^(A)‘I am ^[a]zealous for Zion with great ^[b]zeal;
With great ^[c]fervor I am zealous for her.’

^(B)‘I will return to Zion,
And ^(C)dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem ^(D)shall be called the City of Truth,
^(E)The Mountain of the Lord of hosts,
^(F)The Holy Mountain.’

^(G)‘Old men and old women shall again sit
In the streets of Jerusalem,
Each one with his staff in his hand
Because of ^[d]great age.
⁵ The streets of the city
Shall be ^(H)full of boys and girls
Playing in its streets.’

‘If it is ^[e]marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days,
^(I)Will it also be marvelous in My eyes?’
Says the Lord of hosts.

‘Behold, ^(J)I will save My people from the land of the ^[f]east
And from the land of the ^[g]west;
⁸ I will ^(K)bring them back,
And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.
^(L)They shall be My people
And I will be their God,
^(M)In truth and righteousness.’

^(N)‘Let your hands be strong,
You who have been hearing in these days
These words by the mouth of ^(O)the prophets,
Who spoke in ^(P)the day the foundation was laid
For the house of the Lord of hosts,
That the temple might be built.
¹⁰ For before these days
There were no ^(Q)wages for man nor any hire for beast;
There was no peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came in;
For I set all men, everyone, against his neighbor.

¹² ‘For^(S) the ^[h]seed shall be prosperous,
The vine shall give its fruit,
^(T)The ground shall give her increase,
And ^(U)the heavens shall give their dew—
I will cause the remnant of this people
To possess all these.
¹³ And it shall come to pass
That just as you were ^(V)a curse among the nations,
O house of Judah and house of Israel,
So I will save you, and ^(W)you shall be a blessing.
Do not fear,
Let your hands be strong.’

^(X)‘Just as I determined to ^[i]punish you
When your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’
Says the Lord of hosts,
^(Y)‘And I would not relent,
¹⁵ So again in these days
I am determined to do good
To Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.
Do not fear.
¹⁶ These are the things you shall ^(Z)do:
^(AA)Speak each man the truth to his neighbor;
Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace;
^17 (AB)Let none of you think evil in ^[j]your heart against your neighbor;
And do not love a false oath.
For all these are things that I hate,’
Says the Lord.”

^(AC)‘The fast of the fourth month,
^(AD)The fast of the fifth,
^(AE)The fast of the seventh,
^(AF)And the fast of the tenth,
Shall be ^(AG)joy and gladness and cheerful feasts
For the house of Judah.
^(AH)Therefore love truth and peace.’

‘Peoples shall yet come,
Inhabitants of many cities;
²¹ The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying,
^(AI)“Let us continue to go and pray before the Lord,
And seek the Lord of hosts.
I myself will go also.”
²² Yes, ^(AJ)many peoples and strong nations
Shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem,
And to pray before the Lord.’