Zechariah 8

The Coming Peace and Prosperity of Zion

1And the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, 2Thus says the Lord of hosts: aI am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. 3Thus says the Lord: bI have returned to Zion and cwill dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, dand Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, eand the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain. 4Thus says the Lord of hosts: fOld men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. 5And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. 6Thus says the Lord of hosts: gIf it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, hshould it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the Lord of hosts? 7Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, iI will save my people jfrom the east country and from the west country, 8and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. kAnd they shall be my people, and I will be their God, lin faithfulness and in righteousness.”

9Thus says the Lord of hosts: m“Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of nthe prophets who were present on othe day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. 10For before those days pthere 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. 11But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, declares the Lord of hosts. 12 qFor there shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, rand the heavens shall give their dew. sAnd I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. 13And as tyou have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, uso will I save you, and vyou shall be a blessing. wFear not, but xlet your hands be strong.”

14For thus says the Lord of hosts: y“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, 15so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; zfear not. 16These are the things that you shall do: aaSpeak the truth to one another; abrender in your gates judgments acthat are true and make for peace; 17 addo not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and aelove no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord.”

18And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 19Thus says the Lord of hosts: The fast of the affourth month and the fast of the agfifth and the fast of the ahseventh and the fast of the aitenth shall be to the house of Judah ajseasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love aktruth and peace.

20Thus 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, al‘Let us go at once amto entreat the favor of the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts; I myself am going.’ 22 anMany peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and aoto entreat the favor of the Lord. 23Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days apten men aqfrom the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for arwe have heard that God is with you.’”

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