The Lord Condemns Insincere Fasting
1 In the fourth year that Darius was emperor, on the fourth day of the ninth month (the month of Kislev), the Lord gave me a message.
2 The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and their men to the Temple of the Lord Almighty to pray for the Lord's blessing 3 and to ask the priests and the prophets this question: “Should we continue to mourn because of the destruction of the Temple, by fasting in the fifth month as we have done for so many years now?”
4 This is the message of the Lord that came to me. 5 He said, “Tell the people of the land and the priests that when they fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during these seventy years, it was not in honor of me. 6 And when they ate and drank, it was for their own satisfaction.”
7 This is what the Lord said through the earlier prophets at the time when Jerusalem was prosperous and filled with people and when there were many people living not only in the towns around the city but also in the southern region and in the western foothills.
Disobedience, the Cause of Exile
8 The Lord gave this message to Zechariah: 9 “Long ago I gave these commands to my people: ‘You must see that justice is done, and must show kindness and mercy to one another. 10 Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners who live among you, or anyone else in need. And do not plan ways of harming one another.’
11 “But my people stubbornly refused to listen. They closed their minds 12 and made their hearts as hard as rock. Because they would not listen to the teaching which I sent through the prophets who lived long ago, I became very angry. 13 Because they did not listen when I spoke, I did not answer when they prayed. 14 Like a storm I swept them away to live in foreign countries. This good land was left a desolate place, with no one living in it.”
Taisnīgumu un žēlsirdību, nevis viltus gavēšanu
1 Ķēniņa Dārija ceturtajā valdīšanas gadā Kunga vārds nāca pār Zahariju, tas notika devītā mēneša ceturtajā dienā. 2 Tad bētelieši sūtīja Sareceru kopā ar Regem-Melehu un viņu vīriem, lai tie lūgtu Kungu 3 un teiktu priesteriem, kas notiek Pulku Kunga namā, un praviešiem: vai piektajā mēnesī mums jāraud un jāgavē, kā esam darījuši jau gadiem?
4 Tad pār mani nāca Pulku Kunga vārds:
5 “Saki visas zemes ļaudīm un priesteriem tā:
jūs gan badojāties un sērojāt
piektajā un septītajā mēnesī
visus septiņdesmit gadus –
bet vai badojāties manis dēļ?
6 Kad ēdāt un dzērāt,
vai neēdāt un nedzērāt sevis dēļ?
7 Vai šie nav vārdi, ko Kungs sludinājis caur iepriekšējiem praviešiem, kad Jeruzāleme dzīvoja labklājībā kopā ar visām pilsētām, kas tai bija apkārt, kad gan dienvidi, gan zemiene bija apdzīvota?!”
8 Tad pār Zahariju nāca Kunga vārds:
9 “Tā saka Pulku Kungs:
spriediet taisnu tiesu,
esiet laipni un līdzjūtīgi viens pret otru –
10 neapspiediet atraitni un bāreni, svešinieku un nabago!
Ļaunu viens pret otru sirdī nedomājiet!”
11 Bet tie liedzās klausīt, spranda tiem sakumpa spītā, ausis tie aizbāza, lai nedzirdētu. 12 Sirdis nocietināja kā akmeni, lai nevajadzētu klausīties bauslību un vārdus, ko Pulku Kungs sūtīja savā Garā caur iepriekšējiem praviešiem – tādēļ no Pulku Kunga nāca lielas dusmas. 13 “Kad sauca, tie nedzirdēja, kad paši sauks, tad arī es nedzirdēšu!” saka Pulku Kungs. 14 “Vētrā tos aiztriecu svešās tautās, ko tie nepazīst; zeme, ko tie pameta, tika izdeldēta, ka neviens tur pat nerādās! Tīkamā zeme kļuvusi par postažu!”
