Study Desk

Then the word of the LORD of armies came, saying,

Again the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying,

"The LORD of armies says this: 'I am exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.'

Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury.

"The LORD says this: 'I will return to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of armies will be called the Holy Mountain.'

Thus saith the Lord ; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain.

"The LORD of armies says this: 'Old men and old women will again sit in the public squares of Jerusalem, each person with his staff in his hand because of age.

Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age.

'And the public squares of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its squares.'

And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.

"The LORD of armies says this: 'If it is too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be too difficult in My sight?' declares the LORD of armies.

Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the Lord of hosts.

"The LORD of armies says this: 'Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west;

Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country;

and I will bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.'

And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.

"The LORD of armies says this: 'Let your hands be strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the prophets, those who spoke in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of armies was laid, so that the temple might be built.

Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.

'For before those days there was no wage for man nor any wage for animal; and for him who went out or came in there was no peace because of his enemies, and I sent all the people against one another.

For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour.

'But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,' declares the LORD of armies.

But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the Lord of hosts.

'For there will be the seed of peace: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce, and the heavens will provide their dew; and I will give to the remnant of this people all these things as an inheritance.

For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.

'And it will come about that just as you were a curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a blessing. Do not fear; let your hands be strong.'

And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.

"For this is what the LORD of armies says: 'Just as I determined to do harm to you when your fathers provoked Me to anger,' says the LORD of armies, 'and I have not relented,

For thus saith the Lord of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the Lord of hosts, and I repented not:

so I have again determined in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear!

So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.

'These are the things which you shall do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace at your gates.

These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:

'Also let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury; for all these things are what I hate,' declares the LORD."

And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord .

Then the word of the LORD of armies came to me, saying,

And the word of the Lord of hosts came unto me, saying,

"The LORD of armies says this: 'The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth months will become joy, jubilation, and cheerful festivals for the house of Judah; so love truth and peace.'

Thus saith 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, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.

"The LORD of armies says this: 'It will yet turn out that peoples will come, that is, the inhabitants of many cities.

Thus saith the Lord of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities:

'The inhabitants of one city will go to another, saying, "Let's go at once to plead for the favor of the LORD, and to seek the LORD of armies; I also will go."

And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord , and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also.

'So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the LORD of armies in Jerusalem, and to plead for the favor of the LORD.'

Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord .

"The LORD of armies says this: 'In those days ten people from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."'"

Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.