Zechariah 8

¹ And the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying:

² "Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath."

³ Thus says the LORD: "I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem will be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, the holy mountain."

⁴ Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Old men and old women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age.

⁵ And the streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing in its streets."

⁶ Thus says the LORD of hosts: "If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my eyes?" declares the LORD of hosts.

⁷ Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country.

⁸ And I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they will be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness."

⁹ Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.

¹⁰ For before those days there 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.

¹¹ But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days," declares the LORD of hosts.

¹² "For there will be a sowing of peace. The vine will give its fruit, and the ground will give its produce, and the heavens will give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.

¹³ And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Fear not; let your hands be strong."

¹⁴ For thus says the LORD of hosts: "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,

¹⁵ "so again I have purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Fear not.

¹⁶ These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace;

¹⁷ do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate," declares the LORD.

¹⁸ And the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying:

¹⁹ "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 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 become occasions of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.

²⁰ Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Peoples will yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities.

²¹ The inhabitants of one city will go to another, saying, 'Let us go at once to seek the favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts. I myself am going.'

²² Many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to seek the favor of the LORD."

²³ Thus says the LORD of hosts: "In those days ten men from nations of every tongue will take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'"