Zechariah 8

1 And the word of the Lord of oostis was maad to me,

The word of the LORD of Armies came to me.

2 and seide, The Lord of oostis seith these thingis, Y hatide Sion with greet feruour, and with greet indignacioun Y hatide it.

The LORD of Armies says: “I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath.”

3 The Lord of oostis seith these thingis, Y am turned ayen to Sion, and Y schal dwelle in the myddil of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem schal be clepid a citee of treuthe, and hil of the Lord schal be clepid an hil halewid.

The LORD says: “I have returned to Zion, and will dwell in the middle of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called ‘The City of Truth;’ and the mountain of the LORD of Armies, ‘The Holy Mountain.’”

4 The Lord of oostis seith these thingis, Yit elde men and elde wymmen schulen dwelle in the stretis of Jerusalem, and the staf of man in his hond, for the multitude of yeeris.

The LORD of Armies says: “Old men and old women will again dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand because of their old age.

5 And the stretis of the cite schulen be fillid with `yonge children and maidens, pleiynge in the stretis `of it.

The streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.”

6 The Lord of oostis seith these thingis, Though it schal be seyn hard bifor the iyen of relifs of this puple in tho daies, whether bifor myn iyen it schal be hard, seith the Lord of oostis?

The LORD of Armies says: “If it is marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvellous in my eyes?” says the LORD of Armies.

7 The Lord of oostis seith these thingis, Lo! Y schal saue my puple fro the lond of the eest, and fro lond of goynge doun of the sunne;

The LORD of Armies says: “Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country.

8 and Y schal brynge hem, and thei schulen dwelle in the myddil of Jerusalem; and thei schulen be to me in to a puple, and Y schal be to hem in to God, and in treuthe, and in riytwisnesse.

I will bring them, and they will dwell within Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.”

9 The Lord of oostis seith these thingis, Be youre hondis coumfortid, whiche heren in these daies these wordis bi the mouth of profetis, in the dai in which the hous of the Lord of oostis is foundid, that the temple schulde be bildid.

The LORD of Armies says: “Let your hands be strong, you who hear in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets who were in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of Armies was laid, even the temple, that it might be built.

10 Sotheli bifore tho daies hire of men was not, nether hire of werk beestis was, nether to man entrynge and goynge out was pees for tribulacioun; and Y lefte alle men, ech ayens his neiybore.

For before those days there was no wages for man nor any wages for an animal, neither was there any peace to him who went out or came in, because of the adversary. For I set all men everyone against his neighbour.

11 But now not after the formere daies Y schal do to relifs of this puple, seith the Lord of oostis,

But now I will not be to the remnant of this people as in the former days,” says the LORD of Armies.

12 but seed of pees schal be; vyneyerd schal yyue his fruyt, and erthe schal yyue his buriownyng, and heuenes schulen yyue her dew; and Y schal make the relifs of this puple for to welde alle these thingis.

“For the seed of peace and the vine will yield its fruit, and the ground will give its increase, and the heavens will give their dew. I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things.

13 And it schal be, as the hous of Juda and hous of Israel weren cursyng in hethene men, so Y schal saue you, and ye schulen be blessyng. Nyle ye drede, be youre hondis coumfortid;

It shall come to pass that, as you were a curse amongst the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Don’t be afraid. Let your hands be strong.”

14 for the Lord of oostis seith these thingis, As Y thouyte for to turmente you, whanne youre fadris hadden terrid me to wraththe,

For the LORD of Armies says: “As I thought to do evil to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath,” says the LORD of Armies, “and I didn’t repent,

15 seith the Lord, and Y hadde not merci, so Y conuertid thouyte in these daies for to do wel to the hous of Juda and Jerusalem; nyle ye drede.

so again I have thought in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Don’t be afraid.

16 Therfor these ben the wordis whiche ye schulen do; speke ye treuthe, ech man with his neiybore; deme ye treuthe and dom of pees in youre yatis;

These are the things that you shall do: speak every man the truth with his neighbour. Execute the judgement of truth and peace in your gates,

17 and thenke ye not in youre hertis, ony man yuel ayens his frend, and loue ye not a fals ooth; for alle thes thingis it ben, whiche Y hate, seith the Lord.

and let none of you devise evil in your hearts against his neighbour, and love no false oath; for all these are things that I hate,” says the LORD.

18 And the word of the Lord of oostis was maad to me,

The word of the LORD of Armies came to me.

19 and seide, The Lord of oostis seith these thingis, Fastyng of the fourthe monethe, `and fastyng of the fyuethe, and fastyng of the seuenthe, and fasting of the tenthe, schal be to the hous of Juda in to ioie and gladnes, and in to solempnitees ful cleer; loue ye oneli treuthe and pees.

The LORD of Armies says: “The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months shall be for the house of Judah joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.”

20 The Lord of oostis seith these thingis, Puplis schulen come on ech side, and dwelle in many citees;

The LORD of Armies says: “Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come.

21 and the dwelleris schulen go, oon to an other, and seie, Go we, and biseche the face of the Lord, and seke we the Lord of oostis; also I shal go.

The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, ‘Let’s go speedily to entreat the favour of the LORD, and to seek the LORD of Armies. I will go also.’

22 And many puplis schulen come, and strong folkis, for to seke the Lord of oostis in Jerusalem, and for to biseche the face of the Lord.

Yes, many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the LORD of Armies in Jerusalem and to entreat the favour of the LORD.”

23 The Lord of oostis seith these thingis, In tho daies, in whiche ten men of alle langagis of hethene men schulen catche, and thei schulen catche the hemme of a man Jew, and seye, We schulen go with you; for we han herd, that God is with you.

The LORD of Armies says: “In those days, ten men out of all the languages of the nations will take hold of the skirt of him who is a Jew, saying, ‘We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”