Zechariah 7:5

New Century Version

“Tell the priests and the people in the land: ‘For seventy years you fasted and cried in the fifth and seventh months, but that was not really for me.

Cross References

2 Kings 25:23

The army captains and their men heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, so they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. They were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite, and their men.

2 Kings 25:25

In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama from the king’s family, came with ten men and killed Gedaliah. They also killed the men of Judah and Babylon who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah.

Isaiah 43:23

You have not brought me your sacrifices of sheep nor honored me with your sacrifices. I did not weigh you down with sacrifices to offer or make you tired with incense to burn.

Isaiah 58:3

They say, ‘To honor you we had special days when we fasted, but you didn’t see. We humbled ourselves to honor you, but you didn’t notice.’ ” But the Lord says, “You do what pleases yourselves on these special days, and you are unfair to your workers.

Jeremiah 25:11

That whole area will be an empty desert, and these nations will be slaves of the king of Babylon for seventy years.

Jeremiah 29:10

This is what the Lord says: “Babylon will be powerful for seventy years. After that time I will come to you, and I will keep my promise to bring you back to Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 52:12

Nebuzaradan, commander of the king’s special guards and servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem on the tenth day of the fifth month. This was in Nebuchadnezzar’s nineteenth year as king of Babylon.

Daniel 9:2

During Darius’ first year as king, I, Daniel, was reading the Scriptures. I saw that the Lord told Jeremiah that Jerusalem would be empty ruins for seventy years.

Hosea 7:14

They do not call to me from their hearts. They just lie on their beds and cry. They come together to ask for grain and new wine, but they really turn away from me.

Zechariah 1:12

Then the Lord’s angel asked, “Lord All-Powerful, how long will it be before you show mercy to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah? You have been angry with them for seventy years now.”

Zechariah 7:3

They went to the prophets and priests who were at the Temple of the Lord All-Powerful. The men said, “For years in the fifth month of each year we have shown our sadness and fasted. Should we continue to do this?”

Zechariah 7:4

The Lord All-Powerful spoke his word to me, saying,

Zechariah 7:6

And when you ate and drank, it was really for yourselves.

Zechariah 8:19

This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: “The special days when you fast in the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months will become good, joyful, happy feasts in Judah. But you must love truth and peace.”

Matthew 23:5

“They do good things so that other people will see them. They enlarge the little boxes holding Scriptures that they wear, and they make their special prayer clothes very long.

Matthew 6:16

“When you fast, don’t put on a sad face like the hypocrites. They make their faces look sad to show people they are fasting. I tell you the truth, those hypocrites already have their full reward.

Matthew 6:2

“When you give to the poor, don’t be like the hypocrites. They blow trumpets in the synagogues and on the streets so that people will see them and honor 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. They love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners and pray so people will see them. I tell you the truth, they already have their full reward.

1 Corinthians 10:31

The answer is, if you eat or drink, or if you do anything, do it all for the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 5:15

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

Colossians 3:23

In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people.