1A message came to me from the LORD who rules over all. He said,2‘I am very jealous for my people in Zion. In fact, I am burning with jealousy for them.’3He continued, ‘I will return to Zion. I will live among my people in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City. And my mountain will be called the Holy Mountain.’4He continued, ‘Once again old men and women will sit in the streets of Jerusalem. All of them will be using canes because they are old.5The city streets will be filled with boys and girls. They will be playing there.’6He continued, ‘All of that might seem hard to believe to the people living then. But it will not be too hard for me.’7He continued, ‘I will save my people. I will gather them from the countries of the east and the west.8I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem. They will be my people. I will be their faithful God. I will keep my promises to them.’9The LORD who rules over all says to his people, ‘Now listen to these words, “Let your hands be strong so that you can rebuild the temple.” This also was said by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. They spoke to you when the work on my temple began again.10Before the work was started again, there was no pay for the people. And there was no money to rent animals. People could not go about their business safely because of their enemies. I had turned all of them against one another.11But now I will not punish you who are living at this time. I will not treat you as I treated your people before you,’ announces the LORD who rules over all.12‘Your seeds will grow well. Your vines will bear fruit. The ground will produce crops for you. And the heavens will drop their dew on your land. I will give all these things to those who are still left alive here.13Judah and Israel, in the past you have been a curse among the nations. But now I will save you. You will be a blessing to others. Do not be afraid. Let your hands be strong so that you can do my work.’14The LORD who rules over all says, ‘Your people of long ago made me angry. So I decided to bring trouble on them. I did not show them any pity.15But now I plan to do good things to Jerusalem and Judah again. So do not be afraid.16Here is what you must do. Speak the truth to one another. Make true and wise decisions in your courts.17Do not make evil plans against one another. When you promise to tell the truth, do not lie. Many people love to do that. But I hate all these things,’ announces the LORD.18Another message came to me from the LORD who rules over all. He said,19‘You have established special times to go without eating. They are your fasts in the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months. They will become days of joy. They will be happy times for Judah. It will happen if you take delight in telling the truth and bringing about peace.’20He continued, ‘Many nations will still come to you. And those who live in many cities will also come.21The people who live in one city will go to another city. They will say, “Let’s go right away to ask the LORD for his blessing. Let’s look to him as our God. We ourselves are going.”22Large numbers of people and nations will come to Jerusalem. They will look to me. They will ask me to bless them.’23He continued, ‘At that time many people of all nations and languages will take hold of one Jew. They will grab hold of the hem of his robe. And they will say, “We want to go to Jerusalem with you. We’ve heard that God is with you.” ’
Zechariah 8
English Standard Version
The Coming Peace and Prosperity of Zion
1And the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying,2“Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. (Zec 1:14)3Thus says the Lord: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain. (Isa 1:26; Isa 2:3; Zec 1:16; Zec 2:10)4Thus says the Lord of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. (Ps 128:6; Pr 10:27)5And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.6Thus says the Lord of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the Lord of hosts? (Ge 18:14; Ps 118:23)7Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, (Ps 107:3; Isa 43:5; Isa 49:12; Eze 37:21; Zec 10:6)8and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.” (Jer 4:2; Jer 31:33; Zec 13:9)9Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. (2Sa 16:21; Ezr 5:1; Hag 2:4; Hag 2:18; Zec 7:3)10For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor. (Hag 1:6)11But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, declares the Lord of hosts.12For there shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. (Jer 3:18; Ho 2:21; Hag 1:10; Hag 2:19)13And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.” (Ge 12:2; Isa 43:28; Isa 65:15; Hag 2:5; Zec 8:9; Zec 10:6)14For thus says the Lord of hosts: “As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the Lord of hosts, (Jer 31:28; Jer 32:42)15so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not. (Zec 8:13)16These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; (Ps 15:2; Zec 7:9; Zec 8:19; Eph 4:25)17do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord.” (Zec 5:4; Zec 7:10)18And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying,19“Thus says 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 Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace. (2Ki 25:1; Isa 35:10; Jer 39:2; Zec 7:3; Zec 7:5; Zec 8:16)20“Thus says the Lord of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities.21The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts; I myself am going.’ (Isa 2:3; Zec 2:11; Zec 7:2; Zec 14:16)22Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord. (Zec 8:21)23Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’” (Ge 31:7; Isa 66:18; 1Co 14:25; Re 5:9)