Zechariah

8 And the word of Jehovah of armies continued to occur, saying: 2 “This is what Jehovah of armies+ has said, ‘I will be jealous for Zion with great jealousy,+ and with great rage+ I will be jealous for her.’”

3 “This is what Jehovah has said, ‘I will return to Zion+ and reside in the midst of Jerusalem;+ and Jerusalem will certainly be called the city of trueness,*+ and the mountain of Jehovah+ of armies, the holy mountain.’”+

4 “This is what Jehovah of armies has said, ‘There will yet sit old men and old women in the public squares of Jerusalem,+ each one also with his staff+ in his hand because of the abundance of [his] days. 5 And the public squares of the city themselves will be filled with boys and girls playing in her public squares.’”+

6 “This is what Jehovah of armies has said, ‘Although it should seem too difficult* in the eyes of the remaining ones of this people in those days, should it seem too difficult also in my eyes?’*+ is the utterance of Jehovah of armies.”

7 “This is what Jehovah of armies has said, ‘Here I am saving my people from the land of the sunrise and from the land of the setting of the sun.+ 8 And I shall certainly bring them in, and they must reside in the midst of Jerusalem;+ and they must become my people,+ and I myself shall become* their God in trueness and in righteousness.’”+

9 “This is what Jehovah of armies has said, ‘Let the hands of YOU people be strong,+ YOU who are hearing in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets,+ on the day on which the foundation of the house of Jehovah of armies was laid, for the temple to be built.+ 10 For before those days there were no wages for mankind* made to exist;+ and as for the wages of domestic animals, there was no such thing;* and to the one going out and to the one coming in there was no peace because of the adversary,*+ as I kept thrusting all mankind against one another.’+

11 “‘And now I shall not be as in the former days to the remaining ones of this people,’+ is the utterance of Jehovah of armies. 12 ‘For there will be the seed of peace;+ the vine itself will give its fruitage,+ and the earth itself will give its yield,+ and the heavens themselves will give their dew;+ and I shall certainly cause the remaining ones+ of this people to inherit all these [things].+ 13 And it must occur that just as YOU became a malediction among the nations,+ O house of Judah and house of Israel,+ so I shall save YOU, and YOU must become a blessing.+ Do not be afraid.+ May YOUR hands be strong.’+

14 “For this is what Jehovah of armies has said, ‘“Just as I had in mind to do what was calamitous to YOU people because of YOUR forefathers’ making me indignant,”+ Jehovah of armies has said, “and I felt no regret,+ 15 so I will again have in mind in these days to deal well with Jerusalem and with the house of Judah.+ Do not be afraid.”’+

16 “‘These are the things that YOU people should do:+ Speak truthfully with one another.*+ With truth and the judgment of peace do YOUR judging in YOUR gates.+ 17 And calamity to one another do not YOU scheme up in YOUR hearts,+ and do not love any false oath;+ for these are all things that I have hated,’+ is the utterance of Jehovah.”

18 And the word of Jehovah of armies continued to occur to me, saying: 19 “This is what Jehovah of armies has said, ‘The fast of the fourth+ [month], and the fast of the fifth+ [month], and the fast of the seventh+ [month], and the fast of the tenth+ [month] will become for the house of Judah an exultation and a rejoicing and good festal seasons.+ So love truth and peace.’+

20 “This is what Jehovah* of armies has said, ‘It will yet be that peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will come;+ 21 and the inhabitants of one [city] will certainly go to [those of] another, saying: “Let us earnestly go+ to soften the face+ of Jehovah and to seek Jehovah of armies. I myself will go also.”+ 22 And many peoples and mighty nations will actually come to seek Jehovah of armies in Jerusalem+ and to soften the face of Jehovah.’

23 “This is what Jehovah of armies has said, ‘It will be in those days that ten men* out of all the languages* of the nations+ will take hold,+ yes, they will actually take hold of the skirt of a man* who is a Jew,*+ saying: “We will go with YOU people,+ for we have heard [that] God* is with YOU people.”’”+