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

¹ The word of the LORD of hosts came to me. ² Thus says the LORD of hosts: "I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath." ³ Thus says the LORD: "I have returned to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called 'The City of Truth;' and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, 'The Holy Mountain.'" ⁴ Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Old men and old women will again dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand for very age. ⁵ The streets of the city will 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 those days, should 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 will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they will 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 who hear in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets who were in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, even the temple, that it might be built. ¹⁰ For before those days there was no wages for man, nor any wages for an animal; neither was there any peace to him who went out or came in, because of the adversary. For I set all men everyone against his neighbor. ¹¹ But now I will not be to the remnant of this people as in the former days," says the LORD of hosts. ¹² "For the seed of peace and the vine will yield its fruit, and the ground will give its increase, and the heavens will give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things. ¹³ It shall come to pass that, as you were a curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not be afraid. Let your hands be strong." ¹⁴ For thus says the LORD of hosts: "As I thought to do evil to you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath," says the LORD of hosts, "and I did not repent; ¹⁵ so again have I thought in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not be afraid. ¹⁶ These are the things that you shall do: speak every man the truth with his neighbor. Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates, ¹⁷ and let none of you devise evil in your hearts against his neighbor, and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate," says the LORD.

¹⁸ The word of the LORD of hosts came to me. ¹⁹ Thus says the LORD of hosts: "The fasts of the fourth fifth, seventh, and tenth months shall be for the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace." ²⁰ Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Many peoples, and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come; ²¹ and the inhabitants of one shall go to another, saying, 'Let us go speedily to entreat the favor of the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts. I will go also.' ²² Yes, many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of the LORD." ²³ Thus says the LORD of hosts: "In those days, ten men will take hold, out of all the languages of the nations, they will take hold of the skirt of him who is a Jew, saying, 'We will 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 will rest upon Damascus; for the eye of man and of all the tribes of Israel is toward the LORD; ² and Hamath, also, which borders on it; Tyre and Sidon, because they are very wise. ³ Tyre built herself a stronghold, and heaped up silver like the dust, and fine gold like the mire of the streets. ⁴ Behold, the Lord will dispossess her, and he will strike her power in the sea; and she will be devoured with fire. ⁵ Ashkelon will see it, and fear; Gaza also, and will writhe in agony; as will Ekron, for her expectation will be disappointed; and the king will perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon will not be inhabited. ⁶ Foreigners will dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines. ⁷ I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth; and he also will be a remnant for our God; and he will be as a chieftain in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite. ⁸ I will encamp around my house against the army, that none pass through or return; and no oppressor will pass through them any more: for now I have seen with my eyes.

⁹ Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion. Shout, daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, your king comes to you. He is righteous, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. ¹⁰ I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow will be cut off; and he will speak peace to the nations: and 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 have set free your prisoners from the pit in which is no water. ¹² Turn to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you. ¹³ For indeed I bend Judah as a bow for me. I have filled the bow with Ephraim; and I will stir up your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece, and will make you like the sword of a mighty man. ¹⁴ The LORD will be seen over them; and his arrow will go forth like lightning; and the Lord GOD will blow the trumpet, and will go with whirlwinds of the south. ¹⁵ The LORD of hosts will defend them; and they will destroy and overcome with sling stones; and they will drink, and roar as through wine; and they will be filled like bowls, like the corners of the altar. ¹⁶ The LORD their God will save them in that day as the flock of his people; for they are like the jewels of a crown, lifted on high over his land. ¹⁷ For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty. Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine the virgins.