1 And in the fourth year of King Darius, the Word of Jehovah came to Zechariah, in the fourth of the ninth month, in Chislev.2 And Sherezer and Regem-melech, and his men, were sent to Bethel to make supplication before Jehovah,3 and to speak to the priests who were in the house of Jehovah of Hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, consecrating myself as I have done these many years?4 Then the Word of Jehovah of Hosts came unto me, saying,5 Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months, even those seventy years, did you truly fast to Me, even to Me?6 And when you ate, and when you drank, did you not eat and drink for yourselves?7 Are not these the Words which Jehovah proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem with her cities all around her were inhabited and prosperous, and the south and the lowlands were inhabited?8 And the Word of Jehovah came to Zechariah, saying,9 Thus says Jehovah of Hosts, saying, Judge true justice, and show goodness and compassion, everyone to his brother.10 And do not oppress the widow, or the fatherless, the alien, or the poor. And do not devise evil in your heart, a man against his brother.11 But they refused to heed, and gave a stubborn shoulder, and they made their ears heavy that they might not hear.12 And they made their heart adamant so as not to hear the Law and the Words which Jehovah of Hosts has sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. And great wrath came from Jehovah of Hosts.13 Therefore it has come to pass that, just as He called, and they would not hear; so they called, and I did not hear, says Jehovah of Hosts.14 But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they did not know. Thus the land is desolate behind them, with no one passing through and returning; for they made the pleasant land a waste.

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.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;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?4 And the word of the Lord was maad to me,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?6 And whanne ye eeten, and drunken, whether ye eten not to you, and drunken not to you silf?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?8 And the word of the Lord was maad to Sacarie, and seide, The Lord of oostis saith these thingis, and spekith,9 Deme ye trewe dom, and do ye merci, and doyngis of merci, ech man with 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.11 And thei wolden not `take heede, and thei turneden awei the schuldre, and yeden awei, and `maden heuy her eeris, lest thei herden.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.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.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.