"Therefore, as I live"--a declaration of Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel-- "Moab shall be as Sodom, and the {Ammonites} like Gomorrah, a place of weeds and salt pits and a desolation forever. The remnant of my people shall plunder them, and the remainder of my nation shall possess them."

This [shall be] for them in place of their pride because they mocked and boasted against the people of Yahweh of hosts.

Yahweh [will be] awesome against them, for he will destroy all the gods of the earth and all the lands of the nations; each in its place will bow down to him.

She listens to no voice; she does not accept correction. In Yahweh she does not trust; to her God she does not draw near.

Yahweh [is] righteous in her midst; he does not do wickedness. {Morning by morning} he renders his judgment; at dawn he does not fail, but an evil one knows no shame.

"Therefore, wait for me"--a declaration of Yahweh-- "for the day of my rising as a witness. For my decision [is] to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out my wrath upon them, all my burning anger. For by the fire of my anger all the land shall be consumed.

Because then I will {make the speech of the nations pure}; that all of them might call on the name of Yahweh, to serve him {in unison}.

And I will leave in your midst a people afflicted and poor, and they shall take refuge in the name of Yahweh.

Yahweh has annulled your judgments; he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, Yahweh, [is] in your midst; you shall no longer fear misfortune.

Yahweh your God [is] in your midst; a mighty warrior who saves. He shall rejoice over you with joy; he renews you in his love; he will exult over you with singing.

At that time I will bring you [in]; at the time of my gathering you [together]. For I will make you {renowned} and praised among all the nations of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your eyes," says Yahweh.

In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on [the] first day, the word of Yahweh came {through} Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,

"Thus says Yahweh of hosts: 'This people says, "{The time has not come to rebuild the temple of Yahweh}.'"

And the word of Yahweh came {through} Haggai the prophet, saying,

And so then, thus says Yahweh of hosts: '{Consider your ways}!

Thus says Yahweh of hosts: '{Consider your ways}!

Go up the mountain and bring wood and build the house so that I may be pleased with it and honored,' says Yahweh.

'You have looked for much, and look! [It came] to little; and [when] you brought [it] home, I blew it [away]. Why?' {declares} Yahweh of hosts. 'Because my house [is] desolate and you [are] running each to your own house!

Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all the remnant of the people gave heed to the voice of Yahweh their God and to the words of Haggai the prophet, as Yahweh their God had sent him, {and the people feared Yahweh}.

And Haggai the messenger of Yahweh spoke to the people with the message of Yahweh, saying, " 'I [am] with you' {declares} Yahweh."

And Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and did [the] work on the house of Yahweh of hosts, their God,

In the seventh [month] on the twenty-first day, the word of Yahweh {came through} Haggai the prophet, saying,

'But now take courage, Zerubbabel,' {declares} Yahweh. 'Take courage, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and take courage, all the people of the land,' {declares} Yahweh. 'Do the work, because I [am] with you,' {declares} Yahweh of hosts,

For thus says Yahweh of hosts: 'Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and dry land.

I will shake all the nations so that the treasure of all the nations will come, and I will fill this house [with] glory,' says Yahweh of hosts.

'The silver [is] mine and the gold [is] mine,' {declares} Yahweh of hosts.

'The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,' says Yahweh of hosts, 'and in this place I will give peace' {declares} Yahweh of hosts.'"

On [the] twenty-fourth [day] of the ninth [month], in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh came to the prophet Haggai, saying,

"Thus says Yahweh of hosts: 'Ask now the priests [for] a ruling:

And Haggai answered and said, " 'So [it is with] this people, and [with] this nation before me,' {declares} Yahweh, 'and so [it is with] every kind of work of their hands; and what they offer there [is] unclean.

But now, please {consider} from this day forward, before one stone was placed on another in the temple of Yahweh,

I struck you with blight, and with plant mildew, and hail, all the work of your hands. But {you did not come back to me},' {declares} Yahweh.

'{Please consider} from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth [month], from the day that the foundation of Yahweh's temple was laid, {consider}:

And the word of Yahweh came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth [day] of the month saying,

'On that day,' {declares} Yahweh of hosts, 'I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant,' {declares} Yahweh, 'and I will make you a signet ring, for I have chosen you,' {declares} Yahweh of hosts."

In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, son of Iddo, saying,

"Yahweh {was very angry with your ancestors}.

You must say to them: 'Thus says Yahweh of hosts: "Return to me," {declares} Yahweh of hosts, "and I will return to you," says Yahweh of hosts.

"Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying, 'Thus says Yahweh of hosts: "Return from your evil ways and your evil deeds!" ' But they did not hear and they did not pay attention to me," {declares} Yahweh.

However, did not my words and my regulations which I commanded my servants the prophets overtake your ancestors? And they repented and said, 'Yahweh of hosts planned to do with us according to our ways, and according to our deeds so he has dealt with us.'" '"

On the twenty-fourth day of [the] eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh came to Zechariah the prophet, son of Berekiah, son of Iddo, saying,

And the man standing between the myrtle shrubs answered and said, "These [are] those whom Yahweh has sent to patrol [the] earth."

And they answered the angel of Yahweh who was standing between the myrtle shrubs, and they said, "We have patrolled the earth, and look, all the earth {is dwelling in peace}."

The angel of Yahweh answered and said, "O Yahweh of hosts, {how long} will you have no compassion on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, [with] which you showed fury these seventy years?"

[With] gracious and comforting words Yahweh answered the angel who was talking with me.

And the angel who was talking with me said to me, "Proclaim, saying, 'Thus says Yahweh of hosts: "{I am very jealous} for Jerusalem and for Zion!

Therefore, thus says Yahweh: "I have returned to Jerusalem with compassion. My temple will be built in it," {declares} Yahweh of hosts, "and a measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem." '

Proclaim again, saying, 'Thus says Yahweh of hosts: "My cities shall again overflow from prosperity, and Yahweh will comfort Zion again, and he will choose Jerusalem again." '"

Then Yahweh showed me four skilled craftsmen,

And I will be for it a wall of fire all around,' {declares} Yahweh, 'and I will be [the] glory in its midst.'"

"Woe! Woe! Flee from [the] land of [the] north," {declares} Yahweh, "for I have scattered you like [the] four winds of the heavens," {declares} Yahweh.

For thus said Yahweh of hosts, after glory he sent me against the nations plundering you: Truly, the one touching you [is] touching the apple of his eye.

"Yes, look! I [am] going to wave my hand against them, and they will become plunder for their servants, and you will know that Yahweh of hosts has sent me.

Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for look, I [am] coming and I will dwell in your midst," {declares} Yahweh.

"Many nations will join themselves to Yahweh on that day, and they will be my people, and I will dwell in your midst. And you will know that Yahweh of hosts has sent me to you.

And Yahweh will inherit Judah [as] his portion {in the holy land}, and he will again choose Jerusalem.

Be silent, {all people}, before Yahweh, for he is roused from {his holy dwelling}."

And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing {before} the angel of Yahweh; and Satan was standing on his right to accuse him.

But Yahweh said to Satan, "Yahweh rebukes you, O Satan! Yahweh who has chosen Jerusalem rebukes you! [Is] this not a stick snatched from the fire?"

And I said, "Let them put a clean headband on his head." And they put a clean headband on his head, and they clothed him [with] garments. And the angel of Yahweh [was] standing [by].

And the angel of Yahweh assured Joshua, saying,

"Thus says Yahweh of hosts: 'If you will walk in my ways, and if you will keep my requirements, then you will judge my house, and you will also guard my courtyards, and I will give to you passageways among these that are standing here.

For consider, the stone that {I set before} Joshua, on one stone [are] seven eyes. Look, {I am going to engrave an inscription on it},' {declares} Yahweh of hosts, 'and I will remove the guilt of that land in a single day.

On that day,' {declares} Yahweh of hosts, 'you will invite {one another} under [the] vine and under [the] fig tree.'"

And he answered and said to me, "This [is] the word of Yahweh to Zerubbabel, saying, 'Not by strength and not by power, but [only] by my Spirit,' says Yahweh of hosts.

And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

"The hands of Zerubbabel have founded this house, and his hands will finish it. And you will know that Yahweh of hosts has sent me to you.

For whoever has despised the day of small [things] will rejoice and will see the {plumb line} in the hand of Zerubbabel." These seven [are] the eyes of Yahweh which [are] ranging {throughout the whole earth}.

'I have sent it out,' {declares} Yahweh of hosts, 'and it will go into the house of the thief and into the house of the one swearing {falsely by my name}, and it will spend the night in that house and will destroy it, with its timber and its stone.'"

And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

And say to him, 'Thus says Yahweh of hosts: "Look, [here is] a man whose name [is] Branch, and from his place he will sprout, and he will build the temple of Yahweh.

And he will build the temple of Yahweh, and he will bear majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two of them." '

And the crown will be for Helem, for Tobijah, for Jedaiah, and for Hen son of Zephaniah, as a memorial in the temple of Yahweh.

And those who are far off will come and build the temple of Yahweh, and you will know that Yahweh of hosts has sent me to you. And it will happen if you will listen diligently to the voice of Yahweh your God."

{And then}, in the fourth year of King Darius, the word of Yahweh came to Zechariah on [the] fourth [day] of the ninth month, [which is] Kislev.

And [the people of] Bethel sent Sharezer and Regem-Melech, and their men, to entreat {the favor} of Yahweh,

saying to the {priests of the house of Yahweh of hosts} and to the prophets, "Should I mourn in the fifth month and keep myself separate as I have done for these many years?"

And the word of Yahweh of hosts came to me, saying,

[Are] not [these] the words that Yahweh proclaimed {through} the former prophets, when Jerusalem and {its surrounding towns} were inhabited and at ease, and the Negev and the Shephelah were inhabited?'"

And the word of Yahweh came to Zechariah, saying,

"Thus says Yahweh of hosts: 'Judge [with] trustworthy justice, and show steadfast love and compassion {to one another}.

{They made their hearts adamant} in order not to hear the law and the words that Yahweh of hosts had sent by his spirit through the former prophets; [therefore] great wrath came from Yahweh of hosts.

'Thus, just as I called and they would not hear, so they will call and I will not hear,' says Yahweh of hosts.

And the word of Yahweh of hosts came, saying,

"Thus says Yahweh of hosts: '{I am exceedingly jealous for Zion}; I am jealous for it [with] great wrath.'

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.'

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}.

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.

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,

"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}.

But now {I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days},' {declares} Yahweh of hosts.

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],

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.

And the word of Yahweh of hosts came to me, saying

"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.'

Thus says Yahweh of hosts: '[It will happen] again that nations and the inhabitants of many cities will come.

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!"

And many peoples and powerful nations will come to seek Yahweh of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat {the favor of} Yahweh.'

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!" '"

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,