Zechariah 8:1–17

OBEDIENCE AND FEASTING

8The word of the Lord of Armies came: ²The Lord of Armies says this: “I am extremely jealous^j for Zion; I am jealous for her with great wrath.” ³The Lord says this: “I will return to Zion and live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City;^k the mountain of the Lord of Armies will be called the Holy Mountain.” ⁴The Lord of Armies says this: “Old men and women will again sit along the streets of Jerusalem, each with a staff in hand because of advanced age. ⁵The streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in them.” ⁶The Lord of Armies says this: “Though it may seem impossible to the remnant of this people in those days, should it also seem impossible to me?”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. ⁷The Lord of Armies says this: “I will save my people from the land of the east and the land of the west.^{A 8}I will bring them back^l to live in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their faithful and righteous God.”^m

⁹The Lord of Armies says this: “Let your hands be strong, you who now hear these words that the prophets spoke when the foundations were laid for the rebuilding of the temple, the house of the Lord of Armies. ¹⁰For prior to those days neither people nor animals had wages. There was no safety from the enemy for anyone who came or went, for I turned everyone against his neighbor. ¹¹But now, I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. ¹²“For they will sow in peace: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce, and the skies will yield their dew. I will give the remnant of this people all these things as an inheritance.^{n 13}As you have been a curse among the nations,^o house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing.^p Don’t be afraid; let your hands be strong.” ¹⁴For the Lord of Armies says this: “As I resolved to treat you badly when your ancestors provoked me to anger, and I did not relent,” says the Lord of Armies, ¹⁵“so I have resolved again in these days to do what is good to Jerusalem and the house of Judah.^q Don’t be afraid. ¹⁶These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another; make true and sound decisions within your city gates. ¹⁷Do not plot evil^r in your hearts against your neighbor,^s and do not love perjury,^t for I hate all this”—this is the Lord’s declaration.