The Restoration of Jerusalem
1 The word of the Lord of Hosts came to me. 2 The Lord of Hosts says: “I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and with fury, I am jealous for her.”
3 The Lord says: “I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called ‘The City of Truth,’ and the mountain of the Lord of Hosts, ‘The Holy Mountain.’ ”
4 The Lord of Hosts says: “Old men and old women will again dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand for very age. 5 The streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.”
6 The Lord of Hosts says: “If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my eyes?” says the Lord of Hosts.
7 The Lord of Hosts says: “I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, 8 and I will bring them, and they will dwell within Jerusalem, and they will be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.”
9 The Lord of Hosts says: “Let your hands be strong, you who hear in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets who were there in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of Hosts was laid, and the temple, that it might be built. 10 For before that time there were no wages for man nor beast, nor was there any peace to him who went out or came in, because of the adversary. For I set all men everyone against his neighbor. 11 But now I will not be to the remnant of this people as in the former days,” says the Lord of Hosts.
12 “For the seed of peace and the vine will yield its fruit, and the ground will give its increase, and the heavens will give their dew, and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things. 13 It shall come to pass that, as you were a curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not be afraid. Let your hands be strong.”
14 For the Lord of Hosts says: “Just as I thought to punish you when your fathers provoked me to wrath,” says the Lord of Hosts, “and I did not relent, 15 so again I have thought in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not be afraid. 16 These are the things that you shall do: Speak every man the truth with his neighbor. Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates 17 and let none of you devise evil in your hearts against his neighbor and love no false oath, for all these are things that I hate,” says the Lord.
18 The word of the Lord of hosts came to me. 19 The Lord of Hosts says: “The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months shall be for the house of Judah, joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.”
20 The Lord of hosts says: “Many peoples, and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, 21 and the inhabitants of one shall go to another, saying, ‘Let’s go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts. I will go also.’ 22 Yes, many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord.” 23 The Lord of Hosts says: “In those days, ten men will take hold, out of all the languages of the nations, they will take hold of the skirt of him who is a Jew, saying, ‘We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’ ”