God’s decision to bring about well-being among the people, and the way they should behave
8
Again the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, 2 📚“Thus says the LORD of hosts✭: I was jealous✭ for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury.3 📚“Thus says the LORD: I am returning to Zion, and will dwell in the middle of Jerusalem. And Jerusalem✭ will be called the City of Truth✭, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain✭.
4 📚“Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women will yet sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his cane in his hand because of age. 5 📚And the streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.
6 📚✭“Thus says the LORD of hosts: If this is marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in my eyes? says the LORD of hosts.
7 📚✭“Thus says the LORD of hosts: See, I will save my people✭ from the east country, and from the west country, 8 📚and I will bring them, and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem, and they will be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.
9 📚“Thus says the LORD of hosts: Let your hands be strong, you who have been hearing in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets✭, who were in the day that the foundation✭ of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built✭. 10 📚For before these days✭ there was no wage for man, or any wage for beast. And there was no peace for him who went out or came in, because of the enemy, for I set every one of the people against his neighbour. 11 📚But now✭ I will not act toward the remnant of this people as in former days, says the LORD of hosts.
12 📚“For the seed will prosper, the vine will give its fruit, and the ground will give its increase, and the sky will give its dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess✭ all these things. 13 📚And it will come about that just as you were a curse✭ among the nations, O house of Judah, and house of Israel, so you will be a blessing✭, for I will save you. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong✭.
14 📚“For thus says the LORD of hosts: Just as I decided✭ 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 decided 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: Every one of you must speak the truth✭ to his neighbour. Administer justice in truth and peace in your gates✭. 17 📚And let none of you plot evil in your hearts against his neighbour. And do not love any false oath. For all these are things that I hate✭, says the LORD”.
Fast days to become joyful festivals
18 And the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, 19 📚“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✭ month will be times of joy and gladness✭ and cheerful feasts to the house of Judah. Therefore✭ love truth✭ and peace.
20 📚✭“Thus says the LORD of hosts: It will yet happen that people and the inhabitants of many cities will come, 21 📚and the inhabitants of one city will go to another, saying, ‘Let us go quickly to pray in the LORD’s presence, and to seek the LORD of hosts. I also will go.’ 22 📚Yes, many people and strong nations will come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray in the LORD’s presence.
23 📚“Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days it will come about that ten men from every language of the nations will take hold of the sleeve of a Jew, saying, ‘We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’ ”