Et qui procul sunt, venient, et ædificabunt in templo Domini: et scietis quia Dominus exercituum misit me ad vos. Erit autem hoc, si auditu audieritis vocem Domini Dei vestri.

And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the Lord came to Zacharias, in the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Casleu.

In the fourth year of Darius’ reign, another message from the Lord came to Za charias; it was on the fourth day of Casleu, the ninth month.

Et factum est in anno quarto Darii regis, factum est verbum Domini ad Zachariam, in quarta mensis noni, qui est Casleu.

When Sarasar, and Rogommelech, and the men that were with him, sent to the house of God, to entreat the face of the Lord:

This was the occasion of it; here was Sarasar, with Rogommelech and others of his company, sending envoys to implore the Lord’s favour.

Et miserunt ad domum Dei Sarasar et Rogommelech, et viri qui erant cum eo, ad deprecandam faciem Domini:

To speak to the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts, and to the prophets, saying: Must I weep in the fifth month, or must I sanctify myself as I have now done for many years?

A question they put to the priests, there in the temple of the Lord of hosts, and to the prophets besides: Must I yet mourn, yet rid myself of defilement, when the fifth month comes round, as my wont has been these many years past?

ut dicerent sacerdotibus domus Domini exercituum, et prophetis, loquentes: Numquid flendum est mihi in quinto mense, vel sanctificare me debeo, sicut jam feci multis annis?

And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying:

Then came this message to me from the Lord of hosts:

Et factum est verbum Domini exercituum ad me, dicens:

Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying: When you fasted, and mourned in the fifth and the seventh month for these seventy years: did you keep a fast unto me?

Ask this, of priests and people both; was it indeed fast of mine you kept, all these seventy years, the fifth month and the seventh observing ever with fasting and lament,

Loquere ad omnem populum terræ, et ad sacerdotes, dicens: Cum jejunaretis, et plangeretis in quinto et septimo per hos septuaginta annos, numquid jejunium jejunastis mihi?

And when you did eat and drink, did you not eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?

you, that when food and drink were set before you, shared them with none?

et cum comedistis et bibistis, numquid non vobis comedistis et vobismetipsis bibistis?

Are not these the words which the Lord spoke by the hand of the former prophets, when Jerusalem as yet was inhabited, and was wealthy, both itself and the cities round about it, and there were inhabitants towards the south, and in the plain?

Bethink you, what warnings gave he by the prophets of an earlier day, when Jerusalem was yet safe and prosperous, she and the cities about her, populous the western valleys, populous the hill-country of the south.

numquid non sunt verba quæ locutus est Dominus in manu prophetarum priorum, cum adhuc Jerusalem habitaretur ut esset opulenta, ipsa et urbes in circuitu ejus, et ad austrum, et in campestribus habitaretur?

And the word of the Lord came to Zacharias, saying:

(Such was the word the Lord sent to Zacharias. )

Et factum est verbum Domini ad Zachariam, dicens:

Thus saith the Lord of hosts, saying: Judge ye true judgment, and shew ye mercy and compassion every man to his brother.

A message from the Lord of hosts: Come now, the true award, the tender heart that pities a neighbour’s need!

Hæc ait Dominus exercituum, dicens: Judicium verum judicate, et misericordiam et miserationes facite, unusquisque cum fratre suo.

And oppress not the widow, and the fatherless, and the stranger, and the poor: and let not a man devise evil in his heart against his brother.

Widow and orphan, the alien and the friendless, wrong no more; brother against brother plot no more!

Et viduam, et pupillum, et advenam, et pauperem nolite calumniari: et malum vir fratri suo non cogitet in corde suo.

But they would not hearken, and they turned away the shoulder to depart: and they stopped their ears, not to hear.

And would they listen? Shrank every shoulder from the burden, deaf ears they turned him,

Et noluerunt attendere, et averterunt scapulam recedentem, et aures suas aggravaverunt ne audirent.

And they made their heart as the adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts sent in his spirit by the hand of the former prophets: so a great indignation came from the Lord of hosts.

hardened their hearts to adamant. Heed his law they would not; heed they would not, when the Lord of hosts inspired those older prophets to speak in his name. What wonder if his divine anger was aroused beyond measure?

Et cor suum posuerunt ut adamantem, ne audirent legem, et verba quæ misit Dominus exercituum in spiritu suo per manum prophetarum priorum: et facta est indignatio magna a Domino exercituum.

And it came to pass that as he spoke, and they heard not: so shall they cry, and I will not hear, saith the Lord of hosts.

What wonder, says the Lord of hosts, they should call in vain on me, that in vain had warned them?

Et factum est sicut locutus est, et non audierunt: sic clamabunt et non exaudiam, dicit Dominus exercituum.

And I dispersed them throughout all kingdoms, which they know not: and the land was left desolate behind them, so that no man passed through or returned: and they changed the delightful land into a wilderness.

So it was I scattered them in unknown countries, left their land a desert, where none came or went; a land so fair, by its own inhabitants laid waste.