Zechariah 8

1 The word of the LORD of Armies came to me.

And the word of Jehovah of hosts came to me, saying,

2 The LORD of Armies says: “I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath.”

Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: I have been jealous for Zion with great jealousy, And with great wrath have I been jealous for her.

3 The LORD says: “I have returned to Zion, and will dwell in the middle of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called ‘The City of Truth;’ and the mountain of the LORD of Armies, ‘The Holy Mountain.’”

Thus saith Jehovah: I have returned to Zion, And I will dwell in Jerusalem; And Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth, And the mountain of Jehovah of hosts the holy mountain.

4 The LORD of Armies says: “Old men and old women will again dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand because of their old age.

Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: There shall yet old men and old women dwell In the streets of Jerusalem, Every one with his staff in his hand for great age.

5 The streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.”

And the streets of the city shall be full Of boys and girls playing in her streets.

6 The LORD of Armies says: “If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my eyes?” says the LORD of Armies.

Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: If it be difficult in the eyes Of the residue of this people in these days, Is it therefore difficult in my eyes, Saith Jehovah of hosts?

7 The LORD of Armies says: “Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country.

Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Behold, I will save my people From the land of the rising, and from the land of the setting sun.

8 I will bring them, and they will dwell within Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.”

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

9 The LORD of Armies says: “Let your hands be strong, you who hear in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets who were in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of Armies was laid, even the temple, that it might be built.

Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Let your hands be strong, Ye that hear in these days These words by the mouth of the prophets, Who were in the day when the foundation of the house of Jehovah of hosts was laid, The temple, that it might be built.

10 For before those days there was no wages for man nor any wages for an animal, neither was there any peace to him who went out or came in, because of the adversary. For I set all men everyone against his neighbor.

For before these days There was no recompense for men, Nor was there any recompense for beasts; Nor to him that went out, nor to him that came in, was there security from the enemy; For I set all men one against another.

11 But now I will not be to the remnant of this people as in the former days,” says the LORD of Armies.

But now I will not be as in former days Toward the residue of this people, Saith Jehovah of hosts.

12 “For the seed of peace and the vine will yield its fruit, and the ground will give its increase, and the heavens will give their dew. I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things.

For the seed shall be prosperous; The vine shall yield its fruit, And the earth shall yield her increase, And the heavens shall yield their dew; And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these.

13 It shall come to pass that, as you were a curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not be afraid. Let your hands be strong.”

And it shall be, that as ye were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, So will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing. Fear not; let your hands be strong!

14 For the LORD of Armies says: “As I thought to do evil to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath,” says the LORD of Armies, “and I did not repent,

For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: As I thought to do you evil, When your fathers provoked me to anger, Saith Jehovah of hosts, And I repented not,

15 so again I have thought in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not be afraid.

So have I again thought in these days To do good to Jerusalem, And to the house of Judah. Fear ye not!

16 These are the things that you shall do: speak every man the truth with his neighbor. Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates,

These are the things which ye shall do: Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbor; Judge according to truth, and for peace in your gates;

17 and let none of you devise evil in your hearts against his neighbor, and love no false oath; for all these are things that I hate,” says the LORD.

And meditate not evil against one another in your hearts, And love not a false oath! For all these are things which I hate, saith Jehovah.

18 The word of the LORD of Armies came to me.

And the word of Jehovah of hosts came to me, saying,

19 The LORD of Armies says: “The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months shall be for the house of Judah joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.”

Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth month, And the fast of the seventh month, and the fast of the tenth month, Shall be to the house of Judah for joy and gladness, And cheerful festivals. But love ye truth and peace!

20 The LORD of Armies says: “Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come.

Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: It shall yet come to pass, that many nations shall come, And the inhabitants of many cities;

21 The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, ‘Let’s go speedily to entreat the favor of the LORD, and to seek the LORD of Armies. I will go also.’

And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, “Let us go speedily to pray before Jehovah, And to seek Jehovah of hosts! I will go also!”

22 Yes, many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the LORD of Armies in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD.”

Then shall come many nations and mighty kingdoms, To seek Jehovah of hosts in Jerusalem, And to pray before Jehovah.

23 The LORD of Armies says: “In those days, ten men out of all the languages of the nations will take hold of the skirt of him who is a Jew, saying, ‘We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”

Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: In those days shall ten men of all languages of the nations take hold, They 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.”