Zechariah 8  Legacy Standard Bible

Jerusalem, the City of Truth

8 Then the word of Yahweh of hosts came, saying, ² “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘^[a]I am ^(A)jealous with great jealousy for Zion, and with great wrath I am jealous for her.’ ³ Thus says Yahweh, ‘I will return to Zion and will ^(B)dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of ^(C)Truth, and the mountain of Yahweh of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.’ ⁴ Thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘^(D)Old men and old women will again sit in the ^[b]streets of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand because of ^[c]age. ⁵ And the ^[d]streets of the city will be filled with ^(E)boys and girls playing in its ^[e]streets.’ ⁶ Thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘If it is ^[f](F)too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be ^[g](G)too difficult in My sight?’ declares Yahweh of hosts. ⁷ Thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land where the ^[h](H)sun rises and from the land where the ^[i]sun sets; ⁸ and I will ^(I)bring them back, and they will ^(J)dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be ^(K)My people, and I will be their God in ^[j]truth and righteousness.’

⁹ “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘Let your hands be ^(L)strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the ^(M)prophets, those who spoke in the day that the foundation of the house of Yahweh of hosts was laid, to the end that the temple might be built. ¹⁰ For before those days there was ^(N)no wage for man or any wage for animal; and for him who went out or came in there was no ^[k](O)peace because of the adversary, and I ^(P)set all men one against another. ¹¹ But now I will ^(Q)not ^[l]treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ declares Yahweh of hosts. ¹² ‘For there will be ^(R)peace for the seed: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce, and the heavens will give their ^(S)dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit ^(T)all these things. ¹³ And it will be that just as you were a ^(U)curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a ^(V)blessing. Do not fear; let your ^(W)hands be strong.’

¹⁴ “For thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘Just as I ^(X)purposed to bring about evil to you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’ says Yahweh of hosts, ‘and I have not ^(Y)relented, ¹⁵ so I have again purposed in these days to ^(Z)do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. ^(AA)Do not fear! ¹⁶ These are the things which you should do: speak the ^(AB)truth to one another; ^(AC)judge with truth and judgment for peace in your ^[m]gates. ¹⁷ Also let none of you ^(AD)devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love ^[n](AE)false oaths; for all these are what I ^(AF)hate,’ declares Yahweh.”

¹⁸ Then the word of Yahweh of hosts came to me, saying, ¹⁹ “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘The fast of the ^(AG)fourth, the fast of the ^(AH)fifth, the fast of the ^(AI)seventh, and the fast of the ^(AJ)tenth months will become ^(AK)joy, gladness, and ^[o]merry appointed feasts for the house of Judah; so ^(AL)love truth and peace.’

²⁰ “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘It will yet be that ^(AM)peoples will come, even the inhabitants of many cities. ²¹ The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, “Let us go at once to ^[p](AN)entreat the favor of Yahweh and to seek Yahweh of hosts; ^[q]I will also go.” ²² So ^(AO)many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek Yahweh of hosts in Jerusalem and to ^[r](AP)entreat the favor of Yahweh.’ ²³ Thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from every tongue of the nations will ^[s](AQ)take hold of the ^[t]garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”