📖 Zechariah — Chapter 7 (KJV)
Read the complete King James Version chapter below, then explore the passage sections, check what you remember, and keep your private study notes.
Scripture source: Project Gutenberg KJV, ebook 10.
Zechariah 7:1 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in RChisleu;
Zechariah 7:2 When Rthey had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regemmelech, and their men, to Tpray before the LORD,
Zechariah 7:3 And to Rspeak unto the priests which were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?
Zechariah 7:4 Then came the word of the RLORD of hosts unto me, saying,
Zechariah 7:5 Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, RWhen ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?
Zechariah 7:6 And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, RTdid not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?
Zechariah 7:7 RTShould ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried Tby the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?
Zechariah 7:8 And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying,
Zechariah 7:9 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, Rsaying, TExecute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:
Zechariah 7:10 And Roppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.
Zechariah 7:11 But Rthey refused to hearken, and Tpulled away the shoulder, and Tstopped their ears, that they should not hear.
Zechariah 7:12 Yea, they made Rtheir hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit Tby the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.
Zechariah 7:13 Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts:
Zechariah 7:14 But I Rscattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the Tpleasant land desolate.
📚 Study This Chapter
📖 What We’re Reading
Zechariah 7:1–7 — A question about fasting exposes its purpose
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Visitors ask about continued mourning in the fifth month. The Lord asks whether long years of fasting were truly for him and recalls the former prophets’ words to a once prosperous land.
Key Truth: Examine whom your religious practices actually serve.
Check What You Remember
1. Complete the KJV wording: “Then ____ the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying,” (Zechariah 7:4)
Find it in Zechariah 7:4 (KJV).
2. Complete the KJV wording: “____ came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, …” (Zechariah 7:4)
Find it in Zechariah 7:4 (KJV).
3. Complete the KJV wording: “Should ye not hear the ____ which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when …” (Zechariah 7:7)
Find it in Zechariah 7:7 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
Zechariah 7:8–10 — True judgment requires mercy toward the vulnerable
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
The word calls for true judgment, compassion toward brothers, and refusal to oppress widows, fatherless children, strangers, and the poor or imagine evil against a brother.
Key Truth: Let devotion become compassionate and just conduct.
Check What You Remember
1. Complete the KJV wording: “And the ____ of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying,” (Zechariah 7:8)
Find it in Zechariah 7:8 (KJV).
2. Complete the KJV wording: “Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true ____ , and shew mercy and compassions every man to his …” (Zechariah 7:9)
Find it in Zechariah 7:9 (KJV).
3. Complete the KJV wording: “… not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the ____ ; and let none of you imagine evil against his …” (Zechariah 7:10)
Find it in Zechariah 7:10 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
Zechariah 7:11–14 — Hardened hearts leave the pleasant land desolate
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
The people had refused to hear, stopped their ears, and hardened their hearts against the law and Spirit-sent prophetic words. Their unanswered cries and scattering follow this refusal, leaving the land desolate.
Key Truth: Receive correction before refusal becomes a settled habit.
Check What You Remember
1. Complete the KJV wording: “But they ____ to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their …” (Zechariah 7:11)
Find it in Zechariah 7:11 (KJV).
2. Complete the KJV wording: “Therefore it is ____ to pass, that as he cried, and they would not …” (Zechariah 7:13)
Find it in Zechariah 7:13 (KJV).
3. Complete the KJV wording: “But I ____ them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they …” (Zechariah 7:14)
Find it in Zechariah 7:14 (KJV).
Related Scripture (KJV)
Micah 6:8 — Micah likewise joins justice, mercy, and a humble walk with God.
This related passage is selected for its connection with this chapter. It is separate from the chapter text.
Reflect and Apply
How can a familiar religious practice serve God through care for another person?
Advanced Questions and Answers
Study this chapter’s wording, patterns, contrasts, and meaning in greater depth.
1. Which account best distinguishes Zechariah 7:1–7 (A question about fasting exposes its purpose) from the other movements of this chapter?
2. Which account best distinguishes Zechariah 7:8–10 (True judgment requires mercy toward the vulnerable) from the other movements of this chapter?
3. Which account best distinguishes Zechariah 7:11–14 (Hardened hearts leave the pleasant land desolate) from the other movements of this chapter?
4. What ethical conduct accompanies true judgment?
5. What makes the hard-hearted refusal especially serious?
Notes
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