你們說：「事奉上帝是徒然的；遵守上帝所吩咐守的，在萬軍之永恆主面前愁眉苦眼而行、有甚麼益處？

你们说：‘侍奉神是徒然的，遵守神所吩咐的，在万军之耶和华面前苦苦斋戒，有什么益处呢？

你们说：“事奉上帝是枉然，我们遵守上帝所吩咐的，在万军之耶和华面前哀痛而行，有什么益处呢？

你们说：“事奉神是枉然，我们遵守神所吩咐的，在万军之耶和华面前哀痛而行，有什么益处呢？

你们说，‘事奉上帝是虚空的。遵从上帝的吩咐，在万军之耶和华面前痛悔有什么益处？

你们说：‘事奉神是白费的；遵守他的吩咐，在万军之耶和华面前哀痛而行，有什么益处呢？

你们说：‘服事神是枉然的！遵守神所吩咐的，在万军之耶和华面前哀痛而行，有什么好处呢？

你們說：『事奉神是徒然的，遵守神所吩咐的，在萬軍之耶和華面前苦苦齋戒，有甚麼益處呢？

你們說：「事奉上帝是枉然，我們遵守上帝所吩咐的，在萬軍之耶和華面前哀痛而行，有甚麼益處呢？

你們說：「事奉神是枉然，我們遵守神所吩咐的，在萬軍之耶和華面前哀痛而行，有甚麼益處呢？

你們說，『事奉上帝是虛空的。遵從上帝的吩咐，在萬軍之耶和華面前痛悔有什麼益處？

你們說：‘事奉神是白費的；遵守他的吩咐，在萬軍之耶和華面前哀痛而行，有甚麼益處呢？

你們說：『服事神是枉然的！遵守神所吩咐的，在萬軍之耶和華面前哀痛而行，有什麼好處呢？

爾曰、奉事上帝、乃徒然耳、我遵其命、於萬軍之耶和華前殷憂而行、何益之有、

爾常言曰、服事上帝、終屬徒勞、我心甚憂、順從萬有之主耶和華、守其法度、何益之有、

答曰、爾嘗言曰、服事天主、實屬徒勞、守其律法、守其律法或作守其所命守者何益之有、因萬有之主愀然度日、愀然度日或作常懷憂悶何益之有、

“ You have said,‘ It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty?

“ You have said,‘ It is useless to serve God. What do we gain by obeying his laws? And what do we get by pretending to be sad in front of the Lord?

You have said,‘ It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts?

“ You have said,‘ What’s the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the Lord of Heaven’s Armies that we are sorry for our sins?

You have said,“ It is useless to serve God. What have we gained by keeping his requirements and walking mournfully before the LORD of Armies?

You have said,‘ It is pointless to serve God; and what benefit is it for us that we have done what He required, and that we have walked in mourning before the Lord of armies?

You have said,‘ It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, And that we have walked as mourners Before the Lord of hosts?

Ye have said, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept his charge, and that we have walked mournfully before Jehovah of hosts?

You have said:“ It is useless to serve God. What have we gained by keeping His requirements and walking mournfully before the Lord of Hosts?

Ye have said, It[ is] vain to serve God: and what profit[ is it] that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?

You have said,‘ It is useless to serve God. How have we been helped by keeping his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD who rules over all?

You have said,‘ It is vain to serve God;’ and‘ What profit is it that we have followed his instructions, and that we have walked mournfully before Yahweh of Armies?

他們說：「為甚麼我們禁食，而你不看呢？為甚麼我們刻苦自己，而你不理會呢？」嘿，你們禁食的日子、仍然追求所喜歡作的事！逕自壓迫一切為你們作苦工的人！

他們譏笑人，憑着壞心意說話：居高臨下地說欺壓人的話語。他們肆口褻瀆上天，他們的舌頭游擊了全地。因此他們飽喫了食物，也喝了充盛的水。他們說：『上帝怎能曉得？至高者哪能知道？』看哪，這就是惡人；總享受優游興盛，資財增加。唉，我保持我心純潔、實在無用。我洗手表明無辜，也是徒然。

永恆主發神諭說：『如今雖如此，你們還要全心全意來歸向我，以禁食哀哭及號咷來返回。

你們要愁苦，要哀慟，要哭泣。讓你們的喜笑變為哀慟吧；你們的喜樂變為意氣銷沉吧！

請教於萬軍之永恆主殿中的祭司們和神言人們說：『我們是不是還要在五月間守着哀哭和離俗禮，像我們歷年來所行的呢？』萬軍之永恆主的話就傳與我說：『你要告訴國中的眾民和祭司說：你們這七十年在五月間和七月間禁食和舉哀，哪裏真是向我而禁食呢？你們喫，你們喝，豈不是你們自己喫，自己喝呢？

因為你心裏說：「你得了甚麼益處呢？我不犯罪比犯罪有甚麼好處呢？」

那時我必拿燈探照耶路撒冷，我必察罰那些懶散人，那些沉澱於糟滓上的，那些心裏想着說：「永恆主必不降福，也不降禍」的。

他們對上帝說：「離開我們吧！」「全能者能把我們怎麼樣呢？」

因為他說：「人樂於同上帝來往總是無益。」

然而他們對上帝說：「離開我們吧！我們不願意認識你的道路。全能者是甚麼，我們得事奉他呀？我們向他祈求、有甚麼用處？」