WEBVTT

00:00:00.919 --> 00:00:03.700
Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're

00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:05.740
taking this journey together to read the Bible

00:00:05.740 --> 00:00:09.039
in a year. Today's reading is from the book of

00:00:09.039 --> 00:00:12.099
Zechariah, chapters 7 and 8, and the book of

00:00:12.099 --> 00:00:16.120
Ezra, chapters 5 and 6. From the book of Zechariah,

00:00:16.120 --> 00:00:19.519
chapter 7. Now in the fourth year of King Darius,

00:00:19.660 --> 00:00:22.059
it came to pass that the word of the Lord came

00:00:22.059 --> 00:00:25.059
to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month,

00:00:25.239 --> 00:00:29.120
Chislef, when the people sent Sherzer with Regim

00:00:29.120 --> 00:00:32.100
-Melech. and his men to the house of God to pray

00:00:32.100 --> 00:00:34.960
before the Lord, and to ask the priests who were

00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:37.219
in the house of the Lord of hosts and the prophets,

00:00:37.399 --> 00:00:40.380
saying, Should I weep in the fifth month and

00:00:40.380 --> 00:00:43.380
fast as I have done for so many years? Then the

00:00:43.380 --> 00:00:45.420
word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying,

00:00:45.640 --> 00:00:47.939
Say to all the people of the land and to the

00:00:47.939 --> 00:00:50.539
priests, When you fasted and mourned in the fifth

00:00:50.539 --> 00:00:53.200
and seventh month, during those seventy years,

00:00:53.539 --> 00:00:56.979
did you really fast for me, for me? When you

00:00:56.979 --> 00:00:59.969
eat and when you drink, Do you not eat and drink

00:00:59.969 --> 00:01:02.869
for yourselves? Should you not have obeyed the

00:01:02.869 --> 00:01:05.549
words which the Lord proclaimed through the former

00:01:05.549 --> 00:01:07.730
prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around

00:01:07.730 --> 00:01:10.790
it were inhabited and prosperous, and the south

00:01:10.790 --> 00:01:13.810
and the lowland were inhabited? Then the word

00:01:13.810 --> 00:01:16.250
of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, Thus says

00:01:16.250 --> 00:01:19.849
the Lord of hosts, Execute true justice, show

00:01:19.849 --> 00:01:22.609
mercy and compassion, everyone to his brother.

00:01:22.790 --> 00:01:25.349
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the

00:01:25.349 --> 00:01:28.170
alien or the poor. let none of you plan evil

00:01:28.170 --> 00:01:31.209
in his heart against his brother but they refused

00:01:31.209 --> 00:01:33.590
to heed shrugged their shoulders and stopped

00:01:33.590 --> 00:01:36.890
their ears so that they could not hear yes they

00:01:36.890 --> 00:01:39.930
made their hearts like flint refusing to hear

00:01:39.930 --> 00:01:42.750
the law and the words which the lord of hosts

00:01:42.750 --> 00:01:46.209
had sent by his spirit through the former prophets

00:01:46.209 --> 00:01:49.370
thus great wrath came from the lord of hosts

00:01:49.370 --> 00:01:52.709
therefore it happened that just as he proclaimed

00:01:52.709 --> 00:01:55.769
and they would not hear so they called out and

00:01:55.769 --> 00:01:58.530
i would not listen says the lord of hosts but

00:01:58.530 --> 00:02:01.409
i scattered them with a whirlwind among all the

00:02:01.409 --> 00:02:04.569
nations which they had not known thus the land

00:02:04.569 --> 00:02:07.549
became desolate after them so that no one passed

00:02:07.549 --> 00:02:10.250
through or returned for they made the pleasant

00:02:10.250 --> 00:02:15.710
land desolate chapter eight again the word of

00:02:15.710 --> 00:02:18.710
the lord of hosts came saying thus says the lord

00:02:18.710 --> 00:02:21.870
of hosts i am zealous for zion with great zeal

00:02:22.280 --> 00:02:24.979
With great fervor I am zealous for her. Thus

00:02:24.979 --> 00:02:27.539
says the Lord, I will return to Zion and dwell

00:02:27.539 --> 00:02:30.060
in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be

00:02:30.060 --> 00:02:32.680
called the city of truth, the mountain of the

00:02:32.680 --> 00:02:35.479
Lord of hosts, the holy mountain. Thus says the

00:02:35.479 --> 00:02:38.659
Lord of hosts, Old men and old women shall again

00:02:38.659 --> 00:02:41.639
sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with

00:02:41.639 --> 00:02:44.319
his staff in his hand, because of great age.

00:02:44.520 --> 00:02:47.139
The streets of the city shall be full of boys

00:02:47.139 --> 00:02:50.840
and girls playing in its streets. Thus says the

00:02:50.840 --> 00:02:53.530
Lord of hosts, If it is marvelous in the eyes

00:02:53.530 --> 00:02:55.990
of the remnant of this people in these days,

00:02:56.169 --> 00:02:59.389
will it also be marvelous in my eyes, says the

00:02:59.389 --> 00:03:02.849
Lord of hosts? Thus says the Lord of hosts, Behold,

00:03:02.889 --> 00:03:05.310
I will save my people from the land of the east

00:03:05.310 --> 00:03:07.810
and from the land of the west. I will bring them

00:03:07.810 --> 00:03:10.569
back, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.

00:03:10.830 --> 00:03:13.030
They shall be my people, and I will be their

00:03:13.030 --> 00:03:16.409
God in truth and righteousness. thus says the

00:03:16.409 --> 00:03:19.569
lord of hosts let your hands be strong you who

00:03:19.569 --> 00:03:22.770
have been hearing in these days these words by

00:03:22.770 --> 00:03:25.310
the mouth of the prophets who spoke in the day

00:03:25.310 --> 00:03:27.569
the foundation was laid for the house of the

00:03:27.569 --> 00:03:30.210
lord of hosts that the temple might be built

00:03:30.210 --> 00:03:33.550
for before these days there were no wages for

00:03:33.550 --> 00:03:36.629
man nor any hire for beast there was no peace

00:03:36.629 --> 00:03:39.210
from the enemy for whoever went out or came in

00:03:39.210 --> 00:03:42.650
for i set all men everyone against his neighbour

00:03:43.099 --> 00:03:45.580
But now I will not treat the remnant of this

00:03:45.580 --> 00:03:48.080
people as in the former days, says the Lord of

00:03:48.080 --> 00:03:51.120
hosts. For the seed shall be prosperous, the

00:03:51.120 --> 00:03:53.960
vine shall give its fruit, the ground shall give

00:03:53.960 --> 00:03:56.219
her increase, and the heavens shall give their

00:03:56.219 --> 00:03:58.860
due. I will cause the remnant of this people

00:03:58.860 --> 00:04:01.780
to possess all these, and it shall come to pass

00:04:01.780 --> 00:04:05.159
that just as you were a curse among the nations,

00:04:05.340 --> 00:04:08.699
O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will

00:04:08.699 --> 00:04:11.879
save you and you shall be a blessing. Do not

00:04:11.879 --> 00:04:14.900
fear. Let your hands be strong. For thus says

00:04:14.900 --> 00:04:17.899
the Lord of hosts, Just as I determined to punish

00:04:17.899 --> 00:04:20.779
you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, says

00:04:20.779 --> 00:04:23.819
the Lord of hosts, and I would not relent. So

00:04:23.819 --> 00:04:26.720
again in these days I am determined to do good,

00:04:26.879 --> 00:04:29.879
to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not

00:04:29.879 --> 00:04:33.319
fear. These are the things you shall do. Speak

00:04:33.319 --> 00:04:36.360
each man the truth to his neighbor. Give judgment

00:04:36.360 --> 00:04:39.439
in your gates for truth, justice, and peace.

00:04:39.930 --> 00:04:42.550
Let none of you think evil in your heart against

00:04:42.550 --> 00:04:45.189
your neighbor, and do not love a false oath.

00:04:45.509 --> 00:04:48.310
For all these are things that I hate, says the

00:04:48.310 --> 00:04:50.889
Lord. Then the word of the Lord of hosts came

00:04:50.889 --> 00:04:53.910
to me, saying, Thus says the Lord of hosts, The

00:04:53.910 --> 00:04:56.430
fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth,

00:04:56.589 --> 00:04:59.009
the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the

00:04:59.009 --> 00:05:01.610
tenth shall be joy and gladness and cheerful

00:05:01.610 --> 00:05:05.029
feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore love

00:05:05.029 --> 00:05:08.110
truth and peace. Thus says the Lord of hosts,

00:05:08.699 --> 00:05:11.839
Peoples shall yet come, inhabitants of many cities.

00:05:12.019 --> 00:05:14.920
The inhabitants of one city shall go to another,

00:05:15.040 --> 00:05:17.980
saying, Let us continue to go and pray before

00:05:17.980 --> 00:05:21.139
the Lord and seek the Lord of hosts. I myself

00:05:21.139 --> 00:05:25.220
will go also. Yes, many peoples and strong nations

00:05:25.220 --> 00:05:27.939
shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem

00:05:27.939 --> 00:05:31.040
and to pray before the Lord. Thus says the Lord

00:05:31.040 --> 00:05:34.980
of hosts, In those days, Ten men from every language

00:05:34.980 --> 00:05:37.939
of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish

00:05:37.939 --> 00:05:40.779
man, saying, Let us go with you, for we have

00:05:40.779 --> 00:05:45.639
heard that God is with you. From the Book of

00:05:45.639 --> 00:05:49.459
Ezra, Chapter 5 Then the prophet Haggai and Zechariah

00:05:49.459 --> 00:05:52.839
the son of Edo, prophets, prophesied to the Jews

00:05:52.839 --> 00:05:55.579
who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of

00:05:55.579 --> 00:05:58.839
the God of Israel who was over them. So Zerubbabel,

00:05:58.920 --> 00:06:01.600
the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, the son of

00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:04.160
Josedach, rose up and began to build the house

00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:06.779
of God, which is in Jerusalem. And the prophets

00:06:06.779 --> 00:06:09.740
of God were with them, helping them. At the same

00:06:09.740 --> 00:06:12.560
time, Tatanai, the governor of the region beyond

00:06:12.560 --> 00:06:16.019
the river, and Shittar, Bosni, and their companions,

00:06:16.259 --> 00:06:19.079
came to them and spoke thus to them, Who has

00:06:19.079 --> 00:06:21.220
commanded you to build this temple and finish

00:06:21.220 --> 00:06:24.139
this wall? Then accordingly we told them the

00:06:24.139 --> 00:06:27.100
names of the men who were constructing this building.

00:06:27.500 --> 00:06:30.139
But the eye of their god was upon the elders

00:06:30.139 --> 00:06:32.839
of the Jews, so that they could not make them

00:06:32.839 --> 00:06:36.399
cease till a report could go to Darius. Then

00:06:36.399 --> 00:06:38.759
a written answer was returned concerning this

00:06:38.759 --> 00:06:42.139
matter. This is a copy of the letter that Tatanai

00:06:42.139 --> 00:06:45.399
sent. The governor of the region beyond the river,

00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:49.100
and Shitar, Bosni, and his companions, the Persians

00:06:49.100 --> 00:06:51.980
who were in the region beyond the river, to Darius

00:06:51.980 --> 00:06:54.500
the king. They sent a letter to him in which

00:06:54.500 --> 00:06:58.060
was written thus. To Darius the king, all peace.

00:06:58.379 --> 00:07:01.019
Let it be known to the king that we went into

00:07:01.019 --> 00:07:03.480
the province of Judea to the temple of the great

00:07:03.480 --> 00:07:06.240
God, which is being built with heavy stones,

00:07:06.259 --> 00:07:09.519
and timber is being laid in the walls, and this

00:07:09.519 --> 00:07:12.660
work goes on diligently and prospers in their

00:07:12.660 --> 00:07:15.660
hands. Then we asked those elders and spoke thus

00:07:15.660 --> 00:07:18.180
to them, Who commanded you to build this temple

00:07:18.180 --> 00:07:21.379
and to finish these walls? We also asked them

00:07:21.379 --> 00:07:23.649
their names to inform you. that we might write

00:07:23.649 --> 00:07:26.310
the names of the men who were chief among them.

00:07:26.509 --> 00:07:28.709
And thus they returned us an answer, saying,

00:07:28.910 --> 00:07:31.250
We are the servants of the God of heaven and

00:07:31.250 --> 00:07:33.730
earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that

00:07:33.730 --> 00:07:36.629
was built many years ago, which a great king

00:07:36.629 --> 00:07:39.430
of Israel built and completed. But because our

00:07:39.430 --> 00:07:41.670
fathers provoked the God of heaven to wrath,

00:07:41.889 --> 00:07:44.310
he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar

00:07:44.310 --> 00:07:46.949
king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed

00:07:46.949 --> 00:07:49.449
this temple and carried the people away to Babylon.

00:07:49.819 --> 00:07:52.339
However, in the first year of Cyrus, king of

00:07:52.339 --> 00:07:55.620
Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to build

00:07:55.620 --> 00:07:58.639
this house of God. Also the gold and silver articles

00:07:58.639 --> 00:08:01.300
of the house of God which Nebuchadnezzar had

00:08:01.300 --> 00:08:04.339
taken from the temple that was in Jerusalem and

00:08:04.339 --> 00:08:07.560
carried into the temple of Babylon, those King

00:08:07.560 --> 00:08:10.139
Cyrus took from the temple of Babylon and they

00:08:10.139 --> 00:08:13.399
were given to one named Sheshbazar, whom he had

00:08:13.399 --> 00:08:16.100
made governor. And he said to him, take these

00:08:16.100 --> 00:08:19.459
articles, go. Carry them to the temple site that

00:08:19.459 --> 00:08:22.060
is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be

00:08:22.060 --> 00:08:25.899
rebuilt on its former site. Then the same Sheshbazar

00:08:25.899 --> 00:08:28.319
came and laid the foundation of the house of

00:08:28.319 --> 00:08:31.459
God which is in Jerusalem. But from that time

00:08:31.459 --> 00:08:34.120
even until now, it has been under construction,

00:08:34.279 --> 00:08:37.629
and it is not finished. now therefore if it seems

00:08:37.629 --> 00:08:40.190
good to the king let a search be made in the

00:08:40.190 --> 00:08:43.049
king's treasure -house which is there in babylon

00:08:43.049 --> 00:08:45.889
whether it is so that a decree was issued by

00:08:45.889 --> 00:08:48.710
king cyrus to build this house of god at jerusalem

00:08:48.710 --> 00:08:51.490
and let the king send us his pleasure concerning

00:08:51.490 --> 00:08:57.129
this matter chapter six then king darius issued

00:08:57.129 --> 00:08:59.610
a decree and a search was made in the archives

00:08:59.610 --> 00:09:02.590
where the treasures were stored in babylon and

00:09:02.590 --> 00:09:06.049
at In the palace that is in the province of Media,

00:09:06.269 --> 00:09:09.190
a scroll was found, and in it a record was written

00:09:09.190 --> 00:09:12.429
thus. In the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus

00:09:12.429 --> 00:09:15.149
issued a decree concerning the house of God at

00:09:15.149 --> 00:09:18.330
Jerusalem. Let the house be rebuilt, the place

00:09:18.330 --> 00:09:21.370
where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations

00:09:21.370 --> 00:09:24.870
of it be firmly laid, its height sixty cubits

00:09:24.870 --> 00:09:28.110
and its width sixty cubits, with three rows of

00:09:28.110 --> 00:09:31.600
heavy stones and one row of new timber. Let the

00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:34.259
expenses be paid from the king's treasury. Also

00:09:34.259 --> 00:09:36.500
let the gold and silver articles of the house

00:09:36.500 --> 00:09:39.320
of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple

00:09:39.320 --> 00:09:41.659
which is in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon,

00:09:41.899 --> 00:09:44.940
be restored and taken back to the temple which

00:09:44.940 --> 00:09:48.139
is in Jerusalem, each to its place, and deposit

00:09:48.139 --> 00:09:51.840
them in the house of God. Now therefore, Tatanai,

00:09:51.879 --> 00:09:54.399
governor of the region beyond the river, and

00:09:54.399 --> 00:09:57.019
Shitar, Bosni, and your companions, the Persians,

00:09:57.059 --> 00:09:59.580
who are beyond the river, keep yourselves far

00:09:59.580 --> 00:10:02.090
from there. Let the work of this house of God

00:10:02.090 --> 00:10:05.049
alone. Let the governor of the Jews and the elders

00:10:05.049 --> 00:10:08.250
of the Jews build this house of God on its site.

00:10:08.669 --> 00:10:11.789
Moreover, I issue a decree as to what you shall

00:10:11.789 --> 00:10:14.769
do for the elders of these Jews for the building

00:10:14.769 --> 00:10:17.870
of this house of God. Let the cost be paid at

00:10:17.870 --> 00:10:21.210
the king's expense from taxes on the region beyond

00:10:21.210 --> 00:10:24.269
the river. This is to be given immediately to

00:10:24.269 --> 00:10:27.149
these men so that they are not hindered. And

00:10:27.149 --> 00:10:30.940
whatever they need, young bulls, rams, and lambs

00:10:30.940 --> 00:10:33.299
for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven,

00:10:33.440 --> 00:10:37.000
wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the

00:10:37.000 --> 00:10:39.440
request of the priests who are in Jerusalem.

00:10:39.639 --> 00:10:42.580
Let it be given them day by day without fail,

00:10:42.700 --> 00:10:45.399
that they may offer sacrifices of sweet aroma

00:10:45.399 --> 00:10:48.059
to the God of heaven and pray for the life of

00:10:48.059 --> 00:10:51.100
the king and his sons. Also I issue a decree

00:10:51.100 --> 00:10:54.970
that whoever alters this edict Let a timber be

00:10:54.970 --> 00:10:57.830
pulled from his house and erected, and let him

00:10:57.830 --> 00:11:00.990
be hanged on it, and let his house be made a

00:11:00.990 --> 00:11:03.470
refuse heap because of this. And may the God

00:11:03.470 --> 00:11:06.110
who causes his name to dwell there destroy any

00:11:06.110 --> 00:11:09.090
king or people who put their hand to alter it,

00:11:09.169 --> 00:11:12.309
or to destroy this house of God which is in Jerusalem.

00:11:12.649 --> 00:11:16.649
I, Darius, issue a decree. Let it be done diligently.

00:11:17.389 --> 00:11:19.629
Then Tatanai, governor of the region beyond the

00:11:19.629 --> 00:11:23.169
river, Shittar, Bosni, and their companions diligently

00:11:23.169 --> 00:11:26.769
did according to what King Darius had sent. So

00:11:26.769 --> 00:11:29.429
the elders of the Jews built and they prospered

00:11:29.429 --> 00:11:31.649
through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet

00:11:31.649 --> 00:11:34.529
and Zechariah the son of Edo. And they built

00:11:34.529 --> 00:11:36.889
and finished it according to the commandment

00:11:36.889 --> 00:11:39.490
of the God of Israel and according to the command

00:11:39.490 --> 00:11:44.009
of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, king of Persia.

00:11:44.379 --> 00:11:46.559
now the temple was finished on the third day

00:11:46.559 --> 00:11:49.379
of the month of adar which was in the sixth year

00:11:49.379 --> 00:11:51.799
of the reign of king darius then the children

00:11:51.799 --> 00:11:54.500
of israel the priests and the levites and the

00:11:54.500 --> 00:11:57.279
rest of the descendants of the captivity celebrated

00:11:57.279 --> 00:12:00.559
the dedication of this house of god with joy

00:12:00.559 --> 00:12:03.460
and they offered sacrifices at the dedication

00:12:03.460 --> 00:12:07.019
of this house of god one hundred bulls two hundred

00:12:07.019 --> 00:12:10.399
rams four hundred lambs and as a sin offering

00:12:10.399 --> 00:12:13.899
for all israel twelve male goats according to

00:12:13.899 --> 00:12:16.639
the number of the tribes of Israel. They assigned

00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:19.500
the priests to their divisions and the Levites

00:12:19.500 --> 00:12:22.120
to their divisions over the service of God in

00:12:22.120 --> 00:12:24.759
Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.

00:12:25.399 --> 00:12:28.000
And the descendants of the captivity kept the

00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:30.500
Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.

00:12:30.700 --> 00:12:33.500
For the priests and the Levites had purified

00:12:33.500 --> 00:12:36.200
themselves, all of them were ritually clean.

00:12:36.399 --> 00:12:39.139
And they slaughtered the Passover lambs for all

00:12:39.139 --> 00:12:41.860
the descendants of the captivity. for their brethren

00:12:41.860 --> 00:12:44.980
the priests, and for themselves. Then the children

00:12:44.980 --> 00:12:47.340
of Israel, who had returned from the captivity,

00:12:47.580 --> 00:12:50.080
ate together with all who had separated themselves

00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:53.360
from the filth of the nations of the land, in

00:12:53.360 --> 00:12:55.899
order to seek the Lord God of Israel. And they

00:12:55.899 --> 00:12:58.539
kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days

00:12:58.539 --> 00:13:01.559
with joy. For the Lord made them joyful, and

00:13:01.559 --> 00:13:03.700
turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward

00:13:03.700 --> 00:13:06.559
them, to strengthen their hands in the work of

00:13:06.559 --> 00:13:15.169
the house of God, the God of Israel. I hope you

00:13:15.169 --> 00:13:17.450
enjoyed today's reading as much as I did and

00:13:17.450 --> 00:13:19.409
I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow to

00:13:19.409 --> 00:13:21.649
continue on our journey. God bless you and have

00:13:21.649 --> 00:13:22.210
a great day.