Zechariah 8:2-8

2‘I have wanted to help Jerusalem because I love its people very much. My love causes me to be very angry with the enemies of Jerusalem,’ says the Lord Almighty.

3‘Jerusalem is the city that I have chosen. I will return there and I will live there. Then Jerusalem will be called the city that obeys God. And the mountain of the Lord Almighty will be called the mountain that God has chosen.’

4The Lord Almighty says, ‘Old men and old women will sit in the streets of Jerusalem again. Each will have a stick in his hands because he is so old.

5Many boys and girls will play in the streets of the city again.’

6‘This may seem impossible to the few people that remain,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘But nothing is impossible to me,’ says the Lord Almighty.

7‘I will bring my people back from the east country and from the west country,’ says the Lord Almighty.

8‘I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem. They will be my people and I will be their God. I will do for them what I promised to do.’