Zechariah 7 - The Message (MSG)

“You’re Interested in Religion, I’m Interested in People”

7 On the fourth day of the ninth month, in the fourth year of the reign of King Darius, God’s Message again came to Zechariah.

2-3 The town of Bethel had sent a delegation headed by Sarezer and Regem-Melech to pray for God’s blessing and to confer with the priests of the Temple of God-of-the-Angel-Armies, and also with the prophets. They posed this question: “Should we plan for a day of mourning and abstinence next August, the seventieth anniversary of Jerusalem’s fall, as we have been doing all these years?”

4-6 God-of-the-Angel-Armies gave me this Message for them, for all the people and for the priests: “When you held days of fasting every fifth and seventh month all these seventy years, were you doing it for me? And when you held feasts, was that for me? Hardly. You’re interested in religion, I’m interested in people.

7-10 “There’s nothing new to say on the subject. Don’t you still have the message of the earlier prophets from the time when Jerusalem was still a thriving, bustling city and the outlying countryside, the Negev and Shephelah, was populated? [This is the message that God gave Zechariah.] Well, the message hasn’t changed. God-of-the-Angel-Armies said then and says now:

“‘Treat one another justly.
Love your neighbors.
Be compassionate with each other.
Don’t take advantage of widows, orphans, visitors, and the poor.
Don’t plot and scheme against one another—that’s evil.’

11-13 “But did your ancestors listen? No, they set their jaws in defiance. They shut their ears. They steeled themselves against God’s revelation and the Spirit-filled sermons preached by the earlier prophets by order of God-of-the-Angel-Armies. And God became angry, really angry, because he told them everything plainly and they wouldn’t listen to a word he said.

13-14 “So [this is what God-of-the-Angel-Armies said] if they won’t listen to me, I won’t listen to them. I scattered them to the four winds. They ended up strangers wherever they were. Their ‘promised land’ became a vacant lot—weeds and tin cans and thistles. Not a sign of life. They turned a dreamland into a wasteland.”

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Zechariah 7 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

7 And it cometh to pass, in the fourth year of Darius the king hath a word of Jehovah been unto Zechariah, in the fourth of the ninth month, in Chisleu. 2 And Beth-El sendeth Sherezer and Regem-Melech, and its men, to appease the face of Jehovah, 3 speaking unto the priests who [are] at the house of...
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Zechariah 7 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

7 And it is made in the fourth year of Darius, king, the word of the Lord was made to Zechariah, in the fourth day of the ninth month, that is Chisleu, that is, November. (And it was done in the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord was made to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth mo...
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Zechariah 7 - World English Bible (WEB)

7 In the fourth year of king Darius, Yahweh’s word came to Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Chislev. 2 The people of Bethel sent Sharezer and Regem Melech, and their men, to entreat Yahweh’s favor, 3 and to speak to the priests of the house of Yahweh of Armies, and to t...
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Zechariah 7 - The Voice (VOICE)

“Branch” is a prophetic title for the Anointed One, that royal descendant of David whom God will send to usher in a new age of justice, peace, and joy. In Zechariah’s day, the people wonder if Zerubbabel is that king. Ac cording to the prophet, God has designs on him as the one to rebuild the temple...
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Zechariah 7 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Justice and Chesed7 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of Adonai came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, in Kislev. 2 Now Bethel sent Sarezer and Regem-melech together with his men to seek the favor of Adonai, 3 and to speak to the kohanim of the House of Adonai-Tzva’ot an...
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Zechariah 7 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Hypocritical Fasting Condemned7 In the fourth year of King Dari′us, the word of the Lord came to Zechari′ah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. 2 Now the people of Bethel had sent Share′zer and Reg′em-mel′ech and their men, to entreat the favor of the Lord, 3 and to ask the pri...
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Zechariah 7 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Hypocritical Fasting Condemned7 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechari′ah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. 2 Now the people of Bethel had sent Share′zer and Reg′em-mel′ech and their men, to entreat the favor of the Lord, 3 and to ask the prie...
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Zechariah 7 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Hypocritical Fasting Condemned7 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 Chislev. 2 Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men, to entreat the favour of the Lord, 3 and to ask the priests...
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Zechariah 7 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Hypocritical Fasting Condemned7 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 Chislev.(A)2 Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men to entreat the favor of the Lord(B)3 and to ask the priests ...
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Zechariah 7 - New Living Translation (NLT)

A Call to Justice and Mercy7 On December 7[a] of the fourth year of King Darius’s reign, another message came to Zechariah from the Lord. 2 The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech,[b] along with their attendants, to seek the Lord’s favor. 3 They were to ask this question of the prophe...
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Zechariah 7 - New Life Version (NLV)

It Is Better to Obey Than Go without Food7 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. 2 Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and their men to ask for the Lord’s favor. 3 They ...
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Zechariah 7 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Obedience Better than Fasting7 Now in the fourth year of King Darius it came to pass that the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Chislev, 2 when [a]the people sent [b]Sherezer, with Regem-Melech and his men, to [c]the house of God, [d]to pray before the Lord, ...
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Zechariah 7 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Justice and mercy, not fasting7 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev. 2 The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melek, together with their men, to entreat the Lord 3 by asking the priests of the...
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Zechariah 7 - New International Version (NIV)

Justice and Mercy, Not Fasting7 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah(A) on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev.(B) 2 The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melek, together with their men, to entreat(C) the Lord(D) 3 by asking the prie...
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Zechariah 7 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Have Justice and Mercy7 During the fourth year that Darius was king, a message from the Lord came to me. It was the fourth day of the ninth month. That’s the month of Kislev. 2 The people of Bethel wanted to ask the Lord for his blessing. So they sent Sharezer and Regem-Melek and their men. 3 They...
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Zechariah 7 - New English Translation (NET)

The Hypocrisy of False Fasting7 In King Darius’ fourth year, on the fourth day of Kislev, the ninth month,[a] the Lord’s message came to Zechariah. 2 Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melech and their companions to seek the Lord’s favor 3 by asking both the priests of the temple[...
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