呼籲公義和憐憫

大流士王四年九月,即基斯流月四日,耶和華的話傳給了撒迦利亞。 那時,伯特利人差遣沙利色、利堅米勒及其隨從去向耶和華求恩。 他們問萬軍之耶和華殿裡的祭司和先知:「我們還要照多年的慣例在五月哀傷、禁食嗎?」

萬軍之耶和華的話傳給了我,說: 「你要對境內的民眾和祭司說,『七十年來,你們在五月和七月禁食、哀傷,難道真的是為了我嗎? 你們吃喝,難道不是為自己吃、為自己喝嗎? 這些不是耶和華藉從前的先知所宣告的嗎?當時耶路撒冷和周圍的城邑人口興盛、繁榮,南地和丘陵都有人居住。』」

耶和華的話又傳給了撒迦利亞,說: 「萬軍之耶和華曾對你們的祖先說,『要秉公行義,彼此以慈愛和憐憫相待。 10 不可欺壓寡婦、孤兒、寄居者和窮人,不可設陰謀彼此相害。』 11 他們卻不理會,背過身去,充耳不聞, 12 心如鐵石,不遵從律法,也不遵從萬軍之耶和華藉著祂的靈指示從前的先知所說的話。因此,萬軍之耶和華非常憤怒。 13 祂說,『我曾呼喚他們,他們不聽;將來他們呼求我,我也不聽。 14 我要用旋風把他們吹散到陌生的萬國中,使他們的土地荒涼、杳無人跡,因為他們使美好的土地一片荒涼。』」

A Call for Justice and Mercy

(A)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 (B)Chislev. Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men (C)to entreat the favor of the Lord, (D)saying to the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts and (E)the prophets, “Should I weep and (F)abstain in (G)the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?”

Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me: “Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in (H)the fifth month and in (I)the seventh, for these (J)seventy years, (K)was it (L)for me that you fasted? (M)And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? (N)Were not these the words that the Lord proclaimed (O)by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, (P)with her cities around her, and the (Q)South and the (R)lowland were inhabited?’”

And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, (S)Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, 10 (T)do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, (U)or the poor, and (V)let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” 11 But (W)they refused to pay attention (X)and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear.[a] 12 (Y)They made their hearts diamond-hard (Z)lest they should hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent (AA)by his Spirit through (AB)the former prophets. (AC)Therefore great anger came from the Lord of hosts. 13 (AD)“As I[b] called, and they would not hear, (AE)so they called, and I would not hear,” says the Lord of hosts, 14 (AF)“and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all (AG)the nations that they had not known. (AH)Thus the land they left was desolate, (AI)so that no one went to and fro, (AJ)and the pleasant land was made desolate.”

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 7:11 Hebrew and made their ears too heavy to hear
  2. Zechariah 7:13 Hebrew he

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;

When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regemmelech, and their men, to pray before the Lord,

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?

Then came the word of the Lord of hosts unto me, saying,

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?

And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?

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?

And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying,

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.