Zechariah 7-8

Modern English Version

A Call for Justice and Mercy

7 And in the fourth year of King Darius, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Kislev, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah. ² Those in Bethel sent Sharezer and Regem-Melek and their men to entreat the graces of the Lord, ³ saying to the priests and prophets of the house of the Lord of Hosts, “Should I weep and dedicate myself during the fifth month as I have done in these many years?”

⁴ Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: ⁵ Say to all the people in the land and to the priests: When you fasted and lamented during the fifth and seventh months for these seventy years, did you really fast for Me? ⁶ And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves? ⁷ Were these not the very words that the former prophets proclaimed when Jerusalem dwelled with ease along with her surrounding cities, and when the Negev and the Lowland were inhabited?

Punishment for Rejecting God’s Demands

⁸ And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying: ⁹ Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Execute true justice, show mercy and compassion, every man to his brother. ¹⁰ Do not oppress the widow, orphan, sojourner, or poor. And let none of you contemplate evil deeds in your hearts against his brother.

¹¹ But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears so that they should not hear. ¹² They made their hearts hard like a diamond so as not to hear the instruction and words that the Lord of Hosts sent by His Spirit through the former prophets, and there was great anger from the Lord of Hosts.

¹³ Therefore it happened that as I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear, says the Lord of Hosts. ¹⁴ So I scattered them about among all the nations whom they did not know, so the land was left desolate behind them with no one coming or going. And they made a desirable land desolate.

The Holy City of Peace and Prosperity

8 And the word of the Lord came, saying: ² Thus says the Lord of Hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Zion, and with great wrath I am jealous for her.

³ Thus says the Lord: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem will be called a city of faithfulness and the mountain of the Lord of Hosts, the holy mountain.

⁴ Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Older men and women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each having a staff in his hand because of advanced age. ⁵ And the plazas of the city will be filled with young boys and girls playing in her open places.

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

⁷ Thus says the Lord of Hosts: I will deliver My people from the eastern lands and from the western lands. ⁸ And I will bring them, and they will reside in Jerusalem, and they will be for Me as a people, and I will be for them as God, with faithfulness and righteousness.

⁹ Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Let your hands be strengthened, whoever is hearing these words in these days, from the mouth of the prophets who were there in the day that the house of the Lord of Hosts was founded, that the temple might be built. ¹⁰ For before those days there were no wages for a man nor any hire for an animal; and there was no peace from an enemy for him who went out or came in; for I set every man against his neighbor. ¹¹ But now I will not be as in the former days against this remnant people, says the Lord of Hosts.

¹² For sowing will be done in peace, and the vine will produce its fruit, and the ground will provide its produce, and the heavens will give their rain. And I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all of these benefits. ¹³ And as you have been like a curse among the nations, O house of Israel and house of Judah, I will deliver you, and you will be a blessing. Fear not, and strengthen your hands!

¹⁴ Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Just as I had determined to punish you when your fathers incited Me to wrath, says the Lord of Hosts, I did not relent. ¹⁵ So again have I purposed in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear! ¹⁶ These are the things you will do: Speak truth each to his neighbor, and make judgments in your gates that are for truth, and justice, and peace. ¹⁷ Let none of you consider evil plans in your heart against your neighbor, and do not love false oaths, for I hate all these things, says the Lord.

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

¹⁹ Thus says the Lord of Hosts: The fast during the fourth and fifth months, and the fasts during the seventh and tenth months, will become rejoicing and joy and pleasant feasts for the house of Judah. So love what brings truth and peace.

²⁰ Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Peoples will still come, even those who live in many cities. ²¹ Those who live in one city will journey to another, saying, “Let us surely go to seek the Lord of Hosts. I myself am going.” ²² Many peoples and strong nations will seek out the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord.

²³ Thus says the Lord of Hosts: In those days ten men from every language of the nations will take hold of the garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”