Zechariah 8

The Coming Peace and Prosperity of Zion

1Then the word of the Lord of armies came, saying, 2“The Lord of armies says this: ‘I am 1exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.’ 3The Lord says this: ‘I will return to Zion and 2dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of 3Truth, and the mountain of the Lord of armies will be called the Holy Mountain.’ 4The Lord of armies says this: ‘4Old men and old women will again sit in the public squares of Jerusalem, each person with his staff in his hand because of 5age. 5And the public squares of the city will be filled with 6boys and girls playing in its squares.’ 6The Lord of armies says this: ‘If it is 7too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be 8too difficult in My sight?’ declares the Lord of armies. 7The Lord of armies says this: ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the 910east and from the land of the 11west; 8and I will 12bring them back and they will 13live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be 14My people, and I will be their God in 15truth and righteousness.’

9“The Lord of armies says this: ‘Let your hands be 16strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the 17prophets, those who spoke in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of armies was laid, so that the temple might be built. 10For before those days there was 18no wage for man nor any wage for animal; and for him who went out or came in there was no 1920peace because of 21his enemies, and I 22sent all the people against one another. 11But now I will 23not 24treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ declares the Lord of armies. 12‘For there will be 25the seed of peace: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce, and the heavens will provide their 26dew; and I will give to the remnant of this people 27all these things as an inheritance. 13And it will come about that just as you were a 28curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a 29blessing. Do not fear; let your 30hands be strong.’

14“For this is what the Lord of armies says: ‘Just as I 31determined to do harm to you when your fathers provoked Me to anger,’ says the Lord of armies, ‘and I have not 32relented, 15so I have again determined in these days to 33do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. 34Do not fear! 16These are the things which you shall do: speak the 35truth to one another; 36judge with truth and judgment for peace at your 37gates. 17Also let none of you 38devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love 3940perjury; for all these things are what I 41hate,’ declares the Lord.”

18Then the word of the Lord of armies came to me, saying, 19“The Lord of armies says this: ‘The fast of the 42fourth, the fast of the 43fifth, the fast of the 44seventh, and the fast of the 45tenth months will become 46joy, jubilation, and 47cheerful festivals for the house of Judah; so 48love truth and peace.’

20“The Lord of armies says this: ‘It will yet turn out that 49peoples will come, that is, the inhabitants of many cities. 21The inhabitants of one city will go to another, saying, “Let’s go at once to 50plead for the favor of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of armies; 51I also will go.” 22So 52many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the Lord of armies in Jerusalem, and to 53plead for the favor of the Lord.’ 23The Lord of armies says this: ‘In those days ten people from all the 54nations will 5556grasp the 57garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”