Zechariah 8

1 Againe the worde of the Lord of hostes came to me, saying,

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

2 Thus saith the Lord of hostes, I was ielous for Zion with great ielousie, and I was ielous for her with great wrath.

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

3 Thus saith the Lord, I wil returne vnto Zion, and wil dwel in the mids of Ierusalem: and Ierusalem shalbe called a citie of trueth, and the Mountaine of the Lord of hostes, the holy Mountaine.

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 sayth the Lord of hostes, There shall yet olde men and olde women dwell in the streetes of Ierusalem, and euery man with his staffe in his hand for very 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 streetes of the citie shalbe full of boyes and girles, playing in the streetes thereof.

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

6 Thus saith the Lord of hostes, Though it be vnpossible in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these dayes, should it therefore be vnpossible in my sight, sayth the Lord of hostes?

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 sayth the Lord of hostes, Beholde, I will deliuer my people from the East countrey, and from the West countrey.

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 wil bring them, and they shall dwel in the mids of Ierusalem, and they shalbe my people, and I wil be their God in trueth, and in righteousnes.

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 sayth the Lord of hostes, Let your hands be strong, ye that heare in these dayes these words by the mouth of the Prophets, which were in the day, that the foundation of the House of the Lord of hostes was laide, that the Temple might be builded.

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 these dayes 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, euery 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 nowe, I wil not intreate the residue of this people as aforetime, saith the Lord of hostes.

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

12 For the seede shall be prosperous: the vine shall giue her fruite, and the ground shall giue her increase, and the heauens shall giue their dewe, and I will cause the remnant of this people to possesse all these things.

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 passe, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Iudah, and house of Israel, so wil I deliuer you, and ye shalbe a blessing: feare not, but let your hands be strong.

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 sayth the Lord of hostes, As I thought to punish you, when your fathers prouoked me vnto wrath, sayth the Lord of hostes, and 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 againe haue I determined in these daies to doe well vnto Ierusalem, and to the house of Iudah: feare ye not.

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 ye things that ye shall doe. Speake ye euery man the trueth vnto his neighbour: execute iudgement truely and vprightly 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 imagine euill in your hearts against his neighbour, and loue no false othe: for all these are the things that I hate, saith the Lord.

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 worde of the Lord of hostes came vnto me, saying,

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

19 Thus sayth the Lord of hostes, The fast of the fourth moneth, and the fast of the fift, and the fast of the seuenth, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Iudah ioy and gladnes, and prosperous hie feasts: therefore loue the trueth 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 saith the Lord of hostes, That there shall yet come people, and the inhabitants of great cities.

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

21 And they that dwell in one citie, shall go to another, saying, Vp, let vs go and pray before the Lord, and seeke the Lord of hostes: I wil 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 Yea, great people and mightie nations shall come to seeke the Lord of hostes in Ierusalem, and to pray before 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 sayth the Lord of hostes, In those dayes shall ten men take holde out of all languages of the nations, euen take holde of the skirt of him that is a Iewe, and say, We will go with you: for we haue 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.”