New American Standard Bible 1995

Zechariah 7

Hearts like Flint

1In the fourthאַרְבַּ֔ע'ar.Ba'H702yearבִּשְׁנַ֣תbish.NatH8141of Kingהַמֶּ֑לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428Dariusלְדָרְיָ֖וֶשׁle.da.re.Ya.veshH1867,the wordדְבַר־de.var-H1697of the Lordיְהוָ֜הYah.wehH3068cameH1961to Zechariahזְכַרְיָ֗הze.khar.YahH2148on the fourthבְּאַרְבָּעָ֛הbe.'ar.ba.'AhH702dayof the ninthהַתְּשִׁעִ֖יha.te.shi.'IH8671monthלַחֹ֥דֶשׁla.Cho.deshH2320, which isChislevבְּכִסְלֵֽו׃be.khis.LevH3691.

2Now the town ofBethelH1008had sentוַיִּשְׁלַח֙vai.yish.LachH7971SharezerH8272and RegemmelechH7278andtheir menH376toseekH2470the favorH2470of the Lordיְהוָֽה׃Yah.wehH3068,

3speakingלֵאמֹ֗רle.MorH559to thepriestsהַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ha.ko.ha.NimH3548whoH834belong to the houseלְבֵית־le.veit-H1004of the Lordיְהוָ֣הYah.wehH3068of hostsצְבָא֔וֹתtze.va.'otH6635,and to the prophetsהַנְּבִיאִ֖יםha.ne.vi.'ImH5030,sayingלֵאמֹ֑רle.MorH559, “Shall I weepהַֽאֶבְכֶּה֙ha.'ev.KehH1058in thefifthהַחֲמִשִׁ֔יha.cha.mi.ShiH2549monthבַּחֹ֣דֶשׁba.Cho.deshH2320and abstainהִנָּזֵ֕רhi.na.ZerH5144,as I have doneעָשִׂ֔יתִי'a.Si.tiH6213theseזֶ֖הzehH2088manyכַּמֶּ֥הka.MehH4100yearsשָׁנִֽים׃ פsha.NimH8141?”

4Then the wordדְּבַר־de.var-H1697of the Lordיְהוָ֥הYah.wehH3068of hostsצְבָא֖וֹתtze.va.'otH6635cameוַיְהִ֛יvay.HiH1961to me, sayingלֵאמֹֽר׃le.MorH559,

5“SayH559to allכָּל־kol-H3605the peopleעַ֣ם'amH5971of the landהָאָ֔רֶץha.'A.retzH776and to the priestsהַכֹּהֲנִ֖יםha.ko.ha.NimH3548, ‘Whenכִּֽי־ki-H3588you fastedצַמְתֶּ֨םtzam.TemH6684and mournedוְסָפ֜וֹדve.sa.FodH5594in the fifthבַּחֲמִישִׁ֣יba.cha.mi.ShiH2549and seventhוּבַשְּׁבִיעִ֗יu.va.she.vi.'IH7637monthstheseוְזֶה֙ve.ZehH2088seventyשִׁבְעִ֣יםshiv.'ImH7657yearsשָׁנָ֔הsha.NahH8141,was it actuallyהֲצ֥וֹםha.TzomH6684forMe that you fastedצַמְתֻּ֖נִיtzam.Tu.niH6684?

6WhenH3588you eatתֹאכְל֖וּto.khe.LuH398and drinkתִשְׁתּ֑וּtish.TuH8354,do you not eatהָאֹ֣כְלִ֔יםha.'O.khe.LimH398for yourselves and do you not drinkהַשֹּׁתִֽים׃ha.sho.TimH8354for yourselves?

7Are not thesethe wordsהַדְּבָרִ֗יםha.de.va.RimH1697whichאֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.SherH834the Lordיְהוָה֙Yah.wehH3068proclaimedקָרָ֤אka.Ra'H7121by the formerהָרִֽאשֹׁנִ֔יםha.ri.sho.NimH7223prophetsהַנְּבִיאִ֣יםha.ne.vi.'ImH5030,when Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ye.ru.sha.LimH3389was inhabitedיֹשֶׁ֣בֶתyo.She.vetH3427andprosperousוּשְׁלֵוָ֔הu.she.le.VahH7961along with its citiesוְעָרֶ֖יהָve.'a.Rei.haH5892aroundסְבִיבֹתֶ֑יהָse.vi.vo.Tei.haH5439it, and theNegevוְהַנֶּ֥גֶבve.ha.Ne.gevH5045and thefoothillsוְהַשְּׁפֵלָ֖הve.ha.she.fe.LahH8219were inhabitedיֹשֵֽׁב׃ פyo.ShevH3427?’”

8Then the wordדְּבַר־de.var-H1697of the Lordיְהוָ֔הYah.wehH3068cameוַֽיְהִי֙vay.HiH1961to Zechariahזְכַרְיָ֖הze.khar.YahH2148sayingלֵאמֹֽר׃le.MorH559,

9“Thusכֹּ֥הkohH3541has the Lordיְהוָ֥הYah.wehH3068of hostsצְבָא֖וֹתtze.va.'otH6635saidH559, ‘Dispenseשְׁפֹ֔טוּshe.Fo.tuH8199trueאֱמֶת֙'e.MetH571justiceמִשְׁפַּ֤טmish.PatH4941and practiceעֲשׂ֖וּ'a.SuH6213kindnessוְחֶ֣סֶדve.Che.sedH2617and compassionוְרַֽחֲמִ֔יםve.ra.cha.MimH7356eachאִ֥ישׁ'ishH376to his brotherאָחִֽיו׃'a.ChivH251;

10anddo not oppressתַּעֲשֹׁ֑קוּta.'a.Sho.kuH6231the widowוְאַלְמָנָ֧הve.'al.ma.NahH490or theorphanוְיָת֛וֹםve.ya.TomH3490, thestrangerגֵּ֥רgerH1616or the poorוְעָנִ֖יve.'a.NiH6041; and donot deviseתַּחְשְׁב֖וּtach.she.VuH2803evilH7463in your heartsבִּלְבַבְכֶֽם׃bil.vav.KhemH3824against oneאִ֣ישׁ'ishH376anotherH312.’

11But theyrefusedוַיְמָאֲנ֣וּvay.ma.'a.NuH3985to payלְהַקְשִׁ֔יבle.hak.ShivH7181attentionH7181andturnedוַיִּתְּנ֥וּvai.yi.te.NuH5414a stubbornסֹרָ֑רֶתso.Ra.retH5637shoulderכָתֵ֖ףkha.TefH3802andstoppedהִכְבִּ֥ידוּhikh.Bi.duH3513their earsוְאָזְנֵיהֶ֖םve.'a.ze.nei.HemH241from hearingמִשְּׁמֽוֹעַ׃mi.she.Mo.a'H8085.

12They madeשָׂ֣מוּSa.muH7760theirheartsוְלִבָּ֞םve.li.BamH3820likeflintשָׁמִ֗ירsha.MirH8068soH4480that they could not hearמִ֠שְּׁמוֹעַMi.she.mo.a'H8085the lawהַתּוֹרָ֤הha.to.RahH8451and thewordsהַדְּבָרִים֙ha.de.va.RimH1697whichאֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.SherH834the Lordיְהוָ֤הYah.wehH3068of hostsצְבָאוֹת֙tze.va.'OtH6635had sentשָׁלַ֜חsha.LachH7971by His Spiritבְּרוּח֔וֹbe.ru.ChoH7307throughבְּיַ֖דbe.YadH3027theformerהָרִֽאשֹׁנִ֑יםha.ri.sho.NimH7223prophetsהַנְּבִיאִ֣יםha.ne.vi.'ImH5030;therefore greatגָּד֔וֹלga.DolH1419wrathקֶ֣צֶףKe.tzefH7110cameוַֽיְהִי֙vay.HiH1961from the Lordיְהוָ֥הYah.wehH3068of hostsצְבָאֽוֹת׃tze.va.'otH6635.

13And justH3512asHe calledקָרָ֖אka.Ra'H7121and they would not listenשָׁמֵ֑עוּsha.Me.'uH8085,soכֵּ֤ןkenH3651they calledיִקְרְאוּ֙yik.re.'UH7121and I would not listenאֶשְׁמָ֔ע'esh.Ma'H8085,”saysאָמַ֖ר'a.MarH559the Lordיְהוָ֥הYah.wehH3068of hostsצְבָאֽוֹת׃tze.va.'otH6635;

14“but IscatteredH5590them with astormוְאֵ֣סָעֲרֵ֗םve.'E.sa.'a.RemH5590windH5590amongעַ֤ל'alH5921allכָּל־kol-H3605the nationsהַגּוֹיִם֙ha.go.YimH1471whomאֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherH834they have not knownיְדָע֔וּםye.da.'UmH3045.Thus the landוְהָאָ֙רֶץ֙ve.ha.'A.retzH776isdesolatedנָשַׁ֣מָּהna.Sha.mahH8074behindאַֽחֲרֵיהֶ֔ם'a.cha.rei.HemH310themsoH4480thatnoH4480one wentH5674backוּמִשָּׁ֑בu.mi.ShavH7725and forthH5674, for theymadeוַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּvai.ya.Si.muH7760the pleasantחֶמְדָּ֖הchem.DahH2532landאֶֽרֶץ־'e.retz-H776desolateלְשַׁמָּֽה׃ פle.sha.MahH8047.”

Hearts like Flint

Commentaries on Zechariah 7