the priests, saying: When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month, even these seventy years, did ye at all fast unto Me, even to Me? 6And when ye eat, and when ye drink, are ye not they that eat, and they that drink? 7Should ye not hearken to the words which the Lord hath proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, and the South and the Lowland were inhabited?'
8And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying: 9Thus hath the Lord of hosts spoken, saying: Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassion every man to his brother; 10and oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you devise evil against his brother in your heart. 11But they refused to attend, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear. 12Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His spirit by the hand of the former prophets; therefore came there great wrath from the Lord of hosts. 13And it came to pass that, as He called, and they would not hear; so they shall call, and I will not hear, said the Lord of hosts; 14but I will scatter them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they have not known. Thus the land was desolate after them, so that no man passed through nor returned; for they laid the pleasant land desolate.'
8And the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying: 2'Thus saith the Lord of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great fury.
3'Thus saith the Lord: I return unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem shall be called The city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts The holy mountain.
4Thus saith the Lord of hosts: There shall yet old men and old women sit in the broad places of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand for very age. 5And the broad places of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the broad places thereof.
6Thus saith the Lord of hosts: If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvellous in Mine eyes? saith the Lord of hosts. 7Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save My people from the east country, and from the west country; 8and 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.
9Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets that were in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, even the temple, that it might be built. 10For before those 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 Adversary; for I set all men every one against his neighbour. 11But now I will not be unto the remnant of this people as in the former days, saith the Lord of hosts. 12For as the seed of peace, the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things.
763
