Zechariah 7:5

Easy To Read Version

“Tell the priests and the other people in this country these things: For seventy years you fasted and showed your sadness in the fifth month and in the seventh month. But was that fasting really for me? No!

Cross References

2 Kings 25:23

The army captains were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth from Netophah, and Jaazaniah son of the Maachathite. These army captains and their men heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor. So they went to Mizpah to meet with Gedaliah.

2 Kings 25:25

Ishmael son of Nethaniah son of Elishama was from the king’s family. In the seventh month Ishmael and ten of his men attacked Gedaliah and killed all the Jews and Babylonians that were with Gedaliah at Mizpah.

Isaiah 43:23

You have not brought your sheep as sacrifices {\cf2\super [388]} to me. You have not honored me. You have not given sacrifices to me. I did not force you to give sacrifices to me. I did not force you to burn incense {\cf2\super [389]} until you became tired.

Isaiah 58:3

Now those people say, “We stop eating food to show honor to you. Why don’t you see us? We hurt our bodies to show honor to you. Why don’t you notice us?”

Jeremiah 25:11

That whole area will be an empty desert. All of those people will be slaves of the king of Babylon for 70 years.

Jeremiah 29:10

This is what the Lord says: “Babylon will be powerful for 70 years. After that time, I will come to you people that are living in Babylon. I will keep my good promise to bring you back to Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 52:12

Nebuzaradan, the commander of the king of Babylon’s special guard, came to Jerusalem. This was on the tenth day of the fifth month, in the 19th year that Nebuchadnezzar was king. {\cf2\super [436]} Nebuzaradan was an important leader in Babylon.

Daniel 9:2

During the first year that Darius was king, I, Daniel, was reading some books. In the books, I saw that the Lord told Jeremiah how many years would pass before Jerusalem would be built again. The Lord said 70 years would pass.

Hosea 7:14

They never call to me from their hearts.\par Yes, they cry on their beds.\par And they cut themselves\par when they ask for grain and\par new wine.\par But \{in their hearts,\} they have turned away\par from me.\par

Zechariah 1:12

Then the Lord’s angel said, “Lord, how long before you comfort Jerusalem and the cities of Judah? You have shown your anger at these cities for 70 years now.”

Zechariah 7:3

They went to the prophets and to the priests at the temple of the Lord All-Powerful. Those men asked them this question: “For many years we have shown our sadness for the destruction of the temple. In the fifth month of each year we have had a special time of crying and fasting. Should we continue to do this?”

Zechariah 7:4

I received this message from the Lord All-Powerful:

Zechariah 7:6

And when you ate and drank, was that for me? No! It was for your own good.

Zechariah 8:19

The Lord All-Powerful says, “You have special days of sadness and fasting in the fourth month, the fifth month, the seventh month, and the tenth month. {\cf2\super [22]} Those days of sadness must be changed into days of happiness. Those will be good and happy holidays. And you must love truth and peace!”

Matthew 23:5

“The only reason they do good things is for other people to see them. They wear special boxes {\cf2\super [328]} full of Scriptures. {\cf2\super [329]} They make these boxes bigger and bigger. And they make their special prayer clothes very long \{so that people will see them\}.

Matthew 6:16

“When you fast, {\cf2\super [78]} don’t make yourselves look sad. The hypocrites {\cf2\super [79]} do that. Don’t be like the hypocrites. They make their faces look strange to show people that they are fasting. I tell you the truth, those hypocrites already have their full reward.

Matthew 6:2

“When you give to poor people, don’t announce that you are giving. Don’t do like the hypocrites {\cf2\super [73]} do. They blow trumpets before they give so that people will see them. They do that in the synagogues {\cf2\super [74]} and on the streets. They want other people to give honor to them. I tell you the truth. Those hypocrites already have their full reward.

Matthew 6:5

“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites. {\cf2\super [75]} The hypocrites love to stand in the synagogues {\cf2\super [76]} and on the street corners and pray loudly. They want people to see them pray. I tell you the truth. They already have their full reward.

2 Corinthians 5:15

Christ died for all people so that the people who live would not continue to live for themselves. He died for them and was raised from death so that those people would live for him.