Zech 8
1
And the word of the Lord Almighty came, saying,
2
Thus says the Lord Almighty; I have been jealous for Jerusalem and for Sion with great
jealousy, and I have been jealous for her with great fury.
3
Thus says the Lord; I will return to Sion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and
Jerusalem shall be called a true city, and the mountain of the Lord Almighty a holy
mountain.
4
Thus says the Lord Almighty; There shall yet dwell old men and old women in the streets
of Jerusalem, every one holding his staff in his hand for age.
5
And the broad places of the city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in the
streets thereof.
6
Thus says the Lord Almighty; If it shall be impossible in the sight of the remnant
of this people in those days, shall it also be impossible in my sight? says the Lord
Almighty.
7
Thus says the Lord Almighty; Behold, I will save my people from the east country,
and the west country;
8
and I will bring them in, and cause them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they
shall be to me a people, and I will be to them a God, in truth and in righteousness.
9
Thus says the Lord Almighty; Let your hands be strong, you that hear in these days
these words out of the mouth of the prophets, from the day that the house of the Lord
Almighty was founded, and from the time that the temple was built.
10
For before those days the wages of men could not be profitable, and there could be
no hire of cattle, and there could be no peace by reason of the affliction to him
whom went out or to him whom came in: for I would have let loose all men, every one
against his neighbour.
11
But now I will not do to the remnant of this people according to the former days,
says the Lord Almighty.
12
But I will shew peace: the vine shall yield her fruit, and the land shall yield her
produce, and the heaven shall give its dew: and I will give as an inheritance all
these things to the remnant of my people.
13
And it shall come to pass, as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Juda,
and house of Israel; so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing: be of good courage,
and strengthen your hands.
14
For thus says the Lord Almighty; As I took counsel to afflict you when your fathers
provoked me, says the Lord Almighty, and I repented not:
15
so have I prepared and taken counsel in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to
the house of Juda: be you of good courage.
16
These are the things which you shall do; speak truth every one with his neighbour;
judge truth and peaceable judgement in your gates:
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and let none of you devise evil in his heart against his neighbour; and love not a
false oath: for all these things I hate, says the Lord Almighty.
18
And the word of the Lord Almighty came to me, saying,
19
Thus says the Lord Almighty, The fourth fast, and the fifth fast, and the seventh
fast, and the tenth fast, shall be to the house of Juda for joy and gladness, and
for good feasts; and you shall rejoice; and love you the truth and peace.
20
Thus says the Lord Almighty; Yet shall many peoples come, and the inhabitants of many
cities;
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and the inhabitants of five cities shall come together to one city, saying, Let us
go to make supplication to the Lord, and to seek the face of the Lord Almighty; I
will go also.
22
And many peoples and many nations shall come to seek earnestly the face of the Lord
Almighty in Jerusalem, and to Gr. conciliate the face of the Lord obtain favour of the Lord.
23
Thus says the Lord Almighty; In those days my word shall be fulfilled if ten men of
all the languages of the nations should take hold—even take hold of the hem of a Jew,
saying, We will go with you; for we have heard that God is with you.