Zechariah 8

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

And the word of the Lord of oostis was maad to me,

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

and seide, The Lord of oostis seith these thingis, Y hatide Sion with greet feruour, and with greet indignacioun Y hatide it.

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!

The Lord of oostis seith these thingis, Y am turned ayen to Sion, and Y schal dwelle in the myddil of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem schal be clepid a citee of treuthe, and hil of the Lord schal be clepid an hil halewid.

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.

The Lord of oostis seith these thingis, Yit elde men and elde wymmen schulen dwelle in the stretis of Jerusalem, and the staf of man in his hond, for the multitude of yeeris.

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

And the stretis of the cite schulen be fillid with `yonge children and maidens, pleiynge in the stretis `of it.

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.

The Lord of oostis seith these thingis, Though it schal be seyn hard bifor the iyen of relifs of this puple in tho daies, whether bifor myn iyen it schal be hard, seith the Lord of oostis?

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!

The Lord of oostis seith these thingis, Lo! Y schal saue my puple fro the lond of the eest, and fro lond of goynge doun of the sunne;

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 Y schal brynge hem, and thei schulen dwelle in the myddil of Jerusalem; and thei schulen be to me in to a puple, and Y schal be to hem in to God, and in treuthe, and in riytwisnesse.

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.

The Lord of oostis seith these thingis, Be youre hondis coumfortid, whiche heren in these daies these wordis bi the mouth of profetis, in the dai in which the hous of the Lord of oostis is foundid, that the temple schulde be bildid.

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.

Sotheli bifore tho daies hire of men was not, nether hire of werk beestis was, nether to man entrynge and goynge out was pees for tribulacioun; and Y lefte alle men, ech ayens his neiybore.

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 after the formere daies Y schal do to relifs of this puple, seith the Lord of oostis,

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.

but seed of pees schal be; vyneyerd schal yyue his fruyt, and erthe schal yyue his buriownyng, and heuenes schulen yyue her dew; and Y schal make the relifs of this puple for to welde alle these thingis.

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 schal be, as the hous of Juda and hous of Israel weren cursyng in hethene men, so Y schal saue you, and ye schulen be blessyng. Nyle ye drede, be youre hondis coumfortid;

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 the Lord of oostis seith these thingis, As Y thouyte for to turmente you, whanne youre fadris hadden terrid me to wraththe,

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

seith the Lord, and Y hadde not merci, so Y conuertid thouyte in these daies for to do wel to the hous of Juda and Jerusalem; nyle ye drede.

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.

Therfor these ben the wordis whiche ye schulen do; speke ye treuthe, ech man with his neiybore; deme ye treuthe and dom of pees in youre yatis;

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 thenke ye not in youre hertis, ony man yuel ayens his frend, and loue ye not a fals ooth; for alle thes thingis it ben, whiche Y hate, seith the Lord.

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

And the word of the Lord of oostis was maad to me,

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!

and seide, The Lord of oostis seith these thingis, Fastyng of the fourthe monethe, `and fastyng of the fyuethe, and fastyng of the seuenthe, and fasting of the tenthe, schal be to the hous of Juda in to ioie and gladnes, and in to solempnitees ful cleer; loue ye oneli treuthe and pees.

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

The Lord of oostis seith these thingis, Puplis schulen come on ech side, and dwelle in many citees;

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 dwelleris schulen go, oon to an other, and seie, Go we, and biseche the face of the Lord, and seke we the Lord of oostis; also I shal go.

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

And many puplis schulen come, and strong folkis, for to seke the Lord of oostis in Jerusalem, and for to biseche the face of the Lord.

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!'”

The Lord of oostis seith these thingis, In tho daies, in whiche ten men of alle langagis of hethene men schulen catche, and thei schulen catche the hemme of a man Jew, and seye, We schulen go with you; for we han herd, that God is with you.