Zechariah 8

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

And the word of the Lord of hosts came, 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.”

Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, I am jealous for Zion with a great jealousy, and with great fury am I jealous for her.

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.”

Thus hath said the Lord, I return unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called, The city of truth; and the mount of the Lord of hosts, The holy mount.

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.

Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, Again shall there sit old men and old women in the streets of Jerusalem, and every one with his staff in his hand because of their multitude of years.

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

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

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.

Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, If it should be marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my eyes? saith 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.

Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the country of the setting of the sun;

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.”

And I will bring them [back], that they may dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be unto me for a people, and I will be unto them for a God, in truth and in righteousness.

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.

Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words out of the mouth of the prophets, who [spoke] on the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, when the temple was to be built.

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.

For before those days there was no reward for man, nor any reward for beast; and for him that went out or came in there was no peace, because of the oppressor: and I let loose all men, every one 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.

But now I am no more as in the former days unto the residue of this people, saith 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.

For the seed shall be undisturbed; the vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give her production, and the heavens shall give their dew: and I will bestow on the remnant of this people all these things.

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.”

And it shall come to pass, that, in the same degree as ye have been 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 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,

For thus hath said the Lord of hosts, As I had purposed to do you evil, when your fathers incensed me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I bethought myself not:

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

So do I again purpose in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear ye not.

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

These are the things that ye shall do, Speak ye the truth every man to his neighbor; [with] truth and the judgment of peace judge ye 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.

And let none of you think evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love not a false oath, for all these are what I hate, saith the Lord.

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

And the word of the Lord of hosts came unto 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.”

Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, The fast of the fourth, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth [month], shall become to the house of Judah gladness and joy, and merry festivals: only love ye the truth and peace.

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

Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, [A time] shall yet be! when there shall come people, and the inhabitants 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.’

And the inhabitants of one [city] shall go to another, saying, Let us only go to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I too will likewise go.

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

And many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray 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.’”

Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, In those days [it shall happen], that ten men out of all the languages of the nations shall take hold—yea, they shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, Let us go with you; for we have heard that God is with you.