Zacharias 8

1 And the word of the Lord Almighty came, saying,

Now this message of the Lord of hosts came to me:

2 Thus says the Lord Almighty; I have been jealous for Jerusalem and for Sion with great jealousy, and I have been jealous for her with great fury.

The Lord of hosts says: I passionately care for Zion, and I am fiercely protective of her.

3 Thus says the Lord; I will return to Sion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a true city, and the mountain of the Lord Almighty a holy mountain.

The Lord says, I have returned to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and Jerusalem will be called, ‘The City of Truth’ and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, ‘The Holy Mountain.’

4 Thus says the Lord Almighty; There shall yet dwell old men and old women in the streets of Jerusalem, every one holding his staff in his hand for age.

The Lord of hosts says: Old men and old women will sit again in the squares of Jerusalem, each leaning on a staff because of old age.

5 And the broad places of the city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.

And the streets of the city will be full of boys, and of girls playing in its squares.

6 Thus says the Lord Almighty; If it shall be impossible in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, shall it also be impossible in my sight? says the Lord Almighty.

The Lord of hosts says: Just because it seems impossible to the remnant of this people in these days, is it also impossible for me? says the Lord of hosts.

7 Thus says the Lord Almighty; Behold, I [will] save my people from the east country, and the west country;

The Lord of hosts says: I will rescue my people from the land of the east and the land of the west.

8 and I will bring them in, and cause [them] to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be to me a people, and I will be to them a God, in truth and in righteousness.

I will bring them and they will live in Jerusalem, and they will be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness.

9 Thus says the Lord Almighty; Let your hands be strong, [you that] hear in these days these words out of the mouth of the prophets, from the day that the house of the Lord Almighty was founded, and from the time that the temple was built.

The Lord of hosts says: Let your hands be strong, you who hear in these days the words of the prophets spoken when the foundations for the house of the Lord of hosts were laid.

10 For before those days the wages of men could not be profitable, and there could be no hire of cattle, and there could be no peace by reason of the affliction to him that went out or to him that came in: for I would have let loose all men, every one against his neighbour.

For before those days there were no wages for people or animals. No one could go out or return safe from enemies, because I set each against their neighbor.

11 But now I [will] not do to the remnant of this people according to the former days, says the Lord Almighty.

But now I will treat the remnant of the people differently from former days, says the Lord of hosts.

12 But I will show peace: the vine shall yield her fruit, and the land shall yield her produce, and the heaven shall give its dew: and I will give as an inheritance all these things to the remnant of my people.

Peace will be sown. The vine will bear its fruit and the ground will yield its produce, and the skies will give their dew. I will give the remnant of this people all these things.

13 And it shall come to pass, as you were a curse amongst the nations, O house of Juda, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing: be of good courage, and strengthen your hands.

Just as you were accursed among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong.

14 For thus says the Lord Almighty; As I took counsel to afflict you when your fathers provoked me, says the Lord Almighty, and I repented not:

For the Lord of hosts says: As I planned to do evil to you when your ancestors provoked me to anger, says the Lord of hosts, and I did not relent,

15 so have I prepared and taken counsel in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Juda: be you of good courage.

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

16 These [are] the things which you shall do; speak truth every one with his neighbour; judge truth and peaceful judgement in your gates:

These are the things that you should do: Speak the truth to each other. Render peaceful decisions in your gates.

17 and let none of you devise evil in his heart against his neighbour; and love not a false oath: for all these things I hate, says the Lord Almighty.

Let none of you devise evil in your heart against one another. Do not love perjury. All these are things I hate, says the Lord.

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

And this message of the Lord of hosts came to me:

19 Thus says the Lord Almighty, The fourth fast, and the fifth fast, and the seventh fast, and the tenth fast, shall be to the house of Juda for joy and gladness, and for good feasts; and you shall rejoice; and love you the truth and peace.

The Lord of hosts says: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, will be festivals of joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.

20 Thus says the Lord Almighty; Yet shall many peoples come, and the inhabitants of many cities;

The Lord of hosts says: Peoples, and the inhabitants of many cities will come,

21 and the inhabitants of five cities shall come together to one city, saying, Let us go to make supplication to the Lord, and to seek the face of the Lord Almighty; I will go also.

and the inhabitants of one city will go to another, saying, “Let us go speedily to entreat the favor of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts; I will go also.”

22 And many peoples and many nations shall come to seek earnestly the face of the Lord Almighty in Jerusalem, and to obtain favour of the Lord.

Many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of the Lord.

23 Thus says the Lord Almighty; In those days [my word shall be fulfilled] if ten men of all the languages of the nations should take hold—even take hold of the hem of a Jew, saying, We will go with you; for we have heard that God is with you.

The Lord of hosts says: In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, “We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”