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

¹ The word of Jehovah of Hosts came to me. ² Jehovah of Hosts said: I am zealous for Zion with great ardor, and I am very zealous for her with great rage. ³ Jehovah of Hosts said: I have returned to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be called the city of truth and the mountain of Jehovah of Hosts, the holy mountain. ⁴ Jehovah of Hosts said: Old men and old women walk with the help of canes in the streets of Jerusalem. They sit in the city square. ⁵ The streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing there in the streets. ⁶ Jehovah of hosts proclaims: If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my eyes? Said Jehovah of Hosts. ⁷ Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Behold! I will save my people from the land of the east and from the land of the west. ⁸ I will bring them and they will live in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness!

⁹ Jehovah of hosts said: Let your hands be strong you who hear these words from the mouth of the prophets. These are words from the day that the foundation of the house of Jehovah of Hosts was laid. It was for the purpose of building the Temple. ¹⁰ Before those days, there was no wage for man or beast. The enemy set everyone against his neighbor and going or coming there was no peace. ¹¹ I will not treat the remnant of this people the same as it was in the former days, said Jehovah of Hosts. ¹² There will be peace for the seed. The vine will give its fruit. The ground will yield its increase. The heavens will offer their dew and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things! ¹³ You were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel. I will save you! You will be blessed. Do not fear! Be strong! ¹⁴ Jehovah of hosts said: I thought to do evil to you, when your fathers provoked me to anger. I have not relented, Said Jehovah of Hosts. ¹⁵ I have again purposed to do good to Jerusalem and the house of Judah. Do not fear! ¹⁶ These are the things that you should do. Every man should speak the truth with his neighbor. Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates (towns). ¹⁷ Let none of you devise evil in your hearts against his neighbor. Do not love a false oath (perjury): for all these are things that I hate, said Jehovah.

¹⁸ The word of Jehovah of Hosts came to me, saying, ¹⁹ Jehovah of Hosts said: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth month, the fast of the seventh month, and the fast of the tenth month, will be to the house of Judah joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace. ²⁰ Jehovah of Hosts said: It will yet come to pass, peoples, and the inhabitants of many cities will come. ²¹ The inhabitants of one city will go to another, saying, 'Let us go speedily to entreat the favor of Jehovah, and to seek Jehovah of Hosts; I will go also. ²² Yes, many peoples and strong nations will come to seek Jehovah of Hosts in Jerusalem, and to request the favor of Jehovah. ²³ Jehovah of hosts said: In those days it will come to pass, that ten men out of all the languages of the nations, will take hold of the skirt of the one who is a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.

¹ The prophetic utterance of the word of Jehovah upon the land of Hadrach: Damascus will be its resting-place. The eye of man and of all the tribes of Israel is toward Jehovah. ² Hamath and all that borders on it, including Tyre and Sidon, because they are very wise. ³ Tyre built herself a stronghold, and heaped up silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets. ⁴ Behold! Jehovah will evict 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 will be pained and Ekron will be put to shame. The king will perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon will not be inhabited. ⁶ An illegitimate son will dwell in Ashdod. I will remove the arrogance of the Philistines. ⁷ And I will remove his blood from his mouth, and his detestable things from between his teeth. He will remain for our God. He will be like a chieftain in Judah, and in Ekron like a Jebusite. ⁸ I will encamp about my house against the army. None will pass through or return. No oppressor will pass through them any more: for now I have seen with my eyes.

⁹ Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king comes to you! He is righteous having salvation. He is humble, and riding upon an ass, even upon a colt the son of a she ass. ¹⁰ I will destroy the war chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem. The battle bow will be dismantled. He will speak peace to the nations! His dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. ¹¹ I set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. This is because of the blood of your covenant! ¹² Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. I declare today: I shall repay you a double portion. ¹³ I bend as my bow, Judah. I filled the bow with Ephraim! I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece. I will make you like the sword of a mighty man. ¹⁴ Jehovah will be seen over them. His arrow will go forth like lightning! The Sovereign Lord Jehovah will blow the trumpet and will go with windstorms of the south. ¹⁵ Jehovah of Hosts will defend them! They will devour and trample on the sling stones. They will drink and be boisterous with the wine. They will be filled like the sacrificial basins by the corners of the altar. ¹⁶ Jehovah their God will save them in that day like the flock of his people. They will be like the stones in a crown lifted high over his land. ¹⁷ How great is his goodness! How great is his beauty! Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine the virgins.