Zechariah 8
Lexham English Bible
Yahweh’s Promise to Jerusalem
8 And the word of Yahweh of hosts came, saying, 2 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘I am exceedingly jealous for Zion;[a] I am jealous for it with great wrath.’ 3 Thus says Yahweh: ‘I have returned to Zion, and I will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem will be called the faithful city,[b] and the mountain of Yahweh of hosts will be called the holy mountain.’ 4 Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit in the public squares of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand[c] because of great age.[d] 5 And the public squares of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its public squares.’ 6 Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Even if it seems impossible[e] to the remnant[f] of this people in those days, should it also seem impossible[g] to me?’[h] declares[i] Yahweh of hosts. 7 Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Look! I am going to save my people from the land of the east, and from the land of the west, 8 and I will bring them and they will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They will be my people and I will be their God in faithfulness[j] and in righteousness.’
9 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Let your hands be strong, you[k] who are hearing in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day the foundation was laid for the rebuilding of the temple, the house of Yahweh of hosts.[l] 10 For before those days there was no wage for people or for animals, and there was no safety from the enemy for those who went out or those who came in, and I sent each person against one another.[m] 11 But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days,’[n] declares[o] Yahweh of hosts. 12 ‘For there will be a sowing of peace; the vine will give its fruit, and the soil will give its produce, and the heavens will give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things. 13 And then,[p] just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you will be a blessing. You must not be afraid; let your hands be strong!’”
14 For thus says Yahweh of hosts: “Just as I planned to bring disaster[q] on you when your ancestors[r] provoked me to anger,” says Yahweh of hosts, “and I did not regret it, 15 so again I have planned[s] in these days to do good to Jerusalem and the house of Judah. Do not be afraid! 16 These are the things that you must do: speak truth, each of you, with his neighbor; practice trustworthy judgment and peace in your gates. 17 Do not devise evil in your hearts against your neighbor, and do not love a false oath,[t] because all these are things I hate,” declares[u] Yahweh.
18 And the word of Yahweh of hosts came to me, saying 19 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘The fast of the fourth month, the fifth month, the seventh month, and the tenth month will be for the house of Judah jubilation and joy and merry festivals; therefore love truth and peace.’ 20 Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘It will happen again that nations and the inhabitants of many cities will come. 21 And the inhabitants of one city will go to another city, saying, “Let us go immediately to entreat the favor of[v] Yahweh, to seek Yahweh of hosts—I also will go!” 22 And many peoples and powerful[w] nations will come to seek Yahweh of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of[x] Yahweh.’ 23 Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from all the nations of every language[y] will take hold of the hem of a Judean man,[z] saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you!”’”
Footnotes
- Zechariah 8:2 Literally “I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy”
- Zechariah 8:3 Or “the city of truth”
- Zechariah 8:4 Hebrew “a man his staff in his hand”
- Zechariah 8:4 Literally “because of the multitude of days”
- Zechariah 8:6 Or “wonderful”
- Zechariah 8:6 Literally “in the eyes of the remnant”
- Zechariah 8:6 Or “wonderful”
- Zechariah 8:6 Literally “in my eyes”
- Zechariah 8:6 Literally “declaration of”
- Zechariah 8:8 Or “truth”
- Zechariah 8:9 Hebrew “the ones”
- Zechariah 8:9 Literally “the temple, the house of Yahweh of hosts, was founded to be built”
- Zechariah 8:10 Literally “his neighbor”
- Zechariah 8:11 Literally “not like the former days I will be to the remnant”
- Zechariah 8:11 Literally “declaration of”
- Zechariah 8:13 Literally “and it will happen”
- Zechariah 8:14 Hebrew “evil”
- Zechariah 8:14 Or “fathers”
- Zechariah 8:15 Literally “So I did again, I planned”
- Zechariah 8:17 Literally “an oath of deception”
- Zechariah 8:17 Literally “declaration of”
- Zechariah 8:21 Literally “the face of”
- Zechariah 8:22 Or “mighty”
- Zechariah 8:22 Literally “the face of”
- Zechariah 8:23 Literally “all the languages of the nations”
- Zechariah 8:23 Many versions translate “a Jew,” but “Judean” highlights Zechariah’s focus on provincial geography
Zechariah 8
American Standard Version
8 And the word of Jehovah of hosts came to me, saying, 2 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. 3 Thus saith Jehovah: I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called The city of truth; and the mountain of Jehovah of hosts, The holy mountain. 4 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: There shall yet old men and old women [a]dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand [b]for very age. 5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. 6 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith Jehovah of hosts. 7 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; 8 and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.
9 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets that were in the day that the foundation of the house of Jehovah of hosts was laid, even the temple, that it might be built. 10 For before those days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in, because of the adversary: for I set all men every one against his neighbor. 11 But now I will not be unto the remnant of this people as in the former days, saith Jehovah of hosts. 12 For there shall be the seed of peace; the vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things. 13 And it shall come to pass that, as ye were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.
14 For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: As I thought to do evil unto you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I repented not; 15 so again have I thought in these days to do good unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not. 16 These are the things that ye shall do: Speak ye every man the truth with his neighbor; [c]execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates; 17 and let none of you devise evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith Jehovah.
18 And the word of Jehovah of hosts came unto me, saying, 19 Thus saith Jehovah 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, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love truth and peace. 20 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come peoples, and the inhabitants of [d]many cities; 21 and the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to entreat the favor of Jehovah, and to seek Jehovah of hosts: I will go also. 22 Yea, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek Jehovah of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of Jehovah. 23 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold, out of all the languages of the nations, they shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.
Footnotes
- Zechariah 8:4 Or, sit
- Zechariah 8:4 Hebrew for multitude of days.
- Zechariah 8:16 Hebrew judge truth and the judgment of peace.
- Zechariah 8:20 Or, great
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