Zechariah 8

1 And the word of the Lord of armies came to me, saying,

Then the Lord Almighty sent another message to me.

2 These are the words of the Lord of armies: I am angry about the fate of Zion, I am angry about her with great wrath.

This is what the Lord Almighty says. I am jealously protective of the people of Zion; I am extremely passionate about them.

3 This is what the Lord has said: I have come back to Zion, and will make my living-place in Jerusalem: and Jerusalem will be named The town of good faith; and the mountain of the Lord of armies The holy mountain.

This is what the Lord says. I have returned to Zion, and I will live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the “Faithful City,” and the mountain of the Lord Almighty the “Holy Mountain.”

4 This is what the Lord of armies has said: There will again be old men and old women seated in the open spaces of Jerusalem, every man with his stick in his hand because he is so old.

This is what the Lord Almighty says. Old people will be able to sit again in the streets of Jerusalem, each with their walking sticks they need because of their age.

5 And the open spaces of the town will be full of boys and girls playing in its open spaces.

The streets will be full of boys and girls playing happily.

6 This is what the Lord of armies has said: If this is a wonder to the rest of this people, is it a wonder to me? says the Lord of armies.

This is what the Lord Almighty says. It may seem too good to be true now, to you who remain of my people in these days. But is it impossible for me to do? asks the Lord Almighty.

7 This is what the Lord of armies has said: See, I will be the saviour of my people from the east country, and from the west country;

This is what the Lord Almighty says. I will save my people from the countries to the east and to the west.

8 And I will make them come and be living in Jerusalem and they will be to me a people and I will be to them a God, in good faith and in righteousness.

I will bring them back and they will live in Jerusalem, and they will be my people and I will be their God, trustworthy and true.

9 This is what the Lord of armies has said: Let your hands be strong, you who are now hearing these words from the mouths of the prophets, that is to say, in the days when the base of the house of the Lord of armies has been put in place for the building of the house, that is the Temple.

This is what the Lord Almighty says. Be strong, so that the Temple may be completed. Everyone who is here today is listening to the same words from the prophets who were present on the day when the foundation of the Lord Almighty's Temple was laid.

10 For before those days there was no payment for a man's work, or for the use of a beast, and there was no peace for him who went out or him who came in, because of the attacker: for I had every man turned against his neighbour.

Before that time there wasn't enough for people or for animals. No one could live normally because they were not safe from their enemies, and I set everyone against each other.

11 But now I will not be to the rest of this people as I was in the past, says the Lord of armies.

But now I won't treat those who remain of my people like I treated them before, declares the Lord Almighty.

12 For I will let the seed of peace be planted; the vine will give her fruit and the land will give her increase and the heavens will give their dew; and I will give to the rest of this people all these things for their heritage.

They will sow in peace; the vine will produce grapes; the soil will grow crops and the heavens will water them. I will make sure this happens to all those who remain of this people.

13 And it will come about that, as you were a curse among the nations, O children of Judah and children of Israel, so I will give you salvation and you will be a blessing: have no fear and let your hands be strong.

People of Judah and Israel: just as you were considered a curse among the nations, so I will save you and you will become a blessing. Don't be afraid! Be strong!

14 For this is what the Lord of armies has said: As it was my purpose to do evil to you when your fathers made me angry, says the Lord of armies, and my purpose was not changed:

For this is what the Lord Almighty says: I decided to bring disaster on you when your forefathers angered me and I did not change my mind.

15 So in these days it is again my purpose to do good to Jerusalem and to the children of Judah: have no fear.

But now I have made up my mind to do good to Jerusalem and the people of Judah. Don't be afraid!

16 These are the things which you are to do: Let every man say what is true to his neighbour; and let your judging give peace in your towns.

This what you have to do: Tell each other the truth. In your courts judge honestly and truthfully, which makes for peace.

17 Let no one have any evil thought in his heart against his neighbour; and have no love for false oaths: for all these things are hated by me, says the Lord.

Don't think up evil schemes against one another. Stop your love of lies. I hate all this, declares the Lord.

18 And the word of the Lord of armies came to me, saying,

The Lord Almighty gave me another message.

19 This is what the Lord of armies has said: The times of going without food in the fourth month and in the fifth and the seventh and the tenth months, will be for the people of Judah times of joy and happy meetings; so be lovers of good faith and of peace.

This is what the Lord Almighty says: The fasts you observe in the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth month will become times of joy and happiness for the people of Judah—they will be festivals of celebration. But love truth and peace.

20 This is what the Lord of armies has said: It will again come about that when peoples and those living in great towns come,

This is what the Lord Almighty says: People from many nations and cities will yet come to Jerusalem,

21 And the people of one town go to another and say, Let us certainly go with a request for grace from the Lord, and to give worship to the Lord of armies, then I will go with you.

going from one city to another saying, “Let us be sure to go and seek the Lord and ask for the blessing of the Lord Almighty. I myself am going!”

22 And great peoples and strong nations will come to give worship to the Lord of armies in Jerusalem and to make requests for grace from the Lord.

Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to ask for the blessing of the Lord Almighty and seek the Lord.

23 This is what the Lord of armies has said: In those days, ten men from all the languages of the nations will put out their hands and take a grip of the skirt of him who is a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for it has come to our ears that God is with you.

This is what the Lord Almighty says: At that time ten men from different nations and languages will grab hold of the hem of a Jewish man's robe and plead, “Please take us with you for we have heard that God is with you.”