Zechariah 7

¹ In the fourth year wey Darius be emperor, God give me message on the fourth day of the nine month (month of Kislev).

² The people of Bethel don send Sharezer and Regemmelech and their men go Temple of Almighty God go pray for blessing of God

³ and make dem ask the priests and prophets this question: “Shey make we continue to dey mourn because Temple don destroy, by fasting in fifth month as we dey do for many years now?”

⁴ Na the message of God wey come to me be this.

⁵ He talk say, “Tell people wey dey the land and the priests say when dem fast and mourn in the fifth and seventh months during this seventy years, no be for my honor.

⁶ And when dem eat and drink, na for their own enjoyment.”

⁷ Na this be the message God don talk through early prophets for the time when Jerusalem dey prosper and people full am, and when plenty people dey live towns wey round the city and southern region and western foothills.

⁸ God give Zechariah this message:

⁹ “Long time ago, I give my people these commands: Una must see say una do justice, and una must dey kind and dey merciful to one another.

¹⁰ Make una no oppress the widows, orphan, and strangers wey dey live among una, or anyone wey poor. And make una no plan to hurt one another.’

¹¹ But my people no gree obey me. Dem close their mind

¹² and dem make their heart strong like rock. Because dem no dey listen to the teaching wey I send through prophet wey don live long ago, I begin dey vex.

¹³ Because dem no dey hear when I talk, I no answer when dem pray.

¹⁴ I sweep dem go foreign counties like storm. The land dey empty, nobody dey live inside am.