Go deeper without the clutter. Bible Gateway Plus keeps your study focused—Scripture first, with trusted resourcesclose at hand.
Log In/Sign Up

#
Zechariah 7
New International Version

### Justice and Mercy, Not Fasting

7 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of theLordcame 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)theLord(D)3 by asking the priests of the house of theLordAlmighty and the prophets, “Should I mourn(E)and fast in the fifth(F)month, as I have done for so many years?”

4 Then the word of theLordAlmighty came to me:5 “Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted(G)and mourned in the fifth and seventh(H)months for the past seventy years,(I)was it really for me that you fasted?6 And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?(J)7 Are these not the words theLordproclaimed through the earlier prophets(K)when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest(L)and prosperous, and the Negev and the western foothills(M)were settled?’”(N)

8 And the word of theLordcame again to Zechariah:9 “This is what theLordAlmighty said: ‘Administer true justice;(O)show mercy and compassion to one another.(P)10 Do not oppress the widow(Q)or the fatherless, the foreigner(R)or the poor.(S)Do not plot evil against each other.’(T)

11 “But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly(U)they turned their backs(V)and covered their ears.(W)12 They made their hearts as hard as flint(X)and would not listen to the law or to the words that theLordAlmighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets.(Y)So theLordAlmighty was very angry.(Z)

13 “‘When I called, they did not listen;(AA)so when they called, I would not listen,’(AB)says theLordAlmighty.(AC)14 ‘I scattered(AD)them with a whirlwind(AE)among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land they left behind them was so desolate that no one traveled through it.(AF)This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.(AG)’”

#### Cross references

1. Zechariah 7:1:S Ezr 5:1
2. Zechariah 7:1:Ne 1:1
3. Zechariah 7:2:Jer 26:19; Zec 8:21
4. Zechariah 7:2:Hag 2:10-14
5. Zechariah 7:3:Zec 12:12-14
6. Zechariah 7:3:2Ki 25:9; Jer 52:12-14
7. Zechariah 7:5:Isa 58:5
8. Zechariah 7:5:2Ki 25:25
9. Zechariah 7:5:S Da 9:2
10. Zechariah 7:6:S Isa 43:23
11. Zechariah 7:7:Isa 1:11-20; Zec 1:4
12. Zechariah 7:7:Jer 22:21
13. Zechariah 7:7:S Jer 17:26
14. Zechariah 7:7:Jer 44:4-5
15. Zechariah 7:9:S Jer 22:3; 42:5; Zec 8:16
16. Zechariah 7:9:S Dt 22:1
17. Zechariah 7:10:Jer 49:11
18. Zechariah 7:10:S Ex 22:21
19. Zechariah 7:10:S Lev 25:17; Isa 1:23
20. Zechariah 7:10:S Ex 22:22; S Job 35:8; S Isa 1:17; S Eze 45:9; S Mic 6:8
21. Zechariah 7:11:S Isa 9:9
22. Zechariah 7:11:S Jer 32:33
23. Zechariah 7:11:S Jer 5:3; 8:5; 11:10; S 17:23; S Eze 5:6
24. Zechariah 7:12:S Jer 5:3; 17:1; S Eze 11:19
25. Zechariah 7:12:S Ne 9:29
26. Zechariah 7:12:S Jer 42:21; S Da 9:12
27. Zechariah 7:13:S Jer 7:27
28. Zechariah 7:13:Isa 1:15; S Jer 11:11; 14:12; S Mic 3:4
29. Zechariah 7:13:S Pr 1:28; S La 3:44; S Eze 20:31
30. Zechariah 7:14:S Lev 26:33; Dt 4:27; 28:64-67; S Ps 44:11
31. Zechariah 7:14:Jer 23:19
32. Zechariah 7:14:S Isa 33:8
33. Zechariah 7:14:S Jer 7:34; S 44:6; S Eze 12:19

New International Version(NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 byBiblica, Inc.®Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

### More on the NIV

- Unleash God's Word!

#### Bible Gateway Recommends

NIV, Artisan Collection Bible, Gilded Edges, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $41.99
Save: $18.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NIV, The Woman's Study Bible, Full-Color, Red Letter: Receiving God's Truth for Balance, Hope, and Transformation
Retail: $49.99
Our Price: $34.99
Save: $15.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NIV, Biblical Theology Study Bible, Comfort Print: Follow God’s Redemptive Plan as It Unfolds throughout Scripture
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $41.99
Save: $18.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NIV, Journal the Word Bible, Red Letter, Comfort Print: Reflect, Take Notes, or Create Art Next to Your Favorite Verses
Retail: $39.99
Our Price: $27.99
Save: $12.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Red Letter Edition: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $41.99
Save: $18.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NIV, Radiant Virtues Bible: A Beautiful Word Collection, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Explore the virtues of faith, hope, and love
Retail: $69.98
Our Price: $48.99
Save: $20.99 (30%)
Buy Now
View more titles