¶ Again the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying,

Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous¹ for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury.

Thus saith the LORD; I am² returned unto Zion, and will dwell³ in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city⁴ of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy⁶ mountain.

Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There⁷ shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age⁸.

And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing⁹ in the streets thereof.

Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous¹⁰ 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.

Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I¹¹ will save my people from the east country, and from the west country¹²;

And I will bring them, and they shall dwell¹³ in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my¹⁴ people, and I will be their God, in truth¹⁵ and in righteousness.

¶ Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Let¹⁶ your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets¹⁷, 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 before¹⁸ these days there was no hire for man¹⁹, nor any hire for²⁰ 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.

²¹But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the LORD of hosts.

For the seed²² shall be prosperous²³; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens²⁴ shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant²⁵ of this people to possess²⁶ all these things.

And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse²⁷ among the heathen, O house²⁸ of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall²⁹ be a blessing: fear not,³⁰ but let your hands be strong.

For thus saith the LORD of hosts; As³¹ I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the LORD of hosts, and I repented³² not:

So again have³³ I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear³⁴ ye not.

These are³⁵ the things that ye shall do; Speak³⁶ ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace³⁷ in your gates:

And let³⁸ none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love³⁹ no false oath: for all these are things⁴⁰ that I hate, saith the LORD.

¶ And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying,

Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth⁴¹ month, and the fast of the fifth⁴², and the fast of the seventh⁴³, and the fast of the tenth⁴⁴, shall be to the house of Judah joy⁴⁵ and gladness, and cheerful feasts⁴⁶; therefore love the truth and peace.

¶ Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there⁴⁷ shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities:

And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let⁴⁸ us go speedily⁴⁹ to pray before the LORD⁵⁰, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will⁵¹ go also.

⁵²Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.

Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men⁵³ shall take hold out⁵⁴ of all languages of the nations, even shall take⁵⁵ hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will⁵⁶ go with you: for we have⁵⁷ heard that God is with you.