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 armies, and to the prophets, saying, “Shall I weep in the ^(D)fifth month ^[c]and fast, as I have done these many years?” ⁴ Then the word of the Lord of armies 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 And when you eat and drink, ^[e]do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? ⁷ Are these not the words which the Lord ^(G)proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and ^(H)carefree along with its cities around it, and the ^[f](I)Negev and the ^[g]foothills were inhabited?’”

⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, ⁹ “This is what the Lord of armies has 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 ^[h]orphan, the 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 ^[i](O)turned a stubborn shoulder and ^[j](P)plugged their ears from hearing. ¹² They also made their ^(Q)hearts as hard as ^(R)a diamond ^[k]so that they could not hear the Law and the ^(S)words which the Lord of armies had sent by His Spirit through the ^(T)former prophets; therefore great ^(U)wrath came from the Lord of armies. 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 armies; ¹⁴ “but I ^[l](X)scattered them with a ^(Y)storm wind among all the nations whom they did not know. So the land was ^(Z)desolated behind them ^[m]so that ^(AA)no one went back and forth, since they ^(AB)made the pleasant land desolate.”

The Changeless Christ

13 Let ^(A)love of the brothers and sisters continue. ² Do not neglect ^(B)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 badly 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 God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. 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 abandon 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 way of life, ^(N)imitate their faith. ^8 (O)Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever. ^9 (P)Do not be misled 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 suffered ^(W)outside the gate, ^(X)that He might sanctify the people ^(Y)through His own blood. ¹³ So then, 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’s continually offer up a ^(AD)sacrifice of praise to God, that is, ^(AE)the fruit of lips praising 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—so that they may do this with joy, not ^[d]groaning; for this would be unhelpful 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 more quickly.

Benediction

²⁰ Now may ^(AM)the God of peace, who ^(AN)brought up from the dead the ^(AO)great Shepherd of the sheep ^[e]through ^(AP)the blood of the ^(AQ)eternal covenant, that is, 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)brothers and sisters, ^[f]listen patiently to ^[g]this ^(AX)word of exhortation, for ^(AY)I have written to you briefly. ²³ Know 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 ^[h](BB)saints. Those from ^(BC)Italy greet you.

^25 (BD)Grace be with you all.