Zechariah 7
1 And it is maad in the fourthe yeer of Darius, kyng, the word of the Lord was maad to Sacarie, in the fourthe dai of the nynthe monethe, that is Caslew.
And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of YHWH came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu;
2 And Sarasar, and Rogumelech, and men that weren with hem, senten to the hous of the Lord, for to preye the face of the Lord;
When they had sent unto the house of El Sherezer and Regem-melech, and their men, to pray before YHWH,
3 that thei schulden seie to prestis of the hous of the Lord of oostis, and to profetis, and speke, Whether it is to wepe to me in the fyuethe monethe, ether Y schal halowe me, as Y dide now many yeeris?
And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of YHWH 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 And the word of the Lord was maad to me,
Then came the word of YHWH of hosts unto me, saying,
5 and seide, Speke thou to al the puple of the lond, and to prestis, and seie thou, Whanne ye fastiden, and weiliden in the fyueth and seuenthe monethe, bi these seuenti yeeris, whether ye fastiden a fast to me?
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 whanne ye eeten, and drunken, whether ye eten not to you, and drunken not to you silf?
And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?
7 Whether wordis of profetis ben not, whiche the Lord spak in the hond of the formere profetis, whanne yit Jerusalem was enhabited, and was ful of richessis, and it, and citees therof in cumpas therof, and at the south and in feeldi place was enhabited?
Should ye not hear the words which YHWH 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 was maad to Sacarie, and seide, The Lord of oostis saith these thingis, and spekith,
And the word of YHWH came unto Zechariah, saying,
9 Deme ye trewe dom, and do ye merci, and doyngis of merci, ech man with his brother.
Thus speaketh YHWH of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:
10 And nyle ye falsli calenge a widewe, and fadirles, ether modirles, and comelyng, and pore man; and a man thenke not in his herte yuel to his brother.
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 And thei wolden not `take heede, and thei turneden awei the schuldre, and yeden awei, and `maden heuy her eeris, lest thei herden.
But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
12 And thei puttiden her herte as adamaunt, lest thei herden the lawe, and wordis whiche the Lord of oostis sente in his Spirit, bi the hond of the formere profetis; and greet indignacioun was maad of the Lord of oostis.
Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which YHWH of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from YHWH of hosts.
13 And it is doon, as he spak; and as thei herden not, so thei schulen crie, and Y schal not here, seith the Lord of oostis.
Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith YHWH of hosts:
14 And Y scateride hem bi alle rewmes, whiche thei knewen not, and the lond is desolat fro hem; for that there was not a man goynge and turnynge ayen, and thei han put desirable lond in to desert.
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.
