CHAPTER 8
1 And the word of the Lord of hosts was made to me, and said,
2 The Lord of hosts saith these things, I hated Zion with great fervor, and with great indignation I hated it.
3 The Lord of hosts saith these things, I am turned again to Zion, and I shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth, and [the] hill of the Lord of hosts shall be called an hill hallowed.
4 The Lord of hosts saith these things, Yet eld [or old] men and eld [or old] women shall dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and the staff of a man shall be in his hand, for the multitude of years.
5 And the streets of the city shall be filled with young children and damsels, playing in the streets thereof.
6 The Lord of hosts saith these things, Though it shall be seen as hard to do before the eyes of the remnants of this people in those days, whether before mine eyes it shall be hard to do, saith the Lord of hosts?
7 The Lord of hosts saith these things, Lo! I shall save my people from the land of the east, and from the land of the going down of the sun;
8 and I shall bring them back, and they shall dwell in the middle of Jerusalem; and they shall be to me into a people, and I shall be to them into God, and in truth, and in rightwiseness.
9 The Lord of hosts saith these things, Be your hands comforted, which hear in these days these words by the mouth of prophets, in the day in which the house of the Lord of hosts is founded, that the temple should be builded again.
10 Soothly before those days hire of men was not, neither hire of work beasts was, neither to man entering and going out was peace for tribulation; and I let all men go, each against his neighbour.
11 But now not after the former days I shall do to the remnants of this people, saith the Lord of hosts,
12 but the seed of peace shall be; the vine shall give his fruit, and the earth shall give his burgeoning, and heavens shall give their dew; and I shall make the remnants of this people for to wield all these things.
13 And it shall be, as ye, the house of Judah, and the house of Israel, were cursing among heathen men, so I shall save you, and ye shall be blessing. Do not ye dread, be your hands comforted;
14 for the Lord of hosts saith these things, As I thought to torment you, when your fathers had stirred me to wrath, saith the Lord, and I had not mercy,
15 so I converted thought in these days to do well to the house of Judah and to Jerusalem; do not ye dread.
16 Therefore these be the words which ye shall do; speak ye truth, each man with his neighbour; deem ye truth and the doom of peace in your gates;
17 and think ye not in your hearts, any man, evil against his friend, and love not a false oath; for all these things it be which I hate, saith the Lord.
18 And the word of the Lord of hosts was made to me, and said,
19 The Lord of hosts saith these things, The fasting of the fourth month, and the fasting of the fifth, and the fasting of the seventh, and the fasting of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah into joy and gladness, and into solemnities full clear; love ye only truth and peace.
20 The Lord of hosts saith these things, Peoples shall come on each side, and dwell in many cities;
21 and the dwellers shall go, one to another, and say, Go we, and beseech the face of the Lord, and seek we the Lord of hosts; also I shall go.
22 And many peoples shall come, and strong folks, for to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to beseech the face of the Lord.
23 The Lord of hosts saith these things, In those days, in which ten men of all languages of heathen men shall take hold, and they shall take the hem of a man a Jew, and say, We shall go with you; for we have heard that God is with you.