Berean Standard Bible

Zechariah 7:8-14

8Then the wordH1697 of the LORDH3068 cameH1961 toH413 ZechariahH2148, sayingH559, 9“This is whatH3541 the LORDH3068 of HostsH6635 H559 saysH559: ‘AdministerH8199 trueH571 justiceH4941. ShowH6213 loving devotionH2617 1 and compassionH7356 toH854 oneH376 anotherH251. 10Do notH408 oppressH6231 the widowH490 or the fatherlessH3490, the foreignerH1616 or the poorH6041. And do notH408 plotH2803 evilH7451 in your heartsH3824 against oneH376 anotherH251.’

11But they refusedH3985 to pay attentionH7181 and turnedH5414 a stubbornH5637 shoulderH3802; they stopped upH3513 their earsH241 from hearingH8085.2 12They madeH7760 their heartsH3820 like flintH8068 and would not listen toH8085 the lawH8451 orH853 to the wordsH1697 thatH834 the LORDH3068 of HostsH6635 had sentH7971 by His SpiritH7307 throughH3027 the earlierH7223 prophetsH5030. Therefore greatH1419 angerH7110 cameH1961 fromH854 the LORDH3068 of HostsH6635.

13AndH1961 just asH834 I had calledH7121 and they would notH3808 listenH8085, soH3651 when they calledH7121 I would notH3808 listenH8085, saysH559 the LORDH3068 of HostsH6635. 14But I scattered them with a whirlwindH5590 amongH5921 allH3605 the nationsH1471 thatH834 they had notH3808 knownH3045, and the landH776 was left desolateH8074 behind themH310 so that no one could comeH5674 or goH7725. Thus they turnedH7760 the pleasantH2532 landH776 into a desolationH8047.”

Notes

1. Zechariah 7:9 Forms of the Hebrew chesed are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scriptures as loving devotion; the range of meaning includes love, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and mercy, as well as loyalty to a covenant. ↩
2. Zechariah 7:11 Hebrew they made their ears too heavy to hear ↩