Zechariah 8

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

And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying:

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

Thus saith the Lord of hosts: I have been jealous for Sion with a great jealousy, and with a great indignation have I been jealous for her.

3 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.”

Thus saith the Lord of hosts: I am returned to Sion, and I will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called The city of truth, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, The sanctified mountain.

4 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.

Thus saith the Lord of hosts: There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem: and every man with his staff in his hand through multitude of days.

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

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

6 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.

Thus saith the Lord of hosts: If it seem hard in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days: shall it be hard in my eyes, saith the Lord of hosts?

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

Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Behold I will save my people from the land of the east, and from the land of the going down of the sun.

8 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.

And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God in truth and in justice.

9 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.

Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Let your hands be strengthened, you that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, in the day that the house of the Lord of hosts was founded, that the temple might be built.

10 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.

For before those days there was no hire for men, neither was there hire for beasts, neither was there peace to him that came in, nor to him that went out, because of the tribulation: and I let all men go every one against his neighbour.

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

But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people according to the former days, saith the Lord of hosts.

12 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.

But there shall be the seed of peace: the vine shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew: and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.

13 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.

And it shall come to pass, that as you were a curse among the Gentiles, O house of Juda, and house of Israel: so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing: fear not, let your hands be strengthened.

14 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,

For thus saith the Lord of hosts: As I purposed to afflict you, when your fathers had provoked me to wrath, saith the Lord,

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

And I had no mercy: so turning again I have thought in these days to do good to the house of Juda, and Jerusalem: fear not.

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

These then are the things, which you shall do: Speak ye truth every one to his neighbour: judge ye truth and judgment of peace in your gates.

17 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.

And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his friend: and love not a false oath: for all these are the things that I hate, saith the Lord.

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

And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying:

19 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.

Thus saith the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Juda, joy, and gladness, and great solemnities: only love ye truth and peace.

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

Thus saith the Lord of hosts, until people come, and dwell in many cities,

21 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.’

And the inhabitants go one to another, saying: Let us go, and entreat the face of the Lord, and let us seek the Lord of hosts: I also will go.

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

And many peoples, and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the face of the Lord.

23 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.’

Thus saith the Lord of hosts: In those days, wherein ten men of all languages of the Gentiles shall take hold, and shall hold fast the shirt of one that is a Jew, saying: We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.