True-True Fasting, True-True Faithfulness
Bethel send men make dem ask whether dem go continue to fast. Dem turn the question back: seventy years of fasting na for themselves, no be for we Papa. Wetin him ask through the prophets wey come before na true justice, kindness, and make dem no oppress widow, orphan, stranger, or poor person.
7 1For King Darius im fourth year, our Papa im word come meet Zechariah for di fourth day of di ninth month, wey be Chislev. 2Di people of Bethel send Sharezer and Regem-melech and dia men make dem go beg for our Papa im favor, 3and make dem ask di priests of di house of di Papa of heaven im armies, and di prophets sef, sey, “Abeg, I go still dey cry and dey fast for di fifth month, as I don dey do for all dis plenty years?”
4Den di word of di Papa of heaven im armies come meet me:
5Talk give all di people of di land and di priests sey: Wen una fast and mourn for di fifth and seventh months for dis seventy years, na really because of me una take dey fast? a a v5 Di fifth-month fast na to remember how Babylon burn Solomon im temple; di seventh-month fast na to remember how dem kill Gedaliah, wey be Judah im last governor. 6Wen una dey chop and drink, no be for una own sef una dey chop and drink?
7No be dis very words our Papa take talk through di prophets wey dey before, wen Jerusalem and di towns wey surround am dey settle down for peace, and people still dey live for di Negev and di foothills?
8And di word of our Papa come meet Zechariah:
9Wetin di Papa of heaven im armies talk be dis: Do true-true justice; show kindness and tender mercy wey dey pain belle to una one anoda. 10No oppress di widow, di pikin wey no get papa, di stranger, or di poor person; and no plan bad-bad thing against una one anoda for una heart.
11But dem refuse to listen, dem harden dia neck comot, and dem block dia ear so dat dem no go hear. 12Dem make dia heart hard like stone, dem refuse to hear di law and di words wey di Papa of heaven im armies bin send by im Spirit through di prophets wey dey before. So great vex come comot from di Papa of heaven im armies.
13“Just as I bin call and dem no gree listen, na so wen dem call I no go gree listen too,” na so di Papa of heaven im armies talk. 14I scatter dem with whirlwind go among all di nations wey dem no bin know. Di land come lie waste for dia back, and nobody dey pass through am, come or go. Na so dem take turn di sweet land to waste-ground.
