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

¹ Again the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, ² Thus says the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury. ³ Thus says the LORD; I have returned unto 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 shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand because of old age. ⁵ And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. ⁶ Thus says the LORD of hosts; If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, would it also be marvelous in my eyes? says the LORD of hosts. ⁷ Thus says the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save 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 that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, who were there in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. ¹⁰ For before these days there were no wages for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the enemy: for I set all men every one against his neighbor. ¹¹ But now I will not be unto the remnant of this people as in the former days, says the LORD of hosts. ¹² For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its 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 come to pass, that as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing: fear not, but 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 I relented not: ¹⁵ So again have I thought in these days to do good unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear you not. ¹⁶ These are the things that you shall do; Speak you every man the truth to his neighbor; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: ¹⁷ And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, says the LORD.

¹⁸ And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto 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 to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace. ²⁰ Thus says the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: ²¹ And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also. ²² Yea, many people and strong 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 it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold, out of every language of the nations, even shall take hold of the robe of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.

¹ The burden of the word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach, and will rest upon Damascus: when the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the LORD. ² And Hamath also, which borders on it; and against Tyre, and Sidon, though they are very wise. ³ And Tyre did build herself a stronghold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets. ⁴ Behold, the Lord will cast her out, and he will destroy her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire. ⁵ Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Gaza also shall see it, and 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 a mixed race 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 that remains, even he, shall be for our God, and he shall be like a leader in Judah, and Ekron like a Jebusite. ⁸ And I will encamp about my house because of the army, because of him that passes by, and because of him that returns: and no oppressor shall pass through them any more: for now have I seen with my eyes.

⁹ Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your King comes unto you: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon a donkey, and upon a colt the foal of a donkey. ¹⁰ And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the nations: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. ¹¹ As for you also, because of the blood of your covenant I have sent forth your prisoners out of the pit in which is no water. ¹² Turn you to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will restore double unto you; ¹³ When I have bent Judah as my bow, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and made you like the sword of a mighty man. 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 go with whirlwinds of the south. ¹⁵ The LORD of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and roar as with wine; and they shall be filled with blood like bowls, and like the corners of the altar. ¹⁶ And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the jewels of a crown, lifted up as a banner over his land. ¹⁷ For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! grain shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maidens.