Zechariah 7:6

Zechariah 7 opens with men from Bethel asking whether they should continue their traditional fasting and mourning. The Lord answers that their fasts were self-serving, not truly for Him, and recalls how the former prophets called for justice, mercy, and compassion instead of oppression. The chapter closes explaining that because the people refused to listen and hardened their hearts, the Lord scattered them among the nations and left their land desolate.