This idiom is used to introduce a special message from God. See how you translated this in [Zechariah 7:4](../07/04.md). Alternate translation: "Yahweh of hosts gave me a message. He said, 'Yahweh" or "Yahweh of hosts spoke this message to me, saying, 'Yahweh" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]])
# The fasts of the fourth month, the fifth month, the seventh month, and the tenth month
"The fasts of months 4, 5, 7, and 10" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-ordinal]])
# The fasts of the fourth month
The assumed knowledge is that the Jews mourned during a part of the fourth month of the Hebrew calendar because this is when the Babylonians broke through the walls of Jerusalem. The fourth month is during the last part of June and the first part of July on Western calendars. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-hebrewmonths]])
# the fifth month
The assumed knowledge is that the Jewish people fasted during a part of the fifth month of the Hebrew calendar because this is when the Babylonians destroyed the temple in Jerusalem. The fifth month is during the last part of July and the first part of August on Western calendars. See how you translated this in [Zechariah 7:3](../07/03.md). (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-hebrewmonths]])
# the seventh month
The assumed knowledge is that the Jews mourned during a part of the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar because in this month the remaining Jews in Jerusalem fled to Egypt after the murder of Gedaliah, whom the king of Babylon appointed as governor over Judah. The seventh month is during the last part of September and the first part of October on Western calendars. See how you translated this in [Zechariah 7:5](../07/05.md). (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-hebrewmonths]])
# the tenth month
The assumed knowledge is that the Jews mourned during a part of the tenth month of the Hebrew calendar because this is when the Babylonians began their siege against Jerusalem. The tenth month is during the last part of December and the first part of January on Western calendars. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-hebrewmonths]])
The abstract nouns "joy" and "gladness" can be translated using adjectives. Alternate translation: "joyful and glad times, with happy festivals" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]])
The word "house" is a metonym for the family that lives in the house. In this case it refers to the people in the kingdom of Judah, which included the descendants of Judah and Benjamin. Alternate translation: "the people of Judah" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])
The abstract nouns "truth" and "peace" can be translated using adjectives. Alternate translation: "love what is truthful and peaceful" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]])
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