8
1 The word of the LORD of Armies came to me. 2 The LORD of Armies says: “I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath.”
3 The LORD says: “I have returned to Zion, and will dwell in the middle of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called ‘The City of Truth;’ and the mountain of the LORD of Armies, ‘The Holy Mountain.’ ”
4 The LORD of Armies says: “Old men and old women will again dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand because of their old age. 5 The streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.”
6 The LORD of Armies says: “If it is marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvellous in my eyes?” says the LORD of Armies.
7 The LORD of Armies says: “Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country. 8 I will bring them, and they will dwell within Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.”
9 The LORD of Armies says: “Let your hands be strong, you who hear in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets who were in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of Armies was laid, even the temple, that it might be built. 10 For before those days there was no wages for man nor any wages for an animal, neither was there any peace to him who went out or came in, because of the adversary. For I set all men everyone against his neighbour. 11 But now I will not be to the remnant of this people as in the former days,” says the LORD of Armies. 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. 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 amongst the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Don’t be afraid. Let your hands be strong.”
14 For the LORD of Armies says: “As I thought to do evil to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath,” says the LORD of Armies, “and I didn’t repent, 15 so again I have thought in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Don’t be afraid. 16 These are the things that you shall do: speak every man the truth with his neighbour. Execute the judgement of truth and peace in your gates, 17 and let none of you devise evil in your hearts against his neighbour, and love no false oath; for all these are things that I hate,” says the LORD.
18 The word of the LORD of Armies came to me. 19 The LORD of Armies says: “The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months shall be for the house of Judah joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.”
20 The LORD of Armies says: “Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come. 21 The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, ‘Let’s go speedily to entreat the favour of the LORD, and to seek the LORD of Armies. I will go also.’ 22 Yes, many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the LORD of Armies in Jerusalem and to entreat the favour of the LORD.” 23 The LORD of Armies says: “In those days, ten men out of all the languages of the nations 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.’ ”
9
1 A revelation.
The LORD’s word is against the land of Hadrach,
and will rest upon Damascus—
for the eye of man
and of all the tribes of Israel is towards the LORD—
2 and Hamath, also, which borders on it,
Tyre and Sidon, because they are very wise.
3 Tyre built herself a stronghold,
and heaped up silver like the dust,
and fine gold like the mire of the streets.
4 Behold, the Lord will dispossess her,
and he will strike her power in the sea;
and she will be devoured with fire.
5 Ashkelon will see it, and fear;
Gaza also, and will writhe in agony;
as will Ekron, for her expectation will be disappointed;
and the king will perish from Gaza,
and Ashkelon will not be inhabited.
6 Foreigners will dwell in Ashdod,
and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.
7 I will take away his blood out of his mouth,
and his abominations from between his teeth;
and he also will be a remnant for our God;
and he will be as a chieftain in Judah,
and Ekron as a Jebusite.
8 I will encamp around my house against the army,
that no one pass through or return;
and no oppressor will pass through them any more:
for now I have seen with my eyes.
9 Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion!
Shout, daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King comes to you!
He is righteous, and having salvation;
lowly, and riding on a donkey,
even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the horse from Jerusalem.
The battle bow will be cut off;
and he will speak peace to the nations.
His dominion will be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
11 As for you also,
because of the blood of your covenant,
I have set free your prisoners from the pit in which is no water.
12 Turn to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope!
Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.
13 For indeed I bend Judah as a bow for me.
I have loaded the bow with Ephraim.
I will stir up your sons, Zion,
against your sons, Greece,
and will make you like the sword of a mighty man.
14 The LORD will be seen over them.
His arrow will flash like lightning.
The Lord GOD will blow the trumpet,
and will go with whirlwinds of the south.
15 The LORD of Armies will defend them.
They will destroy and overcome with sling stones.
They will drink, and roar as through wine.
They will be filled like bowls,
like the corners of the altar.
16 The LORD their God will save them in that day as the flock of his people;
for they are like the jewels of a crown,
lifted on high over his land.
17 For how great is his goodness,
and how great is his beauty!
Grain will make the young men flourish,
and new wine the virgins.
10
1 Ask of the LORD rain in the spring time,
the LORD who makes storm clouds,
and he gives rain showers to everyone for the plants in the field.
2 For the teraphim† have spoken vanity,
and the diviners have seen a lie;
and they have told false dreams.
They comfort in vain.
Therefore they go their way like sheep.
They are oppressed, because there is no shepherd.
3 My anger is kindled against the shepherds,
and I will punish the male goats,
for the LORD of Armies has visited his flock, the house of Judah,
and will make them as his majestic horse in the battle.
4 From him will come the cornerstone,
from him the tent peg,
from him the battle bow,
from him every ruler together.
5 They will be as mighty men,
treading down muddy streets in the battle.
They will fight, because the LORD is with them.
The riders on horses will be confounded.
6 “I will strengthen the house of Judah,
and I will save the house of Joseph.
I will bring them back,
for I have mercy on them.
They will be as though I had not cast them off,
for I am the LORD their God, and I will hear them.
7 Ephraim will be like a mighty man,
and their heart will rejoice as through wine.
Yes, their children will see it and rejoice.
Their heart will be glad in the LORD.
8 I will signal for them and gather them,
for I have redeemed them.
They will increase as they were before.
9 I will sow them amongst the peoples.
They will remember me in far countries.
They will live with their children and will return.
10 I will bring them again also out of the land of Egypt,
and gather them out of Assyria.
I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon;
and there won’t be room enough for them.
11 He will pass through the sea of affliction,
and will strike the waves in the sea,
and all the depths of the Nile will dry up;
and the pride of Assyria will be brought down,
and the sceptre of Egypt will depart.
12 I will strengthen them in the LORD.
They will walk up and down in his name,” says the LORD.
11
1 Open your doors, Lebanon,
that the fire may devour your cedars.
2 Wail, cypress tree, for the cedar has fallen,
because the stately ones are destroyed.
Wail, you oaks of Bashan,
for the strong forest has come down.
3 A voice of the wailing of the shepherds!
For their glory is destroyed—a voice of the roaring of young lions!
For the pride of the Jordan is ruined.
4 The LORD my God says: “Feed the flock of slaughter. 5 Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those
