Zechariah 8:1-Zechariah 9:17 - Yahweh's Promise To Jerusalem

¹ The word of the Lord of Hosts came: ² “The Lord of Hosts says this: I am extremely jealous for Zion; I am jealous for her with great wrath.” ³ The Lord says this: “I will return to Zion and live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City, the mountain of the Lord of Hosts, and the Holy Mountain.” ⁴ The Lord of Hosts says this: “Old men and women will again sit along the streets of Jerusalem, each with a staff in hand because of advanced age. ⁵ The streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in them.” ⁶ The Lord of Hosts says this: “Though it may seem incredible to the remnant of this people in those days, should it also seem incredible to Me?”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts. ⁷ The Lord of Hosts says this: “I will save My people from the land of the east and the land of the west. ⁸ I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem. They will be My people, and I will be their faithful and righteous God.”

⁹ The Lord of Hosts 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 Hosts. ¹⁰ For prior to those days neither man nor beast had wages. There was no safety from the enemy for anyone who came or went, for I turned everyone against his neighbor. ¹¹ But now, I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts. 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. ¹³ As you have been a curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Don’t be afraid; let your hands be strong.” ¹⁴ For the Lord of Hosts says this: “As I resolved to treat you badly when your fathers provoked Me to anger, and I did not relent,” says the Lord of Hosts, ¹⁵ “so I have resolved again in these days to do what is good to Jerusalem and the house of Judah. Don’t be afraid. ¹⁶ These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another; make true and sound decisions within your gates. ¹⁷ Do not plot evil in your hearts against your neighbor, and do not love perjury, for I hate all this”—this is the Lord’s declaration.

¹⁸ Then the word of the Lord of Hosts came to me: ¹⁹ “The Lord of Hosts says this: The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth will become times of joy, gladness, and cheerful festivals for the house of Judah. Therefore, love truth and peace.” ²⁰ The Lord of Hosts says this: “Peoples will yet come, the residents of many cities; ²¹ the residents of one city will go to another, saying: Let’s go at once to plead for the Lord’s favor and to seek the Lord of Hosts. I am also going. ²² Many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem and to plead for the Lord’s favor.” ²³ The Lord of Hosts says this: “In those days, 10 men from nations of every language will grab the robe of a Jewish man tightly, urging: Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”

¹ An Oracle

The word of the Lord
is against the land of Hadrach,
and Damascus is its resting place—
for the eyes of men
and all the tribes of Israel
are on the Lord—
² and also against Hamath, which borders it,
as well as Tyre and Sidon,
though they are very shrewd.
³ Tyre has built herself a fortress;
she has heaped up silver like dust
and gold like the dirt of the streets.
⁴ Listen! The Lord will impoverish her
and cast her wealth into the sea;
she herself will be consumed by fire.
⁵ Ashkelon will see it and be afraid;
Gaza too, and will writhe in great pain,
as will Ekron, for her hope will fail.
There will cease to be a king in Gaza,
and Ashkelon will become uninhabited.
⁶ A mongrel people will live in Ashdod,
and I will destroy the pride of the Philistines.
⁷ I will remove the blood from their mouths
and the detestable things
from between their teeth.
Then they too will become a remnant for our God;
they will become like a clan in Judah
and Ekron like the Jebusites.
⁸ I will set up camp at My house against an army,
against those who march back and forth,
and no oppressor will march against them again,
for now I have seen with My own eyes.

⁹ Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem!
Look, your King is coming to you;
He is righteous and victorious,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
¹⁰ I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the horse from Jerusalem.
The bow of war will be removed,
and He will proclaim peace to the nations.
His dominion will extend from sea to sea,
from the Euphrates River
to the ends of the earth.
¹¹ As for you,
because of the blood of your covenant,
I will release your prisoners
from the waterless cistern.
¹² Return to a stronghold,
you prisoners who have hope;
today I declare that I will restore double to you.
¹³ For I will bend Judah as My bow;
I will fill that bow with Ephraim.
I will rouse your sons, Zion,
against your sons, Greece.
I will make you like a warrior’s sword.
¹⁴ Then the Lord will appear over them,
and His arrow will fly like lightning.
The Lord God will sound the trumpet
and advance with the southern storms.
¹⁵ The Lord of Hosts will defend them.
They will consume and conquer with slingstones;
they will drink and be rowdy as if with wine.
They will be as full as the sprinkling basin,
like those at the corners of the altar.
¹⁶ The Lord their God will save them on that day
as the flock of His people;
for they are like jewels in a crown,
sparkling over His land.
¹⁷ How lovely and beautiful they will be!
Grain will make the young men flourish,
and new wine, the young women.