Zechariah 8

The Restoration of Jerusalem

1Again the word of the LORD of Hosts came to me, saying:

1And the word of YHWH of Hosts came, saying,

2This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I am jealous for Zion with great zeal; I am jealous for her with great fervor.”

2thus says YHWH of Hosts: “I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and with great rage I am jealous for her!”

3This is what the LORD says: “I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of Hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.”

3Thus says YHWH: “I will return to Zion, and I will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of YHWH of Hosts, the Mountain of Holiness.”

4This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Old men and old women will again sit along the streets of Jerusalem, each with a staff in hand because of great age.

4Thus says YHWH of Hosts: “Again old men and old women will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand from an abundance of days.

5And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing there.”

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

6This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “If this is impossible in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be impossible in My eyes?” declares the LORD of Hosts.

6Thus says YHWH of Hosts: “If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, will it also in My eyes be marvelous?” An utterance of YHWH of Hosts.

7This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west.

7Thus says YHWH of Hosts: “Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the sunrise and from the land of the going in of the sun.

8I will bring them back to dwell in Jerusalem, where they will be My people, and I will be their faithful and righteous God.”

8And I will bring them in, and they will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and they will be unto Me as a people, and I will be unto them God, in truth and in righteousness.”

9This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Let your hands be strong, you who now hear these words spoken by the prophets who were present when the foundations were laid to rebuild the temple, the house of the LORD of Hosts.

9Thus says YHWH of Hosts: “Let your hands be strong, hearing in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets who spoke in the day that the house of YHWH of Hosts was founded to build the temple.

10For before those days neither man nor beast received wages, nor was there safety from the enemy for anyone who came or went, for I had turned every man against his neighbor.

10For before those days there was not a wage for man or a wage for beast. There was not one going forth and one coming in, nor peace from the enemy, and I sent all mankind—each man—against his neighbor.

11But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as I did in the past,” declares the LORD of Hosts.

11And now not as in the former days am I to the remnant of this people,” a declaration of YHWH of Hosts.

12“For the seed will be prosperous, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will yield its produce, and the skies will give their dew. To the remnant of this people I will give all these things as an inheritance.

12“Because of the sowing of peace, the vine will give her fruit, and the ground will give her increase, and the heavens will give their dew; and to the remnant of this people I will give as an inheritance all these things.

13As you have been a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid; let your hands be strong.”

13And it will come to pass that as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid; let your hands be strong.”

14For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Just as I resolved to bring disaster upon you when your fathers provoked Me to anger, and I did not relent,” says the LORD of Hosts,

14For thus says YHWH of Hosts: “As I purposed to bring disaster upon you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath, says YHWH of Hosts, and I would not relent,

15“so now I have resolved to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid.

15so again I have purposed in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear!

16These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another, render true and sound judgments in your gates,

16These are the things that you will do: Speak the truth, every man with his neighbor; in truth and judgment of peace render judgment in your gates;

17do not plot evil in your hearts against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely, for I hate all these things,” declares the LORD.

17and each man, you shall not devise evil against a neighbor in your heart, and an oath of deception you shall not love, for all these are that which I hate,” a declaration of YHWH.

18Then the word of the LORD of Hosts came to me, saying,

18And the word of YHWH of Hosts came to me, saying:

19“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: The fasts of the fourth, the fifth, the seventh, and the tenth months will become times of joy and gladness, cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore you are to love both truth and peace.”

19“Thus says YHWH 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 be for the house of Judah as joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts. And love the truth and the peace.”

20This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Peoples will yet come—the residents of many cities—

20Thus says YHWH of Hosts: “Yet that peoples will come, and dwellers of many cities.

21and the residents of one city will go to another, saying: ‘Let us go at once to plead before the LORD and to seek the LORD of Hosts. I myself am going.’

21And will go those dwelling in one to one, saying, ‘Let us go at once to ask for favor before the face of YHWH, and to seek YHWH of Hosts; I will go—even I.’

22And many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the LORD of Hosts in Jerusalem and to plead before the LORD.”

22And will come many peoples and strong nations to seek YHWH of Hosts in Jerusalem, and to ask for favor before the face of YHWH.”

23This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue will tightly grasp the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”

23Thus says YHWH of Hosts: “In those days, will take hold ten men from every language of the nations, and they will take hold on the sleeve of a man, a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”