Zechariah 8

1 Then the word of the Lord Almighty came: 2 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: I have been deeply jealous for Jerusalem and Zion, and my jealousy for her burns with great fury. 3 “This is what the Lord says: I will return to Zion and live within Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the Lord Almighty the Holy Mountain. 4 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: Old men and women will once again sit in Jerusalem’s streets, each with a staff in hand because of age.

5 The city’s broad squares will be full of boys and girls playing. 6 This is what the Lord Almighty says: If this seems impossible to those who remain of this people in those days, will it also be impossible in my sight?” says the Lord Almighty. 7 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: Look — I will rescue my people from the lands of the sunrise and sunset. 8 I will bring them in to live within Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.

9 This is what the Lord Almighty says: Let your hands be strong, you who now hear these words from the prophets — from the day the foundation of the Lord Almighty’s house was laid and the temple began to be built. 10 Before those days, a person’s wages brought no gain, and there were no wages for the cattle. No one going out or coming in had peace because of affliction, for I will send every person against his neighbor. 11 But now I will not treat those who remain of this people as I did in former days,” says the Lord Almighty. 12 “I will show peace: the vine will bear fruit, the land will give produce, and heaven will give its dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to those who remain of my people.

13 House of Judah and house of Israel, just as you were a curse among the nations, so I will rescue you and you will become a blessing. Take courage and strengthen your hands. 14 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: Just as I determined to afflict you when your fathers provoked me, and did not change my mind,” says the Lord Almighty, 15 so in these days I have determined to do good to Jerusalem and Judah’s house. Take courage. 16 These are the things you must do: each of you speak truth to his neighbor, and give a peaceful ruling in your gates.

17 Do not devise evil in your heart against your neighbor, and do not love a false oath, because I hate all these things,” says the Lord Almighty.

18 Then the word of the Lord Almighty came to me: 19 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months will become joy, gladness, and good feasts for Judah’s house, and you will rejoice. So love truth and peace. 20 This is what the Lord Almighty says: Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will still come.

21 The inhabitants of five cities will come together to one city and say, ‘Let us go and plead before the Lord and seek the face of the Lord Almighty. I am going too.’ [a] 22 Many peoples and many nations will come to seek the face of the Lord Almighty in Jerusalem and to seek favor from the Lord. 23 This is what the Lord Almighty says: In those days ten men from every language of the nations will take firm hold of the hem of a Jew and say, ‘We will go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’”