And the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying, “Thus says the
LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am
jealous for her with great wrath. Thus says the LORD: I have
returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and
Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of
the LORD of hosts, the holy mountain. Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem,
each with staff in hand because of great age. And the streets of
the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.
Thus says the LORD of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the
remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous
in my sight, declares the LORD of hosts? Thus says the LORD of
hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from
the west country, and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of
Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in
faithfulness and in righteousness.”
Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Let your hands be strong, you who
in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the
prophets who were present on the day that the foundation of the
house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be
built. For before those days 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. But
now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the
former days, declares the LORD of hosts. For there shall be a
sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground
shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew. And I
will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.
And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house
of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be
a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.”
For thus says the LORD of hosts: “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, so again have I purposed in these
days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear
not. These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one
another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for
peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and
love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the
LORD.”
And the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, “Thus says
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 seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful
feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.
“Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the
inhabitants of many cities. The inhabitants of one city shall go to
another, saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the
LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am going.’ Many
peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in
Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD. Thus says the LORD
of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue
shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you,
for we have heard that God is with you.’”
