1 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of Jehovah came unto Zechariah on the fourth {day} of the ninth month, {even} in Chislev,

2 when Bethel had sent Sherezer and Regem-melech, and his men, to supplicate Jehovah,

3 {and} to speak unto the priests that were in the house of Jehovah of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done now so many years?

4 And the word of Jehovah of hosts came unto me, saying,

5 Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh {month}, even those seventy years, did ye really fast unto me, {even} unto me?

6 And when ye ate, and when ye drank, was it not you that were eating and drinking?

7 Are not these the words that Jehovah cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and at peace, and her cities round about her, when the south and the lowland were inhabited?

8 And the word of Jehovah came unto Zechariah, saying,

9 Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew loving-kindness and mercies one to another,

10 and oppress not the widow and the fatherless, the stranger and the afflicted; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.

11 But they refused to hearken, and turned a rebellious shoulder, and made their ears heavy, that they should not hear.

12 And they made their heart {as} an adamant, that they should not hear the law, and the words that Jehovah of hosts sent by his Spirit by the hand of the former prophets: therefore was there great wrath from Jehovah of hosts.

13 And it came to pass, like as he called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear, saith Jehovah of hosts;

14 and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not, and the land was desolate after them, so that no one passed through nor returned; and they laid the pleasant land desolate.

1 Na i te wha o nga tau o Kingi Tariuha ka puta mai te kupu a Ihowa ki a Hakaraia, i te wha o nga ra o te iwa o nga marama, ara o Kihereu.

2 Na kua unga e te hunga o Peteere a Haretere raua ko Rekeme Mereke, me a raua tangata, ki te inoi manaaki i a Ihowa,

3 A hei korero hoki ki nga tohunga o te whare o Ihowa o nga mano, ki nga poropiti hoki, hei mea, Me tangi ranei ahau i te rima o nga marama, me te wehe i ahau, me pera me taku i mea ai i enei tau ka maha?

4 Na ka puta mai te kupu a Ihowa o nga mano ki ahau, ka mea,

5 Korero ki nga tangata katoa o te whenua, ratou ko nga tohunga, mea atu, I a koutou i nohopuku ra, i tangi ra, i te rima, i te whitu o nga marama, ara i enei tau e whitu tekau, he nohopuku ranei ta koutou ki ahau? ki ahau koia?

6 A i a koutou e kai nei, e inu nei, he teka ianei ma koutou ano ta koutou e kai ai, e inu ai?

7 Ehara ianei i te mea kia rongo koutou i nga kupu i karangatia e Ihowa, ara e nga poropiti o mua, i te mea e nohoia ana a Hiruharama, e noho rangatira ana, me ona pa ano a taka noa, i te mea hoki e nohoia ana te tonga me te mania?

8 I puta mai ano te kupu a Ihowa ki a Hakaraia, i mea,

9 Ko te kupu tenei a Ihowa o nga mano, e mea ana, Kia pono te whakarite o te whakawa, kia puta te aroha me te tohu tangata ki tona tuakana, ki tona teina.

10 Kaua hoki e tukinotia te pouaru, te pani, te manene, te ware; kaua hoki e whakaaroa he kino i roto i o koutou ngakau ki tona tuakana, ki tona teina.

11 Heoi kihai ratou i pai ki te whakarongo, kei te whakahoki i te pokohiwi, kei te whakapuhoi i o ratou taringa kei rongo.

12 Ae ra, i meinga e ratou o ratou ngakau kia rite ki te taimana kei rongo ratou ki te ture, ki nga kupu hoki i unga atu e Ihowa o nga mano, he mea na tona wairua, na te ringa o nga poropiti o mua; na reira ka puta mai he riri nui i a Ihowa o nga m ano.

13 Na, i tana karangatanga, kihai ratou i rongo; waihoki ka karanga ratou, a e kore ahau e rongo, e ai ta Ihowa o nga mano:

14 Otiia ka aia atu ratou e ahau ki te paroro ki waenga i nga iwi katoa kihai i mohiotia e ratou. Heoi ururua ana te whenua i muri i a ratou, te haerea, te hokia; na ratou hoki i mea te whenua ahuareka kia ururua.