1. During the fourth year that Darius was king, a message came to me from the Lord. It was the fourth day of the ninth month. That's the month of Kislev.
2. The people of Bethel wanted to ask the Lord to show them his favor. So they sent Sharezer and Regem-Melech and their men.
3. They went to the prophets and priests at the Lord's temple. They asked them, "Should we sob and go without eating in the fifth month? That's what we've done for many years."
4. Then the message came to me from the Lord who rules over all. He said,
5. "Ask the priests and all of the people in the land a question for me. Say to them, 'You sobbed and fasted in the fifth and seventh months. You did it for the past 70 years. But did you really do it for me?
6. And when you were eating and drinking, weren't you just enjoying good food for yourselves?
7. " 'Didn't I tell you the same thing through the earlier prophets? That was when Jerusalem and the towns around it were at rest and enjoyed success. People lived in the Negev Desert and the western hills at that time.' "
8. Another message came to me from the Lord.
9. He rules over all. He says to his people, "Treat everyone fairly. Show faithful love and tender concern to one another.
10. Do not take advantage of widows. Do not mistreat children whose fathers have died. Do not crush strangers or poor people. Do not make evil plans against one another."
11. But they refused to pay attention to the Lord. They were stubborn. They turned their backs and covered up their ears.
12. They made their hearts as hard as the hardest stone. They wouldn't listen to the law. They wouldn't pay attention to the Lord's messages. So the Lord who rules over all was very angry. After all, his Spirit had spoken to his people through the earlier prophets.
13. "When I called, they did not listen," says the Lord. "So when they called, I would not listen.