Zechariah 8

1 Again the word of the LORD of Hosts came to me, saying:

2 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I am jealous for Zion with great zeal; I am jealous for her with great fervor.”

3 This is what the LORD says: “I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of Hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.”

4 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Old men and old women will again sit along the streets of Jerusalem, each with a staff in hand because of great age.

5 And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing there.”

6 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “If this is impossible in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be impossible in My eyes?” declares the LORD of Hosts.

7 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west.

8 I will bring them back to dwell in Jerusalem, where they will be My people, and I will be their faithful and righteous God.”

9 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Let your hands be strong, you who now hear these words spoken by the prophets who were present when the foundations were laid to rebuild the temple, the house of the LORD of Hosts.

10 For before those days neither man nor beast received wages, nor was there safety from the enemy for anyone who came or went, for I had turned every man against his neighbor.

11 But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as I did in the past,” declares the LORD of Hosts.

12 “For the seed will be prosperous, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will yield its produce, and the skies will give their dew. To the remnant of this people I will give all these things as an inheritance.

13 As you have been a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid; let your hands be strong.”

14 For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Just as I resolved to bring disaster upon you when your fathers provoked Me to anger, and I did not relent,” says the LORD of Hosts,

15 “so now I have resolved to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid.

16 These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another, render true and sound judgments in your gates,

17 do not plot evil in your hearts against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely, for I hate all these things,” declares the LORD.

18 Then the word of the LORD of Hosts came to me, saying,

19 “This is what the LORD of Hosts says: The fasts of the fourth, the fifth, the seventh, and the tenth months will become times of joy and gladness, cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore you are to love both truth and peace.”

20 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Peoples will yet come—the residents of many cities—

21 and the residents of one city will go to another, saying: ‘Let us go at once to plead before the LORD and to seek the LORD of Hosts. I myself am going.’

22 And many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the LORD of Hosts in Jerusalem and to plead before the LORD.”

23 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue will tightly grasp the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”

1 ¶ Again the word of the LORD of hosts came [to me], saying,

2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury.

3 Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.

4 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age.

5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.

6 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.

7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country;

8 And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.

9 ¶ Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which [were] in the day [that] the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.

10 For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither [was there any] peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour.

11 But now I [will] not [be] unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the LORD of hosts.

12 For the seed [shall be] prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these [things].

13 And it shall come to pass, [that] as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, [but] let your hands be strong.

14 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the LORD of hosts, and I repented not:

15 So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.

16 These [are] the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:

17 And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these [are things] that I hate, saith the LORD.

18 ¶ And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying,

19 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth [month], and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.

20 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; [It shall] yet [come to pass], that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities:

21 And the inhabitants of one [city] shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also.

22 Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.

23 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days [it shall come to pass], that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard [that] God [is] with you.

1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I have been almost very jealous over Zion, and have been jealous over her in great wrath.

3 Thus saith the LORD; I will return unto Zion, and will dwell at Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts a mountain of holiness.

4 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet dwell in the streets of Jerusalem old men and old women, and they that walk by sticks of great age.

5 And the streets of the city shall be full of little children and maidens playing in the streets thereof.

6 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Do they think it impossible in the sight of the rest of the people at this time? Shall it therefore also be impossible in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.

7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will redeem my people from the land of the rising, and from the land of the going down of the sun.

8 And I will bring them to dwell in Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.

9 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Strengthen ye your hands, which hear these words at this time by the mouth of the prophets, in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts is laid, that the temple may be built.

10 For before those days the labour of men was vain, and the labour of beasts was nothing; neither was there peace from trouble to them that went out and to them that came in: but I sent all men away, every man against his neighbour.

11 But now will I not go with the remnant of this people, as in the days of old, saith the LORD of hosts,

12 But they shall be seeds of peace. The vine shall yield her fruit, and the land shall yield her increase, and heaven shall yield her dew: and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.

13 And it shall come to pass, as ye of the house of Judah and of the house of Israel have been a curse among the heathen, so will I redeem you, and ye shall be a blessing. Only fear not, and strengthen your hands.

14 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; As I thought to afflict you, when your fathers provoked me to anger, saith the LORD of hosts, and I repented not,

15 So now again in these days I intend to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Fear nothing at all.

16 And this is the thing which ye ought to do, speaking truth one to another, and judging rightly, and making peace in your gates;

17 And think no evil in his heart against his neighbour, neither take false oaths: for all these things I hate, saith the LORD.

18 And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying:

19 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fasts of the fourth, and of the fifth, and of the seventh, and of the tenth months, shall be unto the house of Judah joy and gladness, and joyful feasts of years. Only love truth and peace.

20 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet come many nations, and the inhabitants of many cities,

21 And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, and say, Let us go to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: we will go with you also.

22 And many nations and multitudes of the Gentiles shall come to seek the LORD of hosts at Jerusalem, to pray before the LORD.

23 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In that day shall ten men of all tongues of the Gentiles take a Jewish man by the tail, and say, We will go with you: for we hear that GOD is with you.