Beginning

8 Again the Word of the LORD of Hosts came, saying,

² “Thus says the LORD of Hosts: ‘I was zealous for Zion with great zeal! And I was zealous for her with great wrath!’

³ “Thus says the LORD: ‘I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And Jerusalem shall be called a City of Truth, and the Mountain of the LORD of Hosts, the Holy Mountain.’

⁴ “Thus says the LORD of Hosts: ‘There, old men and old women shall still dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand because of age.

⁵ ‘And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls, playing in her streets.’

⁶ “Thus says the LORD of Hosts: ‘Even if it is impossible in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it therefore be impossible in My sight?’ says the LORD of Hosts.

⁷ “Thus says 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 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 says the LORD of Hosts: ‘Let your hands be strong, you who today hear these Words by the mouths of the Prophets who were in the day that the foundation of the House of the LORD of Hosts was laid, so that the Temple might be built.

¹⁰ ‘For before these days, there were no wages for man, or any hire for beast. Nor was there any peace for him who went out or came in, because of the affliction. For I set all men, everyone, against his neighbor.

¹¹ ‘But now, I will not treat the rest of this people as before,’ says 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 happen at that time that as you were a curse among the heathen, O House of Judah, and House of Israel, so I will deliver you. And you shall be a blessing. Do not fear! Let your hands be strong!’

¹⁴ “For thus says the LORD of Hosts: ‘As I thought to punish you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’ says the LORD of Hosts, ‘and did not repent,

¹⁵ ‘So again have I determined in these days to do well to Jerusalem, and to the House of Judah. Do not fear.

¹⁶ ‘These are the things that you shall do: Every man speak the truth to 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 these are all things that I hate,’ 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 of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be joy and gladness to the House of Judah, and prosperous High Feasts. Therefore, love the truth and peace.’

²⁰ “Thus says the LORD of Hosts: ‘People shall still come, the inhabitants of great cities.

²¹ ‘And those who dwell in one shall go to another, saying, “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 says the LORD of Hosts: ‘In those days, ten men shall take hold—out of all languages of the nations— take hold of the skirt of him who is a Jew, and say, ‘We will go with you! For we have heard that God is with you!’”

9 The burden of the Word of the LORD in the land of Hadrach and Damascus (its rest), when the eyes of man and of all the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the LORD:

² “And Hamath shall also border by there, Tyre also, and Sidon, though they are very wise.

³ “For Tyre built herself a stronghold and heaped up silver as the dust, and gold as the mire of the streets.

⁴ “Behold, the LORD will plunder her. And He will strike her power in the sea. And she shall be devoured with fire.

⁵ “Ashkelon shall see it, and fear. And Gaza, also, shall be very sorrowful, and Ekron. For her expectation shall be ashamed. And the king shall perish from Gaza. And Ashkelon shall not be inhabited.

⁶ “And the stranger shall dwell in Ashdod. And I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.

⁷ “And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth. But he who remains, he shall be for our God. And he shall be like a prince in Judah. But Ekron shall be like a Jebusite.

⁸ “And I will camp around My House, against the army, against him who passes by, and against him who returns. And no oppressor shall come upon them anymore. For now I have seen with My Eyes.”

⁹ “Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you! He is just, and having salvation, poor and riding upon a donkey —upon a colt, the foal of a donkey.

¹⁰ “And I will cut off the chariots from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem. The bow of the battle shall be broken.” And He shall speak peace to the heathen. And His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the end of the land.

¹¹ “You also shall be saved through the Blood of My Covenant. I have loosed your prisoners out of the waterless pit.

¹² “Turn to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope! Today I declare that I will restore double to you!

¹³ “For I have bent Judah as a bow for Myself. Ephraim’s hand have I filled. And I have raised up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and have made you as a giant’s sword.”

¹⁴ “And the LORD shall be seen over them. And His arrow shall go forth as the lightning. And the Lord GOD shall blow the trumpet and shall come forth with the whirlwinds of the South.

¹⁵ “The LORD of Hosts shall defend them. And they shall devour them and subdue them with sling stones. And they shall drink and make a noise, as through wine. And they shall be filled like bowls, like the horns of the Altar.

¹⁶ “And the LORD their God shall deliver them on that day as the flock of His people. For they shall be as the stones of the crown lifted up upon His land.

¹⁷ “For how great is its goodness! And how great is its beauty! Grain shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids.”

10 “Ask for rain from the LORD in the time of the latter rain and the LORD shall make white clouds and give you showers of rain, and grass in the field to everyone.

² “Surely, the idols have spoken vanity, and the soothsayers have seen a lie, and the dreamers have foretold a vain thing. They comfort in vain. Therefore, they went away as sheep. They were troubled, because there was no shepherd.

³ “My wrath was kindled against the shepherds, and I visited the goats. But the LORD of Hosts will visit His flock, the House of Judah, and will make them like His beautiful horse in the battle.

⁴ “Out of him shall the corner come forth, out of him the nail, out of him the bow of battle, out of him every oppressor, together.

⁵ “And they shall be as the mighty men who tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle. And they shall fight because the LORD is with them. And the riders on horses shall be confounded.

⁶ “And I will strengthen the House of Judah. And I will preserve the House of Joseph. And I will bring them back, for I pity them. And they shall be as though I had not cast them off. For I am the LORD their God and will hear them.

⁷ “And they of Ephraim shall be as a giant. And their hearts shall rejoice as through wine. Yea, their children shall see it and be glad. Their heart shall rejoice in the LORD!

⁸ “I will whistle for them and gather them. For I have redeemed them. And they shall increase, as they have increased.

⁹ “And I will sow them among the people. And they shall remember Me in far countries. And they shall live with their children and turn back.

¹⁰ “I will also bring them back out of the land of Egypt and gather them out of Assyria. And I will bring them into the land of Gilead, and Lebanon. And no place shall be found for them.

¹¹ “And he shall go into the sea with affliction and shall strike the waves in the sea. And all the depths of the river shall dry up. And the pride of Assyria shall be cast down. And the scepter of Egypt shall depart away.

¹² “And I will strengthen them in the LORD. And they shall walk in His Name,” says the LORD.

11 Open your doors, O Lebanon! And the fire shall devour your cedars!

² Howl, fir trees! For the cedar has fallen, because all the mighty are destroyed! Howl, O oaks of Bashan! For the defensed forest is cut down.

³ The voice of the howling of the shepherds is there—for their glory is destroyed —the voice of the roaring of lion’s whelps! For the pride of Jordan is destroyed!

⁴ Thus says the LORD my God: “Feed the sheep of the slaughter.

⁵ “Those who possess them, kill them and hold themselves sinless. And those who sell them, say, ‘Blessed be the LORD! For I am rich!’ And their own shepherds do not spare them.

⁶ “Surely I will no longer spare those who dwell in the land,” says the LORD. “But lo, I will deliver each one of the men into his neighbor’s hand, and into the hand of his king. And they shall strike the land. And I will not deliver them out of their hands.”

⁷ So I fed the sheep of slaughter, even the poor of the flock. And I took two staffs for myself —the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands —and I fed the sheep.

⁸ I also cut off three shepherds in one month. And my soul loathed them. And their soul abhorred me.

⁹ Then I said, “I will not feed you. That which dies, let it die. And that which perishes, let it perish. And let the remnant eat, everyone the flesh of his neighbor.”

¹⁰ And I took my staff, Beauty, and broke it, so that I might break my covenant which I had made with all people.

¹¹ And it was broken on that day. And so, the poor of the sheep that waited upon me knew that it was the Word of the LORD.

¹² And I said to them, “If you think it good, give me my wages. And if no, leave it.” So, they weighed thirty pieces of silver for my wages.”

¹³ And the LORD said to me, “Cast it to the potter,” (that goodly price at which I was valued by them). And I took the thirty pieces of silver and cast them to the potter in the House of the LORD.

¹⁴ Then I broke my other staff, the Bands, so that I might dissolve the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

¹⁵ And the LORD said to me, “Take again for yourself the instruments of a foolish shepherd.

¹⁶ “For lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land which shall not look for the thing that is lost, or seek the tender lambs, or heal that which is hurt, or feed that which stands. But he shall eat flesh of the fat and tear their claws in pieces.

¹⁷ “O idol shepherd who leaves the flock! The sword shall be upon his arm and upon his right eye! His arm shall be completely dried up. And his right eye shall be utterly darkened.”

12 “The burden of the Word of the LORD upon Israel,” says the LORD, “Who spread the heavens and laid the foundation of the Earth and formed the spirit of man within him:

² “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of poison to all the people, all around. And it will also be with Judah in the siege against Jerusalem.

³ “And on that day, I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all people. All who lift it up shall be torn, though all the people of the Earth are gathered together against it.

⁴ “On that day,” says the LORD, “I will strike every horse with astonishment, and its rider with madness. And I will open My Eyes upon the House of Judah and will strike every horse of the people with blindness.

⁵ “And the princes of Judah shall say in their hearts, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength’ in the LORD of Hosts their God.

⁶ “On that day, I will make the princes of Judah like coals of fire among the wood, and like a firebrand in the sheaf. And they shall devour all the people all around on the right hand and on the left. And Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, in Jerusalem.

⁷ “The LORD shall also preserve the tents of Judah, as before. Therefore, the glory of the House of David shall not boast, nor the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem against Judah.

⁸ “On that day, the LORD shall defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And on that day, he who is feeble among them shall be the same as David. And the House of David shall be like God’s house, and as the Angel of the LORD before them.

⁹ “And on that day, I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

¹⁰ “And I will pour the Spirit of grace and of compassion upon the House of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And they shall look upon Me, Whom they have pierced. And they shall lament for Him, as one mourns for his only son, and be sorry for him as one is sorry for his firstborn.

¹¹ “On that day, there shall be great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadad Rimmon in the valley of Megiddo.

¹² “And the land shall mourn every family by itself: the family of the House of David by itself and their wives by themselves, the family of the House of Nathan by itself and their wives by themselves,

¹³ “the family of the House of Levi by itself and their wives by themselves, the family of Shemei by itself and their wives by themselves,

¹⁴ “all the families that remain, every family by itself and their wives by themselves.”

13 “At that time, there shall be a fountain opened to the House of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.

² “And at that time,” says the LORD of Hosts, “I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land. And they shall no longer be remembered. And I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart out of the land.

³ “And when any shall still prophesy, his father and his mother who begat him, shall say to him, ‘You shall not live. For you speak lies in the Name of the LORD. And his father and his mother who begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesies.

⁴ “And at that time, every prophet shall be ashamed of his vision after he has prophesied. Nor shall they wear a hairy garment to deceive.

⁵ “But he shall say, ‘I am no Prophet. I am a farmer. For man taught me to be a herdsman from my youth up.’

⁶ “And one shall say to him, ‘What are these wounds in your hands?’ Then he shall answer, ‘Thus was I wounded in the house of my friends.’

⁷ “Arise, O sword, upon My Shepherd, and upon the Man, My Friend!” says the LORD of Hosts. “Strike the Shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered. And I will turn My Hand upon the little ones.

⁸ “And in all the land,” says the LORD, “two parts of it shall be cut off and die. But a third of it shall be left.

⁹ “And I will bring that third part through the fire, and will refine them as the silver is refined, and will test them as gold is tested. They shall call on My Name, and I will hear them. I will say, ‘It is My people.’ And they shall say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”

14 Behold, the Day of the LORD comes! And your spoil shall be divided in the midst of you.

² “For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle. And the city shall be taken, and the houses spoiled, and the women defiled. And half of the city shall go into captivity. And the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.”

³ Then the LORD shall go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle.

⁴ And His feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives on that day (which is before Jerusalem on the eastern side). And the Mount of Olives shall be split in its midst, toward the East and toward the West. And there shall be a very great valley. And half of the mountain shall move away toward the North, and half of the mountain toward the South.

⁵ And you shall flee to the valley of the mountains. For the valley of the mountains shall reach Azal. Indeed, you shall flee like you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah. And the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with you.

⁶ And at that time, shall there be no clear light, only dark.

⁷ And there shall be a day (it is known to the LORD) that is neither day nor night, but at evening time it shall be light.

⁸ And on that day, waters of life shall go out from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the outermost sea. And they shall be both in summer and winter.

⁹ And the LORD shall be King over all the Earth. At that time shall there be one LORD, and His Name shall be One.

¹⁰ All the land shall be turned as a plain, from Geba to Rimmon toward the South of Jerusalem. And it shall be lifted up and inhabited in its place, from Benjamin’s gate to the place of the first gate to the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananiel to the king’s winepresses.

¹¹ And men shall dwell in it. And there shall be no more destruction. But Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.

¹² And these shall be the plagues with which the LORD will strike all people who have fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve away, though they stand upon their feet. And their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets. And their tongue shall dissolve in their mouth.

¹³ But on that day, a great tumult of the LORD shall be among them. And everyone shall take the hand of his neighbor. And his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor.

¹⁴ And Judah shall also fight against Jerusalem. And the arm of all the heathen shall be gathered all around, with gold and silver and with great abundance of apparel.

¹⁵ Yet, this shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel and of the donkey, and of all the beasts that are in these tents at this plague.

¹⁶ But it shall come to pass at that time that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

¹⁷ And whoever will not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, from all the families of the Earth, upon them shall come no rain.

¹⁸ And if the family of Egypt does not go up, and does not come, it shall not rain upon them. These shall be the plagues with which the LORD will strike all the heathen who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

¹⁹ This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

²⁰ At that time, there shall be written upon the bridles of the horses, “The holiness to the LORD.” And the pots in the LORD’s House shall be like the bowls before the Altar.

²¹ Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the LORD of Hosts. And all those who sacrifice shall come and take from them and boil in them. And from that time, there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the House of the LORD of Hosts.