Zacarias 8

¹ The word of Jehovah of Hosts came to me.

² Jehovah of Hosts said: »I am zealous for Zion with great ardor, and I am very zealous for her with great rage.

³ Jehovah of Hosts said: »I have returned to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be called the city of truth and the mountain of Jehovah of Hosts, the holy mountain.«

⁴ Jehovah of Hosts said: »Old men and old women walk with the help of canes in the streets of Jerusalem. They sit in the city square.

⁵ »The streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing there in the streets.«

⁶ Jehovah of hosts proclaims: »If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my eyes?« Said Jehovah of Hosts.

⁷ Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: »Behold! I will save my people from the land of the east and from the land of the west.

⁸ »I will bring them and they will live in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness!«

⁹ Jehovah of hosts said: »Let your hands be strong you who hear these words from the mouth of the prophets. These are words from the day that the foundation of the house of Jehovah of Hosts was laid. It was for the purpose of building the Temple.

¹⁰ »Before those days, there was no wage for man or beast. The enemy set everyone against his neighbor and going or coming there was no peace.«

¹¹ »I will not treat the remnant of this people the same as it was in the former days,« said Jehovah of Hosts.

¹² »There will be peace for the seed. The vine will give its fruit. The ground will yield its increase. The heavens will offer their dew and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things!

¹³ »You were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel. I will save you! You will be blessed. Do not fear! Be strong!«

¹⁴ Jehovah of hosts said: »I thought to do evil to you, when your fathers provoked me to anger. I have not relented,« Said Jehovah of Hosts.

¹⁵ »I have again purposed to do good to Jerusalem and the house of Judah. Do not fear!«

¹⁶ »These are the things that you should do. Every man should speak the truth with his neighbor. Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates towns.

¹⁷ »Let none of you devise evil in your hearts against his neighbor. Do not love a false oath perjury: for all these are things that I hate,« said Jehovah.

¹⁸ The word of Jehovah of Hosts came to me, saying,

¹⁹ Jehovah of Hosts said: »The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth month, the fast of the seventh month, and the fast of the tenth month, will be to the house of Judah joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.«

²⁰ Jehovah of Hosts said: »It will yet come to pass, peoples, and the inhabitants of many cities will come.

²¹ »The inhabitants of one city will go to another, saying, ‘Let us go speedily to entreat the favor of Jehovah, and to seek Jehovah of Hosts; I will go also.

²² »Yes, many peoples and strong nations will come to seek Jehovah of Hosts in Jerusalem, and to request the favor of Jehovah.«

²³ Jehovah of hosts said: »In those days it will come to pass, that ten men out of all the languages of the nations, will take hold of the skirt of the one who is a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.«