‏ Zechariah 8

The Coming Peace and Prosperity of Zion

1Then the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, 2Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I am aexceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.’ 3Thus says the Lord, ‘I will return to Zion and will bdwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of cTruth, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.’ 4Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘ dOld men and old women will again sit in the
Or squares
streets of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand because of
Lit the multitude of days
age.
5‘And the
Or squares
streets of the city will be filled with hboys and girls playing in its
Or squares
streets.’
6Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘If it is
Or wonderful
,
ktoo difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be
Or wonderful
,
mtoo difficult in My sight?’ declares the Lord of hosts.
7Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the
Lit rising
,
oeast and from the land of the
Lit setting sun
west;
8and I will qbring them back and they will rlive in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be sMy people, and I will be their God in
Or faithfulness
truth and righteousness.’

9Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Let your hands be ustrong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the vprophets, those who spoke in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, to the end that the temple might be built. 10For before those days there was wno wage for man or any wage for animal; and for him who went out or came in there was no
Or safety
,
ypeace because of
Lit the adversary
his enemies, and I aaset all men one against another.
11But now I will abnot
Lit be to the
treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ declares the Lord of hosts.
12‘For there will be adpeace for the seed: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce and the heavens will give their aedew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit afall these things. 13It will come about that just as you were a agcurse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a ahblessing. Do not fear; let your aihands be strong.’

14For thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Just as I ajpurposed to do harm to you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and I have not akrelented, 15so I have again purposed in these days to aldo good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. amDo not fear! 16These are the things which you should do: speak the antruth to one another; aojudge with truth and judgment for peace in your
I.e. the place where court was held
gates.
17Also let none of you aqdevise evil in your heart against another, and do not love
Lit false oath
,
asperjury; for all these are what I athate,’ declares the Lord.”

18Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 19Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘The fast of the aufourth, the fast of the avfifth, the fast of the awseventh and the fast of the axtenth months will become ayjoy, gladness, and
Or goodly
cheerful feasts for the house of Judah; so balove truth and peace.’

20Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘It will yet be that bbpeoples will come, even the inhabitants of many cities. 21The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, “Let us go at once to bcentreat the favor of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts;
Or let me go too
I will also go.”
22‘So bemany peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to bfentreat the favor of the Lord.’ 23Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all the
Lit languages of the nations
nations will
Lit grasp, and they will grasp
,
bigrasp the
Or corner of the garment
garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”
Copyright information for NASB1995