Zechariah 7: True fasting vs pseudo-obedience (the desolation of disobedience)

1: And it happens that in the 4^th year of Darius the King (2 years after Zech 1-6).

 It happened that word Yehoweh to God-remembers (Zechariah) on the 4^th day ( Wednesday) of month 9 in Kislev (3^rd civil month Nov- December).

 2: And he sends house of God (Beth El), Sir Etsar and King Regem and his men to become weak before the face of Yehoweh

3: And to say to the priests who were in the house of Yehoweh of Parliaments (Tsabaoth) and to the prophets to say, “Should I blubber in month 5 (Av is in July-Sep, 11^th civil month or is it 5^th civil month Shevat in Jan-Feb)  and consecrate like  as I did these many years?”

 

Pause.

 

4: And it is Word Yehoweh-of-Parliaments says to me

5: Say to all people of the land and to the priests saying, “ If you fasted and lamented in the 5^th and in the 7^th (Nisan March to May) and in these 70 years, were you fast fasting (for) Me?

6: And if you eat and if you drink, is not the eating for you and the drinking for you?

7: Is not The Wording which cried out “Yehoweh” in hand of the first prophets? Is it not when Shooting-Peace (Jerusalem) is inhabited and quiet? And surrounding cities, the south (Negev) and lowlands were inhabited?

 

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8: And it was that Word Yehoweh to God-remembers (Zechariah) is to say,

9: “Thus says Yehoweh-of-Parliaments to say, “Judge (with)  true Justice and do kindness and compassion man to his brother,

10: and widow and orphan, sojourner and poor. Do not oppress and (be)bad man to his man to brother, do not impute (what) is in his heart (Micah 6:8, Isaiah 58:3-8).

11: And they refuse to make themselves incline and gave shoulder stubbornly  and made their ears heavy from hearing.

12: And they set their hearts (like) flint from hearing The Instructions ( Torah) and The Words which Yehoweh-of-Parliaments sent by His Spirit in hand of the  first prophets. And it is great wrath from The Yehoweh-of-Parliaments.

13: And it is just as He called and they did not hear, so they call out and I do not hear says Yehoweh-of-Parliaments.

14: And I stormed them among all unbelieving nations which did not know and the land was desolated after them from ascending and returning.

A pleasant land they placed (left) desolate!

 

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Prayer: Lord May we be Just, kind and compassionate to each other, to widow and orphan, sojourner and poor. May we not oppress and do evil to each other and not impute intentions. We know the land was actually left desolate and your people scattered for 2000 years because they fasted but did not do this. We want your green and pleasant land and we want to listen to your voice. (And we want your people to listen to your voice again too). Amen.