8
1 The
word of the
LORD of Armies
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.”
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.’ ”
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.
5 The
streets of the
city will be
full of boys
and girls playing
in its streets.”
6 The
LORD of Armies
says: “If it
is marvelous in
the eyes of
the remnant of
this people in
those days, should
it also be
marvelous in my
eyes?” says the
LORD of Armies.
7 The
LORD of Armies
says: “Behold, I
will save my
people from the
east country and
from the
west country.
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.”
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.
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
neighbor.
11 But
now I will
not be to
the remnant of
this people as
in the former
days,” says the
LORD of Armies.
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.
13 It
shall come to
pass that, as
you were a
curse among 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.”
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,
15 so
again I have
thought in these
days to do
good to Jerusalem
and to the
house of Judah.
Don’t be afraid.
16 These
are the things
that you shall
do: speak every
man the truth with
his neighbor.
Execute the
judgment of truth
and peace in
your gates,
17 and let
none of you
devise evil in
your hearts
against his
neighbor, and love
no false oath;
for all these
are things that
I hate,” says
the LORD.
18 The
word of the
LORD of Armies
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.”
20 The
LORD of Armies
says: “Many
peoples and the
inhabitants of
many cities will
yet come.
21 The
inhabitants of one
will go to
another, saying, ‘Let’s
go speedily to
entreat the favor
of the LORD,
and to seek
the LORD of
Armies. 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
favor 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.’ ”