Zechariah 8

1 The word of Yahweh of hosts came to me, saying,

And the word of Yahweh of hosts came, saying:

2 “Yahweh of hosts says this: I am passionate for Zion with great zeal and I am passionate for her with great anger!

Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, I am jealous for Zion with a great jealousy, —Yea, with great wrath, am I jealous for her.

3 Yahweh of hosts says this: I will return to Zion and will live in the midst of Jerusalem, for Jerusalem will be called The City of Truth and the mountain of Yahweh of hosts will be called The Holy Mountain!

Thus, saith Yahweh, I have returned unto Zion, and will make my habitation in the midst of Jerusalem, —and Jerusalem, shall be called, The city of fidelity, and the mountain of Yahweh of hosts, The mountain of holiness.

4 Yahweh of hosts says this: Old men and old women will once again be in the streets of Jerusalem, and every person will need a staff in his hand because he has grown so old.

Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, Yet shall old men and old women sit in the broadways of Jerusalem, —Yea, each one with his staff in his hand for multitude of days:

5 The streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing in them.

And, the broadways of the city, shall be full of boys and girls, —playing in the broadways thereof.

6 Yahweh of hosts says this: If something seems impossible in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also seem impossible in my eyes?—this is Yahweh's declaration.

Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, Because it will be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people, in those days, In mine own eyes also, shall it be marvellous? Demandeth Yahweh of hosts.

7 Yahweh of hosts says this: Behold, I am about to rescue my people from the land of the sunrise and from the land of the setting sun!

Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, Behold me! saving my people out of the land of the dawn, —and out of the land of the going in of the sun;

8 For I will bring them back, and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem, so they will again be my people, and I will be their God in truth and in righteousness!

And I will bring them in, and they shall have their habitation in the midst of Jerusalem, —and shall become my people, and, I, will become their God, In faithfulness and in righteousness.

9 Yahweh of hosts says this: You who now continue to hear the same words that came from the prophets' mouths when the foundation of my house was laid—this house of mine, Yahweh of hosts: Strengthen your hands so that the temple can be built.

Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, Let your hands be strong, ye who are hearing, in these days, these words, —from the mouth of the prophets who, on the day the house of Yahweh of hosts, was founded, [foretold] that, the temple, should be built: —

10 For before those days no crops were gathered in by anyone, there was no profit for either man or beast, and there was no peace from enemies for anyone going or coming. I had set every person each against his neighbor.

That, before those days, hire for man, could not be obtained, and, hire for beast, was there none, —and, neither to him who went out nor to him who came in, was there success by reason of the danger, Yea I let all men loose, each one against his neighbour.

11 But now it will not be as in former days, I will be with the remnant of this people —this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts.

But, now, not as in the former days, am I to this remnant of the people, —Declareth Yahweh of hosts;

12 For seeds of peace will be sown; the climbing vine will give its fruit and the earth will give its produce; the skies will give their dew, for I will make the remnant of this people inherit all these things.

For, the seed, shall be secure—the vine, shall yield her fruit, and the land, yield her increase, and the heavens, yield their dew, —and I will cause this remnant of the people to inherit all these things.

13 You were an example to the other nations of a curse, house of Judah and house of Israel. So I will rescue you and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid; let your hands be strong!

And it shall come to pass that—Just as ye had become a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, So, will I save you, and ye shall become a blessing, —Do not fear, let your hands, be strong.

14 For Yahweh of hosts says this: Just as I planned to do harm to you when your ancestors provoked my anger —says Yahweh of hosts—and did not relent,

For, thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, Just as I planned to bring calamity upon you, when your fathers provoked me, saith Yahweh of hosts, —and I relented not,

15 so also I will plan in these days to do good again to Jerusalem and the house of Judah! Do not fear!

So, have I again planned, in these days, to do good unto Jerusalem, and unto the house of Judah, —Do not fear!

16 These are the things that you must do: Speak truth, every person with his neighbor. Judge with truth, justice, and peace in your gates.

These, are the things which ye shall do: Speak ye the truth, every man with his neighbour, truth and the sentence of peace, pronounce ye in your gates;

17 Do not plan to do evil within your heart against one another, and do not love false oaths—for these are the things I hate!—this is Yahweh's declaration.”

And let, no man, devise, the injury of his neighbour, in your heart, and the oath of falsehood, do not love, —for, all these, are things which I hate, declareth Yahweh.

18 Then the word of Yahweh of hosts came to me, saying,

And the word of Yahweh of hosts came unto me, saying:

19 “Yahweh of hosts says this: The fasts of the fourth month, the fifth month, the seventh month, and the tenth month will become times of joy, gladness, and happy festivals for the house of Judah! Therefore love truth and peace!

Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts—The fast of the fourth, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the eleventh, shall become to the house of Judah a gladness and a rejoicing, and pleasant appointed meetings, —But, truth and peace, see that ye love.

20 Yahweh of hosts says this: People will come again, even those who are living in many different cities.

Thus, saith Yahweh of hoses, —It shall yet be that there shall come in peoples, and the inhabitants of many cities;

21 The inhabitants of one city will go to another city and say, 'Let us quickly go to beg before the face of Yahweh and to seek Yahweh of hosts! We ourselves are also going.'

And the inhabitants of one city, shall go, unto them of another, saying, Let us be going on to pacify the face of Yahweh, and to seek Yahweh of hosts, —I also, will go!

22 Many people and mighty nations will come to seek Yahweh of hosts in Jerusalem and beg for the favor of Yahweh!

So shall enter many peoples, and strong nations, to seek Yahweh of hosts in Jerusalem, —and to pacify the face of Yahweh.

23 Yahweh of hosts says this: In those days ten men from every language and nation will grasp the hem of your robe and say, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you!'”

Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, In those days, [it shall be] that ten men out of all the tongues of the nations, shall take hold, —yea take hold of the skirt of every one that is a Jew, saying—We will go with you! For we have heard [that], God, is with you.