UST ZEC Chapter 8

Yahweh promises to bless Jerusalem

8 Yahweh, the commander of the heavenly armies, gave me another message: 2 This is what I, Yahweh, the commander of the angel armies, say: “I love the people of Jerusalem; I love them very much, and I am very angry with their enemies.”

3 So this is what I, Yahweh, say: “Some day I will return to Mount Zion and I will live there. At that time, people will call Jerusalem The City of Faithful People, and they will call the mountain that Yahweh, the commander of angel armies, possesses The Sacred Mountain.”

4 Yahweh, the commander of the angel armies, also says this: “Some day old men and old women will again sit along the streets of Jerusalem, each of them holding a cane because they are very old. 5 Boys and girls will fill the city streets, playing there.”

6 Yahweh, the commander of the angel armies, also says this: “When those things happen, it will seem marvelous to the people who are still alive, but it certainly will not seem marvelous to me!”

7 Yahweh, the commander of the heavenly armies, also says this: “Pay attention! I will rescue my people from countries in the east and in the west, wherever they are. 8 I will bring them back, and they will live in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will be faithful to them and treat them fairly.”

9 Yahweh, the commander of the angel armies, also says this: “When people laid the foundation for my temple, there were prophets there who gave messages from me. Some of you people heard what those prophets said. So be brave while you are building the temple, in order that you may finish building it. 10 Before that time, no one could earn any wages for their work, and no one could hire animals for work because there was no money. No one was safe going about their daily activities because of enemies, since I caused everyone to fight against one another. 11 But now I will act differently toward you people who are still alive than I did previously.” That is what Yahweh, the commander of the angel armies, says.

12 “Instead, everything will go well for them: planting time will be peaceful, grapevines will produce grapes, good crops will grow in the fields, and rain will fall from the sky. I will give all these things to the people of this nation who have survived. 13 You people of Judah and Israel, right now, the people of other nations think of you when they say what a curse means. But I will rescue you, and I will give you so many good things that they will think of you when they say what a blessing means. So be brave; work hard to finish building the temple.”

14 Yahweh, the commander of the angel armies, also says this: “When your ancestors caused me to become very angry, I did not change my mind about that. Instead, I indeed punished them. 15 But now I will do something different. I am planning to do good things to the people of Jerusalem and other towns in Judah again. So do not be afraid. 16 These are the things that you should do: You should always tell the truth to each other. In the courts, your judges must make decisions according to what is correct and fair. 17 Do not plan to do evil things to others, and do not approve of swearing false accusations against others. I hate all those things,” says Yahweh.

18 Yahweh, the commander of the angel armies, said this to me: 19 “I tell you: the times when you people of Judah abstain from food during the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months of each year will become times when you celebrate pleasant and joyful festivals instead. But you must want to speak truthfully and to be peaceful.”

20 Yahweh, the commander of the angel armies, also says this: “Some day people from many people groups and foreign cities will come here to Jerusalem. 21 People from one city will go to the people in another city and say, ‘Quick! Let us go together to Jerusalem to worship Yahweh and request him to bless us; we ourselves are going.’ 22 And people from many people groups and from powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to and request Yahweh, the commander of angel armies, to bless them and to worship him.”

23 Yahweh, the commander of the angel armies, also says this: “At that time, many people from every people group, speaking their own language, will come and firmly grab the fringe of robe belonging to a man from Judah’s tribe. They will say to him, ‘We want to be near you because we have heard people say that God is with you.’ ”