Zechariah 8

¹ The word of Yahweh Sabaoth was addressed to me as follows:

² ‘Yahweh Sabaoth says this. I am burning with jealousy for Zion, with great anger for her sake.

³ ‘Yahweh Sabaoth says this. I am coming back to Zion and shall dwell in the middle of Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be called Faithful City and the mountain of Yahweh Sabaoth, the Holy Mountain.

⁴ ‘Yahweh Sabaoth says this. Old men and old women will again sit down in the squares of Jerusalem; every one of them staff in hand because of their great age.

⁵ And the squares of the city will be full of boys and girls playing in the squares.

⁶ ‘Yahweh Sabaoth says this. If this seems a miracle to the remnant of this people (in those days), will it seem one to me? It is Yahweh Sabaoth who speaks.

⁷ ‘Yahweh Sabaoth says this. Now I am going to save my people from the countries of the East and from the countries of the West.

⁸ I will bring them back to live inside Jerusalem. They shall be my people and I will be their God in faithfulness and integrity.

⁹ ‘Yahweh Sabaoth says this. Let your hands be strong, you who here and now listen to these words from the mouths of the prophets who have been prophesying since the day when the Temple of Yahweh Sabaoth had its foundation laid for the rebuilding of the sanctuary.

¹⁰ For before the present day men were not paid their wages and nothing was paid for the animals either; and because of the enemy there was no security for a man to go about his business; I had set every man against everyone else.

¹¹ But now, with the remnant of this people, I am not as I was in the past. It is Yahweh Sabaoth who speaks.

¹² For I mean to spread peace everywhere; the vine will give its fruit, the earth its increase, and heaven its dew. I am going to bestow all these blessings on the remnant of this people.

¹³ Just as once you were a curse among the nations, you House of Judah (and House of Israel), so I mean to save you for you to become a blessing. Do not be afraid; let your hands be strong.

¹⁴ For Yahweh Sabaoth says this. Just as I once resolved to inflict evil on you when your ancestors provoked me-says Yahweh Sabaoth-and as I did not then relent,

¹⁵ So now I have another purpose, and I intend in the present day to confer benefits on Jerusalem and on the House of Judah. Do not be afraid.

¹⁶ ‘These are the things that you must do. Speak the truth to one another; let the judgements at your gates be such as conduce to peace;

¹⁷ do not secretly plot evil against one another; do not love false oaths; since all this is what I hate. It is Yahweh who speaks.’

¹⁸ The word of Yahweh Sabaoth was addressed to me as follows:

¹⁹ ‘Yahweh Sabaoth says this. The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth are to become gladness and happiness and days of joyful feasting for the House of Judah.[*a] But love the truth and peace!

²⁰ ‘Yahweh Sabaoth says this. There will be other peoples yet, and citizens of great cities.

²¹ And the inhabitants of one city will go to the next and say, “Come, let us go and entreat the favour of Yahweh, and seek Yahweh Sabaoth; I am going myself”

²² And many peoples and great nations will come to seek Yahweh Sabaoth in Jerusalem and to entreat the favour of Yahweh.

²³ ‘Yahweh Sabaoth says this. In those days, ten men of nations of every language will take a Jew by the sleeve and say, “We want to go with you, since we have learnt that God is with you”.’