Zechariah 8
1599 Geneva Bible
8 2 Of the return of the people unto Jerusalem, and of the mercy of God toward them. 16 Of good works. 20 The calling of the Gentiles.
1 Again the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying,
2 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I was [a]jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great wrath.
3 Thus saith the Lord, I will return unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a [b]city of truth, and the Mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy Mountain.
4 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, There shall yet old [c]men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand 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 the Lord of hosts, Though it be [d]impossible in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it therefore be impossible in my sight, saith the Lord of hosts?
7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will deliver my people from the East country, and from the West country.
8 And I will bring them, and they shall [e]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 the Lord of hosts, Let your [f]hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the Prophets, which were in the day, that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the Temple might be built.
10 For before these days there was no hire for [g]man, nor any hire for beast, neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men, everyone against his neighbor.
11 But now, I will not entreat the residue of this people as aforetime, saith the Lord of hosts.
12 For the seed shall be prosperous: the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew: and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.
13 And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel, so will I deliver you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.
14 For thus saith the Lord of hosts, As I thought to punish[h]you, when your fathers provoked me unto wrath, saith the Lord of hosts, and repented not,
15 So again have I determined in these days [i]to do well 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 unto his neighbor: execute judgment truly, and uprightly in your gates,
17 And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor, and love no false oath: for all these are the things that I hate, saith the Lord.
18 And the word of the Lord of hosts came unto me, saying,
19 Thus saith the Lord 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 [j]tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and prosperous high feasts: therefore love the truth and peace.
20 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, That there shall yet come [k]people, and the inhabitants of great cities.
21 And they that dwell in one city, shall go to another, saying, (A)Up, let us go and pray before the Lord, and seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also.
22 Yea great people and mighty nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord.
23 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, In those days shall ten men take hold out of all languages of the nations, even take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, and say, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
Footnotes
- Zechariah 8:2 I loved my city with a singular love, so that I could not abide that any should do her any injury.
- Zechariah 8:3 Because she shall be faithful and loyal toward me her husband.
- Zechariah 8:4 Though their enemies did greatly molest and trouble them, yet God would come and dwell among them, and so preserve them so long as nature would suffer them to live, and increase their children in great abundance.
- Zechariah 8:6 He showeth wherein our faith standeth, that is, to believe that God can perform that which he hath promised, though it seem never so impossible to man, Gen. 18:14; Rom. 4:20.
- Zechariah 8:8 So that their return shall not be in vain: for God will accomplish his promise, and their prosperity shall be sure and stable.
- Zechariah 8:9 Let neither respect of your private commodities neither counsel of others, nor fear of enemies discourage you in the going forward with the building of the Temple, but be constant and obey the Prophets, which encourage you thereunto.
- Zechariah 8:10 For God cursed your work, so that neither man nor beast had profit of their labors.
- Zechariah 8:14 Read Ezek. 18:20.
- Zechariah 8:15 Which declareth that man cannot turn to God till he changes man’s heart by his spirit, and so begin to do well, which is to pardon his sins and to give him his graces.
- Zechariah 8:19 Which fast was appointed when the city was besieged, and was the first fast of these four: and here the Prophet showeth, that if the Jews will repent, and turn wholly to God, they shall have no more occasion to fast, or to show signs of heaviness: for God will send them joy and gladness.
- Zechariah 8:20 He declareth the great zeal that God should give the Gentiles to come to his Church, and to join with the Jews in his true religion, which should be in the kingdom of Christ.
Zechariah 8
New King James Version
Jerusalem, Holy City of the Future
8 Again the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
3 “Thus says the Lord:
(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.’
4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
(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.’
6 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
‘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.
7 “Thus 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.’
9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
(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.
11 (R)But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ says the Lord of hosts.
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.’
14 “For thus says the Lord of hosts:
(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.”
18 Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 19 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
(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.’
20 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
‘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.’
23 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men (AK)from every language of the nations shall (AL)grasp the [k]sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard (AM)that God is with you.” ’ ”
Footnotes
- Zechariah 8:2 Or jealous
- Zechariah 8:2 Or jealousy
- Zechariah 8:2 Lit. heat or rage
- Zechariah 8:4 Lit. many days
- Zechariah 8:6 Or wonderful
- Zechariah 8:7 Lit. rising sun
- Zechariah 8:7 Lit. setting sun
- Zechariah 8:12 Lit. seed of peace
- Zechariah 8:14 Lit. bring calamity to you
- Zechariah 8:17 Lit. his
- Zechariah 8:23 Lit. wing, corner of a garment
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
