1 Then the word of the Loʀᴅ of hosts came, saying, 2 “Thus says the Loʀᴅ of hosts, ‘I am AZech 1:14exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.’ 3  “Thus says the Loʀᴅ, ‘I will return to Zion and will AZech 2:10, 11dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of BZech 8:16, 19Truth, and the mountain of the Loʀᴅ of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.’ 4  “Thus says the Loʀᴅ of hosts, ‘AIs 65:20Old men and old women will again sit in the 1Or squaresstreets of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand because of 2Lit the multitude of daysage. 5  ‘And the 1Or squaresstreets of the city will be filled with AJer 30:19, 20; 31:12, 13boys and girls playing in its 1Or squaresstreets.’ 6  “Thus says the Loʀᴅ of hosts, ‘If it is 1Or wonderfulAPs 118:23; 126:1-3too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be 1Or wonderfulBJer 32:17, 27too difficult in My sight?’ declares the Loʀᴅ of hosts. 7  “Thus says the Loʀᴅ of hosts, ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the 1Lit risingAPs 107:3; Is 11:11; 27:12, 13; 43:5east and from the land of the 2Lit setting sunwest; 8 and I will AZeph 3:20; Zech 10:10bring them back and they will BJer 3:17; Ezek 37:25live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be CEzek 11:20; 36:28; Zech 2:11My people, and I will be their God in 1Or faithfulnesstruth and righteousness.’

9 “Thus says the Loʀᴅ of hosts, ‘Let your hands be A1 Chr 22:13; Is 35:4; Hag 2:4strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the BEzra 5:1; 6:14prophets, those who spoke in the day that the foundation of the house of the Loʀᴅ of hosts was laid, to the end that the temple might be built. 10  ‘For before those days there was AHag 2:15-19no wage for man or any wage for animal; and for him who went out or came in there was no 1Or safetyB2 Chr 15:5peace because of 2Lit the adversaryhis enemies, and I CIs 19:2; Amos 3:6; 9:4set all men one against another. 11  ‘But now I will APs 103:9; Is 12:1; Hag 2:19not 1Lit be to thetreat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ declares the Loʀᴅ of hosts. 12 ‘For there will be ALev 26:3-6peace for the seed: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce and the heavens will give their BGen 27:28; Deut 33:13, 28; Hos 13:3dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit CIs 61:7; Obad 17all these things. 13  ‘It will come about that just as you were a AJer 29:18; Dan 9:11curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a BPs 72:17; Is 19:24, 25; Ezek 34:26; Zech 14:11blessing. Do not fear; let your CZech 8:9hands be strong.’

14 “For thus says the Loʀᴅ of hosts, ‘Just as I AJer 31:28purposed to do harm to you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’ says the Loʀᴅ of hosts, ‘and I have not BJer 4:28; Ezek 24:14relented, 15 so I have again purposed in these days to AJer 29:11; Mic 7:18-20do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. BZech 8:13Do not fear! 16  ‘These are the things which you should do: speak the APs 15:2; Prov 12:17-19; Zech 8:3; Eph 4:25truth to one another; BIs 9:7; 11:4, 5; Zech 7:9judge with truth and judgment for peace in your 1I.e. the place where court was heldgates. 17  ‘Also let none of you AProv 3:29; Jer 4:14; Zech 7:10devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love 1Lit false oathBZech 5:4; Mal 3:5perjury; for all these are what I CProv 6:16-19; Hab 1:13hate,’ declares the Loʀᴅ.”

18 Then the word of the Loʀᴅ of hosts came to me, saying, 19 “Thus says the Loʀᴅ of hosts, ‘The fast of the A2 Kin 25:3, 4; Jer 39:2fourth, the fast of the BZech 7:3, 5fifth, the fast of the C2 Kin 25:25; Zech 7:5seventh and the fast of the DJer 52:4tenth months will become EPs 30:11; Is 12:1joy, gladness, and 1Or goodlycheerful feasts for the house of Judah; so FZech 8:16; Luke 1:74, 75love truth and peace.’

20 “Thus says the Loʀᴅ of hosts, ‘It will yet be that APs 117:1; Jer 16:19; Mic 4:2, 3; Zech 2:11; 14:16peoples will come, even the inhabitants of many cities. 21  ‘The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, “Let us go at once to AZech 7:2entreat the favor of the Loʀᴅ, and to seek the Loʀᴅ of hosts; 1Or let me go tooI will also go.” 22  ‘So AIs 2:2, 3; 25:7; 49:6, 22, 23; 60:3-12many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the Loʀᴅ of hosts in Jerusalem and to BZech 8:21entreat the favor of the Loʀᴅ.’ 23  “Thus says the Loʀᴅ of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all the 1Lit languages of the nationsnations will 2Lit grasp, and they will graspAIs 45:14, 24; 60:14grasp the 3Or corner of the garmentgarment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” ’ ”