Zechariah 8
GOD’S WORD Translation
What the Lord Will Do for Zion
8 The Lord of Armies spoke his word.
2 This is what the Lord of Armies says:
I am very jealous about Zion.
I am fiercely possessive of it.
3 This is what the Lord says:
I will return to Zion and live in Jerusalem.
Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth.
The mountain of the Lord of Armies will be called the holy mountain.
4 This is what the Lord of Armies says:
Old men and old women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem.
Each will have a cane in hand because of old age.
5 The city will be filled with boys and girls playing in the streets.
6 This is what the Lord of Armies says:
It may seem impossible to the few remaining people in those days,
but will it seem impossible to me? declares the Lord of Armies.
7 This is what the Lord of Armies says:
I am going to save my people
from the land where the sun rises
and from the land where the sun sets.
8 I will bring them back, and they will live in Jerusalem.
They will be my people, and I will be their God, who is faithful and just.
9 This is what the Lord of Armies says:
Be strong so that the temple might be rebuilt,
you people who are presently listening
to the words from the mouths of the prophets
who spoke when the foundation
for the house of the Lord of Armies was laid.
10 Before that time there was no money to hire any person or animal.
No one who traveled was safe from the enemy.
I turned every person against his neighbor.
11 But now I won’t deal with the few remaining people
as I did in earlier times, declares the Lord of Armies.
12 Seeds will thrive in peacetime.
Vines will produce their grapes.
The land will yield its crops.
The sky will produce its dew.
I will give the few remaining people
all these things as an inheritance.
13 Just as you, people of Judah and people of Israel,
have been a curse among the nations,
so I will now save you,
and you will become a blessing.
Don’t be afraid. Let your hands work hard.
14 This is what the Lord of Armies says:
When your ancestors made me angry,
I made plans to destroy you, declares the Lord of Armies,
and I didn’t change my plans.
15 So now I have again made plans, but this time to do good
to Jerusalem and the people of Judah.
Don’t be afraid.
16 You must do these things:
Speak the truth to each other.
Give correct and fair verdicts for peace in your courts.
17 Don’t even think of doing evil to each other.
Don’t enjoy false testimony.
I hate all these things, declares the Lord.
Many Nations Will Come to the Lord’s People
18 The Lord of Armies spoke his word to me again.
19 This is what the Lord of Armies says:
The fast in the fourth month, the fast in the fifth month,
the fast in the seventh month, and the fast in the tenth month
will become joyful and glad occasions
as well as happy festivals for the nation of Judah.
So love truth and peace.
20 This is what the Lord of Armies says:
People and citizens from many cities are going to come.
21 The citizens of one city will come to another city, saying,
“Let’s make a habit of going to ask the Lord for a blessing
and to seek the Lord of Armies.
I’m also going.”
22 Many people and powerful nations will come
to seek the Lord of Armies in Jerusalem
and to ask the Lord for a blessing.
23 This is what the Lord of Armies says:
In those days ten people from every language found among the nations
will take hold of the clothes of a Jew. They will say,
“Let us go with you
because we have heard that God is with you.”
Zechariah 8
King James Version
8 Again the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying,
2 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury.
3 Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain.
4 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age.
5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.
6 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the Lord of hosts.
7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country;
8 And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.
9 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.
10 For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour.
11 But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the Lord of hosts.
12 For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.
13 And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.
14 For thus saith the Lord of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the Lord of hosts, and I repented not:
15 So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.
16 These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:
17 And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord.
18 And the word of the Lord of hosts came unto me, saying,
19 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.
20 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities:
21 And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also.
22 Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord.
23 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
Zechariah 8
English Standard Version
The Coming Peace and Prosperity of Zion
8 And the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: (A)I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. 3 Thus says the Lord: (B)I have returned to Zion and (C)will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, (D)and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, (E)and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain. 4 Thus says the Lord of hosts: (F)Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. 5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. 6 Thus says the Lord of hosts: (G)If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, (H)should it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the Lord of hosts? 7 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, (I)I will save my people (J)from the east country and from the west country, 8 and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. (K)And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, (L)in faithfulness and in righteousness.”
9 Thus says the Lord of hosts: (M)“Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of (N)the prophets who were present on (O)the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. 10 For before those days (P)there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor. 11 But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, declares the Lord of hosts. 12 (Q)For there shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, (R)and the heavens shall give their dew. (S)And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. 13 And as (T)you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, (U)so will I save you, and (V)you shall be a blessing. (W)Fear not, but (X)let your hands be strong.”
14 For thus says the Lord of hosts: (Y)“As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the Lord of hosts, 15 so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; (Z)fear not. 16 These are the things that you shall do: (AA)Speak the truth to one another; (AB)render in your gates judgments (AC)that are true and make for peace; 17 (AD)do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and (AE)love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord.”
18 And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 19 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: The fast of the (AF)fourth month and the fast of the (AG)fifth and the fast of the (AH)seventh and the fast of the (AI)tenth shall be to the house of Judah (AJ)seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love (AK)truth and peace.
20 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. 21 The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, (AL)‘Let us go at once (AM)to entreat the favor of the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts; I myself am going.’ 22 (AN)Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and (AO)to entreat the favor of the Lord. 23 Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days (AP)ten men (AQ)from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for (AR)we have heard that God is with you.’”
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The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
