deserved toward God because of this fast, which they invented of themselves: and though fasting of itself be good, yet because they thought it a service toward God, and trusted therein, it is here reproved.
- Zechariah 7:6 Did ye not eat and drink for your own commodity and necessity, and so likewise ye did abstain according to your own fantasies, and not after the prescript of my Law.
- Zechariah 7:7 Hereby he condemneth their hypocrisy, which thought by their fasting to please God and by such things as they invented, and in the mean season would not serve him as he had commanded.
- Zechariah 7:9 He showeth that they did not fast with a sincere heart, but for hypocrisy, and that it was not done of a pure religion, because that they lacked these offices of charity, which should have declared that they were godly, Matt. 23:23.
- Zechariah 7:11 And would not carry the Lord’s burden, which was sweet and easy, but would bear their own, which was heavy and grievous to the flesh, thinking to merit thereby: which similitude is taken of oxen, which shrink at the yoke, Neh. 9:29.
- Zechariah 7:12 Which declareth that they rebelled not only against the Prophets, but against the Spirit of God that spake in them.
- Zechariah 7:14 That is, after they were called captive.
- Zechariah 7:14 By their sins whereby they provoked God’s anger.
- Zechariah 8:2 I loved my city with a singular love, so that I could not abide that any should do her any injury.
- Zechariah 8:3 Because she shall be faithful and loyal toward me her husband.
- Zechariah 8:4 Though their enemies did greatly molest and trouble them, yet God would come and dwell among them, and so preserve them so long as nature would suffer them to live, and increase their children in great abundance.
- Zechariah 8:6 He showeth wherein our faith standeth, that is, to believe that God can perform that which he hath promised, though it seem never so impossible to man, Gen. 18:14; Rom. 4:20.
- Zechariah 8:8 So that their return shall not be in vain: for God will accomplish his promise, and their prosperity shall be sure and stable.
- Zechariah 8:9 Let neither respect of your private commodities neither counsel of others, nor fear of enemies discourage you in the going forward with the building of the Temple, but be constant and obey the Prophets, which encourage you thereunto.
- Zechariah 8:10 For God cursed your work, so that neither man nor beast had profit of their labors.
- Zechariah 8:14 Read Ezek. 18:20.
- Zechariah 8:15 Which declareth that man cannot turn to God till he changes man’s heart by his spirit, and so begin to do well, which is to pardon his sins and to give him his graces.
- Zechariah 8:19 Which fast was appointed when the city was besieged, and was the first fast of these four: and here the Prophet showeth, that if the Jews will repent, and turn wholly to God, they shall have no more occasion to fast, or to show signs of heaviness: for God will send them joy and gladness.
- Zechariah 8:20 He declareth the great zeal that God should give the Gentiles to come to his Church, and to join with the Jews in his true religion, which should be in the kingdom of Christ.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
