Hearts like Flint

7 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is ^(A)Chislev. ² Now the town of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and ^[a]their men to ^[b](B)seek the favor of the Lord, ³ speaking to the ^(C)priests who belong to the house of the Lord of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, “Shall I weep in the ^(D)fifth month ^[c]and abstain, as I have done these many years?” ⁴ Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, ⁵ “Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months ^[d]these ^(E)seventy years, was it actually for ^(F)Me that you fasted? ⁶ When you eat and drink, ^[e]do you not eat for yourselves and do you not drink for yourselves? ⁷ Are not these the words which the Lord ^(G)proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and ^[f](H)prosperous along with its cities around it, and the ^[g](I)Negev and the ^[h]foothills were inhabited?’”

⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah saying, ⁹ “Thus has the Lord of hosts said, ‘^(J)Dispense true justice and practice ^(K)kindness and compassion each to his brother; ¹⁰ and ^(L)do not oppress the widow or the ^[i]orphan, the ^[j]stranger or the poor; and do ^(M)not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’ ¹¹ But they ^(N)refused to pay attention and ^[k](O)turned a stubborn shoulder and ^[l](P)stopped their ears from hearing. ¹² They made their ^(Q)hearts like ^[m](R)flint ^[n]so that they could not hear the law and the ^(S)words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the ^(T)former prophets; therefore great ^(U)wrath came from the Lord of hosts. ¹³ And just as ^(V)He called and they would not listen, so ^(W)they called and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts; ¹⁴ “but I ^[o](X)scattered them with a ^(Y)storm wind among all the nations whom they have not known. Thus the land is ^(Z)desolated behind them ^[p]so that ^(AA)no one went back and forth, for they ^(AB)made the pleasant land desolate.”

The Changeless Christ

13 Let ^(A)love of the brethren continue. ² Do not neglect to ^(B)show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have ^(C)entertained angels without knowing it. ^3 (D)Remember ^(E)the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body. ^4 (F)Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; ^(G)for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. ⁵ Make sure that your character is ^(H)free from the love of money, ^(I)being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “^(J)I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” ⁶ so that we confidently say,

⁷ Remember ^(L)those who led you, who spoke ^(M)the word of God to you; and considering the ^[a]result of their conduct, ^(N)imitate their faith. ^8 (O)Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. ^9 (P)Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to ^(Q)be strengthened by grace, not by ^(R)foods, ^(S)through which those who ^[b]were so occupied were not benefited. ¹⁰ We have an altar ^(T)from which those ^(U)who serve the ^[c]tabernacle have no right to eat. ¹¹ For ^(V)the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. ¹² Therefore Jesus also, ^(W)that He might sanctify the people ^(X)through His own blood, suffered ^(Y)outside the gate. ¹³ So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, ^(Z)bearing His reproach. ¹⁴ For here ^(AA)we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking ^(AB)the city which is to come.

God-pleasing Sacrifices

^15 (AC)Through Him then, let us continually offer up a ^(AD)sacrifice of praise to God, that is, ^(AE)the fruit of lips that ^[d]give thanks to His name. ¹⁶ And do not neglect doing good and ^(AF)sharing, for ^(AG)with such sacrifices God is pleased.

^17 (AH)Obey your leaders and submit to them, for ^(AI)they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. ^[e]Let them do this with joy and not ^[f]with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

^18 (AJ)Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a ^(AK)good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things. ¹⁹ And I urge you all the more to do this, ^(AL)so that I may be restored to you the sooner.

Benediction

²⁰ Now ^(AM)the God of peace, who ^(AN)brought up from the dead the ^(AO)great Shepherd of the sheep ^[g]through ^(AP)the blood of the ^(AQ)eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, ^21 (AR)equip you in every good thing to do His will, ^(AS)working in us that ^(AT)which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, ^(AU)to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

²² But ^(AV)I urge you, ^(AW)brethren, ^[h]bear with ^[i]this ^(AX)word of exhortation, for ^(AY)I have written to you briefly. ^23 [j]Take notice that ^(AZ)our brother Timothy has been released, with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you. ²⁴ Greet ^(BA)all of your leaders and all the ^[k](BB)saints. Those from ^(BC)Italy greet you.

^25 (BD)Grace be with you all.