A Call to Repentance

1 In the eighth month of the second year of ^(A)Darius, the word of the Lord came to ^(B)Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of ^(C)Iddo saying, ² “The Lord was very ^(D)angry with your fathers. ³ Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “^(E)Return to Me,” declares the Lord of armies, “^[a]that I may return to you,” says the Lord of armies. ⁴ “Do not be ^(F)like your fathers, to whom the ^(G)former prophets proclaimed, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “^(H)Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.”’ But they did ^(I)not listen or pay attention to Me,” declares the Lord. ⁵ “Your ^(J)fathers, where are they? And the ^(K)prophets, do they live forever? ⁶ But did My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, not ^[b](L)overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, ‘^(M)Just as the Lord of armies planned to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has dealt with us.’”’”