Zechariah 8

1 The word of the LORD of Armies came to me.

Now this message of the Lord of hosts came to me:

2 The LORD of Armies says: “I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath.”

The Lord of hosts says: I passionately care for Zion, and I am fiercely protective of her.

3 The LORD says: “I have returned to Zion, and will dwell in the middle of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called ‘The City of Truth;’ and the mountain of the LORD of Armies, ‘The Holy Mountain.’”

The Lord says, I have returned to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and Jerusalem will be called, “The City of Truth” and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, “The Holy Mountain.”

4 The LORD of Armies says: “Old men and old women will again dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand because of their old age.

The Lord of hosts says: Old men and old women will sit again in the squares of Jerusalem, each leaning on a staff because of old age.

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

And the streets of the city will be full of boys, and of girls playing in its squares.

6 The LORD of Armies says: “If it is marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvellous in my eyes?” says the LORD of Armies.

The Lord of hosts says: Just because it seems impossible to the remnant of this people in these days, is it also impossible for me? says the Lord of hosts.

7 The LORD of Armies says: “Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country.

The Lord of hosts says: I will rescue my people from the land of the east and the land of the west.

8 I will bring them, and they will dwell within Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.”

I will bring them and they will live in Jerusalem, and they will be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness.

9 The LORD of Armies says: “Let your hands be strong, you who hear in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets who were in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of Armies was laid, even the temple, that it might be built.

The Lord of hosts says: Let your hands be strong, you who hear in these days the words of the prophets spoken when the foundations for the house of the Lord of hosts were laid.

10 For before those days there was no wages for man nor any wages for an animal, neither was there any peace to him who went out or came in, because of the adversary. For I set all men everyone against his neighbour.

For before those days there were no wages for people or animals. No one could go out or return safe from enemies, because I set each against their neighbour.

11 But now I will not be to the remnant of this people as in the former days,” says the LORD of Armies.

But now I will treat the remnant of the people differently from former days, says the Lord of hosts.

12 “For the seed of peace and the vine will yield its fruit, and the ground will give its increase, and the heavens will give their dew. I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things.

Peace will be sown. The vine will bear its fruit and the ground will yield its produce, and the skies will give their dew. I will give the remnant of this people all these things.

13 It shall come to pass that, as you were a curse amongst the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Don’t be afraid. Let your hands be strong.”

Just as you were accursed among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong.

14 For the LORD of Armies says: “As I thought to do evil to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath,” says the LORD of Armies, “and I didn’t repent,

For the Lord of hosts says: As I planned to do evil to you when your ancestors provoked me to anger, says the Lord of hosts, and I did not relent,

15 so again I have thought in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Don’t be afraid.

so again have I planned in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not be afraid.

16 These are the things that you shall do: speak every man the truth with his neighbour. Execute the judgement of truth and peace in your gates,

These are the things that you should do: Speak the truth to each other. Render peaceful decisions in your gates.

17 and let none of you devise evil in your hearts against his neighbour, and love no false oath; for all these are things that I hate,” says the LORD.

Let none of you devise evil in your heart against one another. Do not love perjury. All these are things I hate, says the Lord.

18 The word of the LORD of Armies came to me.

And this message of the Lord of hosts came to me:

19 The LORD of Armies says: “The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months shall be for the house of Judah joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.”

The Lord of hosts says: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, will be festivals of joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.

20 The LORD of Armies says: “Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come.

The Lord of hosts says: Peoples, and the inhabitants of many cities will come,

21 The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, ‘Let’s go speedily to entreat the favour of the LORD, and to seek the LORD of Armies. I will go also.’

and the inhabitants of one city will go to another, saying, ‘Let us go speedily to entreat the favour of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts; I will go also.’

22 Yes, many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the LORD of Armies in Jerusalem and to entreat the favour of the LORD.”

Many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favour of the Lord.

23 The LORD of Armies says: “In those days, ten men out of all the languages of the nations will take hold of the skirt of him who is a Jew, saying, ‘We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”

The Lord of hosts says: In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’