Zechariah Chapter 8

Zech 7:8-14

¹ A Message from the LORD

Promised Blessings for Jerusalem

² “The LORD of Hosts says, ‘I’m jealous for Zion. ³ I’ll come back to live in Jerusalem, and it’ll be called The City of Truth. My mountain will be called The Holy Mount. ⁴ Old men and women will sit in its streets again with staffs in hand because they’re old. ⁵ Boys and girls will play in the streets. ⁶ If that sounds incredible to the remnant that’s left, does that make it incredible for me?   ⁷ I’m going to save my people from lands east and west ⁸ and bring them back to live here. They’ll be my people, and I’ll be their God, faithful and just.’                                                                                         Zech 8:1-8            

⁹ “Be strong, you that are listening to this message from the prophets who spoke when the foundation of my Temple was being laid so it could be completely rebuilt. ¹⁰ Before then there weren’t any jobs. Because criminals were everywhere, travelers weren’t safe; everybody was working against everybody else. ¹¹ But I won’t treat the remnant like that now. ¹² Their descendants will have peace, the grapevines will bear fruit, the ground will grow produce, the sky will drop dew. The remnant will inherit those things. ¹³ Just as you were a curse among the nations, Judah and Israel, so I’ll save you to become a blessing. Don’t be afraid; be strong.

¹⁴ “Just as I planned to punish you when your ancestors were so offensive to me and I didn’t hold back, ¹⁵ so now I intend to treat Jerusalem and Judah well. Don’t be afraid! ¹⁶ To have peace around you, tell the truth and judge honestly. ¹⁷ Don’t make plots or commit perjury. I despise things like that.”

Zech 8:9-17

¹⁸ A Message from the LORD to Me

¹⁹ “The LORD of Hosts says, ‘The fasts in the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months will be a joy for Judah; so love honesty and peace. ²⁰ People from cities all around will attend. ²¹ One city will go to another one and say, “Let’s travel together to look up to the LORD and ask for his blessing.”

“All right.”

²² So, many nations and powerful countries will look up to me in Jerusalem and ask for my blessing. ²³ Ten men from different languages will clutch one Jew’s cloak and ask, “Can we go along? We’ve heard that God is with you.”’”