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

¹ And the word of Yahweh of hosts came, saying, ² "Thus says Yahweh of hosts: '{I am exceedingly jealous for Zion}; I am jealous for it [with] great wrath.' ³ Thus says Yahweh: 'I have returned to Zion, and I will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem will be called the faithful city, and the mountain of Yahweh of hosts [will be called] the holy mountain.' ⁴ Thus says Yahweh of hosts: 'Old men and old women shall again sit in the public squares of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand {because of great age}. ⁵ And the public squares of the city will be filled [with] boys and girls playing in its public squares.' ⁶ Thus says Yahweh of hosts: '[Even] if it seems impossible {to the remnant} of this people in those days, should it also seem impossible {to me}?' {declares} Yahweh of hosts. ⁷ Thus says Yahweh of hosts: 'Look! I [am] going to save my people from the land of the east, and from the land of the west, ⁸ and I will bring them and they will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They will be my people and I will be their God in faithfulness and in righteousness.'

⁹ "Thus says Yahweh of hosts: 'Let your hands be strong, you who are hearing in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets who [were present] on [the] day {the foundation was laid for the rebuilding of the temple, the house of Yahweh of hosts}. ¹⁰ For before those days there was no wage for people or for animals, and there was no safety from the enemy for those who went out or those who came in, and I sent each person against {one another}. ¹¹ But now {I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days},' {declares} Yahweh of hosts. ¹² 'For [there will be] a sowing of peace; the vine will give its fruit, and the soil will give its produce, and the heavens will give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these [things]. ¹³ {And then}, just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you will be a blessing. You must not be afraid; let your hands be strong!'" ¹⁴ For thus says Yahweh of hosts: "Just as I planned to bring disaster on you when your ancestors provoked me to anger," says Yahweh of hosts, "and I did not regret [it], ¹⁵ {so again I have planned} in these days to do good to Jerusalem and the house of Judah. Do not be afraid! ¹⁶ These [are] the things that you must do: speak truth, each [of you], with his neighbor; practice trustworthy judgment and peace in your gates. ¹⁷ Do not devise evil in your hearts [against] your neighbor, and do not love {a false oath}, because all these [are] things I hate," {declares} Yahweh.

¹⁸ And the word of Yahweh of hosts came to me, saying ¹⁹ "Thus says Yahweh of hosts: 'The fast of the fourth [month], the fifth [month], the seventh [month], and the tenth [month] will be for the house of Judah jubilation and joy and merry festivals; therefore love truth and peace.' ²⁰ Thus says Yahweh of hosts: '[It will happen] again that nations and the inhabitants of many cities will come. ²¹ And the inhabitants of one city will go to another [city], saying, "Let us go immediately to entreat {the favor of} Yahweh, to seek Yahweh of hosts--I also will go!" ²² And many peoples and powerful nations will come to seek Yahweh of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat {the favor of} Yahweh.' ²³ Thus says Yahweh of hosts: 'In those days ten men from {all the nations of every language} will take hold of the hem of a Judean man, saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard [that] God [is] with you!" '"

¹ An oracle. The word of Yahweh [is] against the land of Hadrach, and Damascus [is] its resting place. For to Yahweh belongs the eye of humankind, and all the tribes of Israel, ² and also Hamath, [which] borders on it; Tyre and Sidon--yes, they are very wise! ³ Tyre has built a fortification for itself, and it heaped up silver like dust, and gold like [the] mud of [the] streets. ⁴ Look! The Lord will drive it out and will hurl its outer ramparts into the sea, and it will be consumed by fire. ⁵ Ashkelon will see and will be afraid, and Gaza will writhe exceedingly, and Ekron [also], because its hope is ruined. And the king from Gaza will perish, and Ashkelon will not be inhabited. ⁶ A mongrel people will dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut down the pride of [the] Philistines. ⁷ I will remove its blood from its mouth, and its abominations from between its teeth. And it too will be a remnant for our God; and it will be like a tribal chief in Judah, and Ekron [will be] like [the] Jebusite. ⁸ But I will encamp at my temple [like a] guard, against those crossing through and returning; no oppressor will cross through them again, for now I have seen with my [own] eyes.

⁹ Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Look! Your king comes to you; he [is] righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, and on a male donkey, {the foal of} a female donkey! ¹⁰ And I will cut off [the] chariot from Ephraim, and [the] horse from Jerusalem; the battle bow will be cut down, and he will announce peace to the nations. His dominion [will be] from sea to sea, and from [the] River to [the] ends of [the] earth. ¹¹ [As for] you also, because of the blood of your covenant, I will release your prisoners from {the waterless pit}. ¹² Return to [the] fortress, O prisoners of hope; today [I am] declaring [that] I will repay you double. ¹³ For I have bent Judah [as] my bow; I have set Ephraim [as an arrow]. I will set in motion your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Javan. I will wield you like the sword of a warrior. ¹⁴ Then Yahweh will appear over them, and his arrow will go forth like lightning; and my Lord Yahweh will blow the trumpet, and he shall go out in the storm winds of [the] south. ¹⁵ Yahweh of hosts will defend them, and they will devour and subdue the slingstones; they will drink, they will make noise like wine, and they will be full like the sacrificial basin, [drenched] like the corners of an altar. ¹⁶ And Yahweh their God will save them on that day, as the flock of his people; for [they are like] the stones of a diadem, glittering on his land. ¹⁷ For how [great is] his goodness, and how [great is] his beauty! Grain will make the young men thrive, and new wine [the] young women.