1Again the word of the LORD of hosts came to me. He said,
2"This is what the LORD of hosts says: I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy. I was jealous for her with great fury."
3"This is what the LORD says: I have returned to Zion, and I will live in the middle of Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be called a city of truth, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts will be called the holy mountain."
4"This is what the LORD of hosts says: Old men and old women will yet again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with a staff in his hand because he is so old."
5"And the streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing there."
6"This is what the LORD of hosts says: If this seems wonderful to those of this people who are left in these days, should it seem wonderful to me too? says the LORD of hosts."
7"This is what the LORD of hosts says: Look, I will save my people from the country of the east and from the country of the west."
8"I will bring them back, and they will live in the middle of Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness."
9"This is what the LORD of hosts says: Let your hands be strong, you who hear these words in these days from the mouth of the prophets. They spoke on the day when the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, so that the temple might be built."
10"Before those days there was no pay for a man and no pay for an animal. No one who went out or came in had any peace, because of the trouble. I set every person against his neighbour."
11"But now I will not deal with those of this people who are left as I did in the days before, says the LORD of hosts."
12"For the seed will grow well. The vine will give its fruit, and the ground will give its crops, and the skies will give their dew. I will give all these things to those of this people who are left."
13"And it will be this way: you were a curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, but now I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong."
14"For this is what the LORD of hosts says: I planned to punish you when your fathers made me angry, says the LORD of hosts, and I did not turn back from it."
15"In the same way I have planned again in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not be afraid."
16"These are the things you must do: Speak the truth to one another. In your gates judge with truth and with judgments that bring peace."
17"Let none of you plan evil in your hearts against your neighbour, and do not love a false oath. For I hate all these things, says the LORD."
18And the word of the LORD of hosts came to me. He said,
19"This is what the LORD of hosts says: The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth will become joy and gladness for the house of Judah, and happy feasts. So love truth and peace."
20"This is what the LORD of hosts says: It will yet happen that peoples will come, and those who live in many cities."
21"Those who live in one city will go to another and say, 'Let us go quickly to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts. I will go too.'"
22"Yes, many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD."
23"This is what the LORD of hosts says: In those days ten men from all the languages of the nations will take hold of the robe of one Jew. They will hold it and say, 'We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'"