Zechariah 7:8-14 NKJV


Zechariah 7:8-14  Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying,

"Thus says the LORD of hosts; 'Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion Everyone to his brother.

Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, The alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart Against his brother.'

"But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear.

"Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts has sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the LORD of hosts.

"Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen," says the LORD of hosts.

"But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known, 'Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate."

Exodus 22:22-27 "You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child.

"If you afflict them in any way, and they cry out to Me, I will surely hear their cry;

"and My wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

"If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a money-lender to him; you shall not charge them interest.

"If you ever take your neighbor's garment as a pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down.

"For that is is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What will he sleep in? And it will be that when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious.

Nehemiah 9:28-31 "But after they had rest, they again did evil before You, Therefore you left them in the hand of their enemies, So that they had dominion over them; Yet when they returned and cried out to you, You heard from heaven; And many times you delivered them according to your mercies,

And testified against them, That you might bring them back to Your law. Yet they acted proudly, And did not heed Your commandments, But sinned against Your judgments, 'Which if a man does, he shall live by them. And they shrugged their shoulders, Stiffened their necks, And would not hear.

Yet for many years you had patience with them, And testified against them by Your Spirit in Your prophets, Yet they would not listen; Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

Nevertheless in Your great mercy You did not utterly  consume them nor forsake them; For You are God, gracious and merciful.

Proverbs 1:20-33 Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares.

She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words.

"How long, you simple ones, will y0u love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge

Turn at my rebuke; surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.

Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,

Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke,

I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes,

When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish comes upon you.

"then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.

Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD,

They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke.

Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies.

For the turning away of the of the simple will slay them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them;

But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil."