Jerusalem, Holy City of the Future

Again the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

^a‘I am ¹zealous for Zion with great ²zeal;

With great ³fervor I am zealous for her.’

3 “Thus says the Lord:

^a‘I will return to Zion,

And ^bdwell in the midst of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem ^cshall be called the City of Truth,

^dThe Mountain of the Lord of hosts,

^eThe Holy Mountain.’

4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

^a‘Old men and old women shall again sit

In the streets of Jerusalem,

Each one with his staff in his hand

Because of ¹great age.

5

The streets of the city

Shall be ^afull of boys and girls

Playing in its streets.’

6 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

‘If it is ¹marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days,

^aWill it also be marvelous in My eyes?’

Says the Lord of hosts.

7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

‘Behold, ^aI will save My people from the land of the ¹east

And from the land of the ²west;

8

I will ^abring them back,

And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.

^bThey shall be My people

And I will be their God,

^cIn truth and righteousness.’

9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

^a‘Let your hands be strong,

You who have been hearing in these days

These words by the mouth of ^bthe prophets,

Who spoke in ^cthe day the foundation was laid

For the house of the Lord of hosts,

That the temple might be built.

10

For before these days

There were no ^awages for man nor any hire for beast;

There was no peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came in;

For I set all men, everyone, against his neighbor.

11 ^aBut now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ says the Lord of hosts.

12

‘For^a the ¹seed shall be prosperous,

The vine shall give its fruit,

^bThe ground shall give her increase,

And ^cthe heavens shall give their dew—

I will cause the remnant of this people

To possess all these.

13

And it shall come to pass

That just as you were ^aa curse among the nations,

O house of Judah and house of Israel,

So I will save you, and ^byou shall be a blessing.

Do not fear,

Let your hands be strong.’

14 “For thus says the Lord of hosts:

^a‘Just as I determined to ¹punish you

When your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’

Says the Lord of hosts,

^b‘And I would not relent,

15

So again in these days

I am determined to do good

To Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.

Do not fear.

16

These are the things you shall ^ado:

^bSpeak each man the truth to his neighbor;

Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace;

17

^aLet none of you think evil in ¹your heart against your neighbor;

And do not love a false oath.

For all these are things that I hate,’

Says the Lord.”

18 Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 19 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

^a‘The fast of the fourth month,

^bThe fast of the fifth,

^cThe fast of the seventh,

^dAnd the fast of the tenth,

Shall be ^ejoy and gladness and cheerful feasts

For the house of Judah.

^fTherefore love truth and peace.’

20 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

‘Peoples shall yet come,

Inhabitants of many cities;

21

The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying,

^a“Let us continue to go and pray before the Lord,

And seek the Lord of hosts.

I myself will go also.”

22

Yes, ^amany peoples and strong nations

Shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem,

And to pray before the Lord.’

23 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men ^afrom every language of the nations shall ^bgrasp the ¹sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard ^cthat God is with you.” ’ ”