Zechariah 8

1 And there is a word of YHWH of Hosts, saying,

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

2 “Thus said YHWH of Hosts: I have been zealous for Zion with great zeal, With great heat I have been zealous for her.

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

3 Thus said YHWH: I have turned back to Zion, And I have dwelt in the midst of Jerusalem, And Jerusalem has been called The City of Truth, And The Mountain of YHWH of Hosts, The 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 said YHWH of Hosts: Again old men and old women dwell In broad places of Jerusalem, And each his staff in his hand, Because of abundance of days.

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 broad places of the city are full of boys and girls, Playing in its broad places.

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

6 Thus said YHWH of Hosts: Surely it is wonderful in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, Also in My eyes it is wonderful, A declaration of YHWH of Hosts.

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 said YHWH of Hosts: Behold, I am saving My people from the land of the rising, And from the land of the going in, of the sun,

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 have brought them in, They have dwelt in the midst of Jerusalem, And they have been to Me for a people, And I am to them for 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 said YHWH of Hosts: Let your hands be strong, You who are hearing in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets, That in the day the house of YHWH of Hosts has been founded, The temple [is] to be 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 there has been no hiring of man, Indeed, a hiring of beasts there is none; And to him who is going out, And to him who is coming in, There is no peace because of the adversary, And I send all men—each against his neighbor.

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 neighbour.

11 And now, not as [in] the former days [am] I to the remnant of this people, A declaration of YHWH of Hosts.

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

12 Because of the sowing of peace, The vine gives her fruit, And the earth gives her increase, And the heavens give their dew, And I have caused the remnant of this people To inherit all these.

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 has come to pass, As you have been a reviling among nations, O house of Judah, and house of Israel, So I save you, and you have been a blessing, Do not fear, 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 said YHWH of Hosts: As I purposed to do evil to you, When your fathers made Me angry—said YHWH of Hosts—And I did not relent,

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 I have turned back, I have purposed, in these days, To do good with Jerusalem, And with the house of Judah—do not fear!

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 that you do: Each speak truth with his neighbor, Judge [with] truth and peaceful judgment 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 do not devise the evil of his neighbor in your heart, And do not love a false oath, For all these [are] things that I have hated, A declaration of YHWH.”

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 there is a word of YHWH of Hosts to me, saying,

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

19 “Thus said YHWH 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 [months], are to the house of Judah for joy and for rejoicing, and for pleasant appointed times, and the truth and the peace they have loved.

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 said YHWH of Hosts: Yet peoples come, and inhabitants of many cities,

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

21 Indeed, inhabitants of one Have gone to another, saying, We go diligently, To appease the face of YHWH, To seek YHWH of Hosts—I go, even I.

and the inhabitants of one city will go to another, saying, ‘Let us go speedily to entreat the favour of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts; I will go also.’

22 Indeed, many peoples have come in, and mighty nations, To seek YHWH of Hosts in Jerusalem, And to appease the face of YHWH.

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

23 Thus said YHWH of Hosts: In those days ten men of all languages of the nations take hold, Indeed, they have taken hold on the skirt of a man, a Jew, saying, We go with you, for we heard 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.’