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It Is Better to Obey Than Go without Food

In the fourth year of King Darius, the Word of the Lord came to Zechariah. This was on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Chislev. Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and their men to ask for the Lord’s favor. They asked the religious leaders of the house of the Lord of All, and the men who speak for God, “Should I cry and go without food in the fifth month, as I have done these many years?” Then the Word of the Lord of All came to me saying, “Say to all the people of the land and to the religious leaders, ‘When you went without food and cried in sorrow in the fifth and seventh months these 70 years, was it to honor Me? When you eat and drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves? Are not these the words the Lord made known through the men who spoke for Him in the past? They spoke these words when Jerusalem was full of people and riches, together with the cities around it, and when the Negev and the lower hills were full of people.’”

People Taken Away Because Of Not Obeying

Then the Word of the Lord came to Zechariah saying, “The Lord of All said, ‘Do what is right and be kind and show loving-pity to one another. 10 Do not make it hard for the woman whose husband has died, or the child who has no parents, or the stranger, or the poor. Do not make sinful plans in your hearts against one another.’ 11 But they would not listen. They turned away and stopped their ears from hearing. 12 They made their hearts like hard stone, so that they could not hear the Law and the words which the Lord of All had sent by His Spirit through the men who spoke for Him in the past. So the Lord of All became very angry. 13 When I called, they would not listen. So when they called, I would not listen,” says the Lord of All. 14 “With the wind of a storm I sent them everywhere among all the nations that they had not known. The land was laid waste behind them, so that no one could come or go. They turned the good land into an empty waste.”

The Lord Promises to Build Jerusalem Again

Then the Word of the Lord came to me saying, “The Lord of All says, ‘I am very jealous for Zion. I am jealous for her with much anger.’ The Lord says, ‘I will return to Zion and live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the Lord of All will be called the Holy Mountain.’ The Lord of All says, ‘Old men and old women will sit in the streets of Jerusalem again. Each man will have a walking stick in his hand because he will be old. And the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in the streets.’ The Lord of All says, ‘It may be wonderful to the few people here in those days, but will it be wonderful to Me also?’ says the Lord of All. The Lord of All says, ‘I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west. I will bring them back and they will live in Jerusalem. They will be My people and I will be their God. I will be faithful and do what is right and good for them.’

“The Lord of All says, ‘You who are now listening to these words spoken through the men of God who were there when the Lord’s house was started, let your hands be strong for building the Lord’s house. 10 Before that time there was no pay for man or animal. No one could come in or go out in peace because of those who hated him. I turned people against one another. 11 But now I will not do to the rest of these people as I did in the past,’ says the Lord of All. 12 ‘The seed will grow in peace. The vine will give its fruit. The land will give its food. The heavens will give water on the grass in the early morning. And I will let the rest of this people have all these things. 13 O people of Judah and Israel, just as you were a curse among the nations, I will save you and make you something good. Do not be afraid. Let your hands be strong.’

14 “The Lord of All says, ‘I wanted to hurt you because your fathers made Me angry. 15 But now I want to do good to Jerusalem and to the people of Judah. Do not be afraid. 16 These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to one another. Judge with truth so there will be peace within your gates. 17 Do not make sinful plans against one another in your hearts. And do not love to make false promises. For I hate all these things,’ says the Lord.”

18 Then the Word of the Lord came to me saying, 19 “The Lord of All says, ‘The times when you do not eat in the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become glad times of joy. They will become happy, special suppers for the people of Judah. So love truth and peace.’ 20 The Lord of All says, ‘Many people will yet come from many cities. 21 The people of one city will say to another, “Let us go at once and pray to the Lord and ask for His favor. I will go also.” 22 ‘So many people and powerful nations will come to look for the Lord of All in Jerusalem and to ask for the Lord’s favor.’ 23 The Lord of All says, ‘In those days ten men from the nations of every language will take hold of the coat of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”

Other Nations Are Judged

The Word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach and will rest upon Damascus. For the eyes of men and all the family groups of Israel are on the Lord. The Word of the Lord is against Hamath also, which is beside Hadrach, and against Tyre and Sidon, even though they are very wise. For Tyre built a strong tower for herself. She gathered silver like dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets. But the Lord will take away her riches and throw them into the sea. And she will be destroyed by fire. Ashkelon will see it and be afraid. Gaza will suffer with much pain. So will Ekron, for her hope will be destroyed. Gaza will lose her king, and no one will live in Ashkelon. A mixed people will live in Ashdod, and I will destroy the pride of the Philistines. I will take the blood from their mouths, and the unclean food from between their teeth. Those who are left will belong to our God, and be like a family in Judah. Ekron will be like the Jebusites. Then I will camp around My land and keep armies from going through it. No one will make it hard for them again, for now I am keeping watch.

The Future King

Be full of joy, O people of Zion! Call out in a loud voice, O people of Jerusalem! See, your King is coming to you. He is fair and good and has the power to save. He is not proud and sits on a donkey, on the son of a female donkey. 10 I will destroy the war-wagon from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem. The battle-bow will be broken. He will make peace among the nations and rule from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.

The Lord Will Save His People

11 As for you, because of the blood of My agreement with you, I have set your people free from the deep hole that has no water. 12 Return to the strong city, you prisoners who have hope. Today I am telling you that I will give you twice as much as you had before. 13 I will use Judah as My bow, and Ephraim as My arrow. I will move your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and make you like a soldier’s sword. 14 Then the Lord will be seen over them, and His arrow will go out like lightning. The Lord God will blow the horn and go in the storm winds of the south. 15 The Lord of All will fight for them, and they will destroy, and walk on the stones that were to be thrown at them. They will drink and make much noise as with wine. They will be filled like a cup used for putting blood on the corners of the altar. 16 The Lord their God will save them on that day as the flock of His people. For they are like the stones of a crown, shining in His land. 17 How good and how beautiful they will be! Grain will make the young men grow strong. And the young, pure women will grow strong with new wine.

Israel Will Be Brought Home

10 Ask the Lord for rain in the spring time. It is the Lord Who makes the storm clouds. He gives rain to men, and gives vegetables in the field to every one. The false gods say what is not true. Those who use their secret ways tell lies about the false dreams they have seen. Their comfort means nothing. So the people go from place to place like sheep and are troubled because they have no shepherd. “My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders. For the Lord of All has visited His flock, the people of Judah, and will make them like His proud horse in battle. From them will come the cornerstone. From them will come the tent nail. From them will come the bow of battle. And from them will come every ruler. Together they will be like powerful men, crushing under foot those who hate them into the mud of the streets. They will fight and win the battle against the horsemen because the Lord is with them. I will give strength to the family of Judah. I will save the family of Joseph, and I will bring them back, because I have loving-pity on them. They will be as if I had not turned away from them. For I am the Lord their God, and I will answer them. Ephraim will be like a powerful man. Their hearts will be glad as with wine. And their children will see it and be glad. Their hearts will have joy in the Lord. I will call them together, for I have saved them and set them free. And they will be as many as they were before. Even when I send them everywhere among the nations, they will remember Me in far countries. They and their children will live and return. 10 I will bring them back from the land of Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon until there is no more room for them. 11 When they pass through the sea of trouble, I will hold back the waves in the sea. The whole Nile River will dry up. The pride of Assyria will be brought down, and Egypt will lose its power. 12 I will make My people Israel strong in the Lord, and they will walk in His name,” says the Lord.