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.