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Zechariah, starting at chapter 7
{7:1} It happened in the fourth year of king Darius that the word of
the LORD came to Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, the
month of Chislev. {7:2} The people of Bethel sent Sharezer and Regem
Melech, and their men, to entreat the LORD's favor, {7:3} and to speak
to the priests of the house of the LORD of Hosts, and to the prophets,
saying, "Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I
have done these so many years?"
{7:4} Then the word of the LORD of Hosts came to me, saying, {7:5}
"Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying,
'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month for
these seventy years, did you at all fast to me, really to me? {7:6}
When you eat, and when you drink, don't you eat for yourselves, and
drink for yourselves? {7:7} Aren't these the words which the LORD
proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in
prosperity, and its cities around her, and the South and the lowland
were inhabited?'"
{7:8} The word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying, {7:9} "Thus
has the LORD of Hosts spoken, saying, 'Execute true judgment, and show
kindness and compassion every man to his brother. {7:10} Don't oppress
the widow, nor the fatherless, the foreigner, nor the poor; and let
none of you devise evil against his brother in your heart.' {7:11} But
they refused to listen, and turned their backs, and stopped their
ears, that they might not hear. {7:12} Yes, they made their hearts as
hard as flint, lest they might hear the law, and the words which the
LORD of Hosts had sent by his Spirit by the former prophets. Therefore
great wrath came from the LORD of Hosts. {7:13} It has come to pass
that, as he called, and they refused to listen, so they will call, and
I will not listen," said the LORD of Hosts; {7:14} "but I will scatter
them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they have not known.
Thus the land was desolate after them, so that no man passed through
nor returned: for they made the pleasant land desolate."
{8:1} The word of the LORD of Hosts came to me. {8:2} Thus says the
LORD of Hosts: "I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am
jealous for her with great wrath."
{8:3} Thus says the LORD: "I have returned to Zion, and will dwell
in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called 'The City of
Truth;' and the mountain of the LORD of Hosts, 'The Holy Mountain.'"
{8:4} Thus says the LORD of Hosts: "Old men and old women will again
dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his
hand for very age. {8:5} The streets of the city will be full of boys
and girls playing in its streets."
{8:6} Thus says the LORD of Hosts: "If it is marvelous in the eyes
of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be
marvelous in my eyes?" says the LORD of Hosts.
{8:7} Thus says the LORD of Hosts: "Behold, I will save my people
from the east country, and from the west country; {8:8} and I will
bring them, and they will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they
will be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in
righteousness."
{8:9} Thus says the LORD of Hosts: "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 Hosts
was laid, even the temple, that it might be built. {8:10} 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 neighbor. {8:11}
But now I will not be to the remnant of this people as in the former
days," says the LORD of Hosts. {8:12} "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; and I will cause the remnant of this
people to inherit all these things. {8:13} It shall come to pass that,
as you were a curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of
Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Don't be
afraid. Let your hands be strong."
{8:14} For thus says the LORD of Hosts: "As I thought to do evil to
you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath," says the LORD of Hosts,
"and I didn't repent; {8:15} so again have I thought in these days to
do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Don't be afraid.
{8:16} These are the things that you shall do: speak every man the
truth with his neighbor. Execute the judgment of truth and peace in
your gates, {8:17} and let none of you devise evil in your hearts
against his neighbor, and love no false oath: for all these are things
that I hate," says the LORD.
{8:18} The word of the LORD of Hosts came to me. {8:19} Thus says
the LORD of Hosts: "The fasts of the fourth fifth, seventh, and tenth
months shall be for the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful
feasts. Therefore love truth and peace."
{8:20} Thus says the LORD of Hosts: "Many peoples, and the
inhabitants of many cities will yet come; {8:21} and the inhabitants
of one shall go to another, saying, 'Let us go speedily to entreat the
favor of the LORD, and to seek the LORD of Hosts. I will go also.'
{8:22} Yes, many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the LORD
of Hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of the LORD." {8:23}
Thus says the LORD of Hosts: "In those days, ten men will take hold,
out of all the languages of the nations, they 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} An oracle.
The word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach,
and will rest upon Damascus;
for the eye of man
and of all the tribes of Israel is toward the LORD;
{9:2} and Hamath, also, which borders on it;
Tyre and Sidon, because they are very wise.
{9:3} Tyre built herself a stronghold,
and heaped up silver like the dust,
and fine gold like the mire of the streets.
{9:4} Behold, the Lord will dispossess her,
and he will strike her power in the sea;
and she will be devoured with fire.
{9:5} 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.
{9:6} Foreigners will dwell in Ashdod,
and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.
{9:7} 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.
{9:8} I will encamp around my house against the army,
that none pass through or return;
and no oppressor will pass through them any more:
for now I have seen with my eyes.
{9:9} 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.
{9:10} I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim,
and the horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow will be cut off;
and he will speak peace to the nations:
and his dominion will be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
{9:11} 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.
{9:12} Turn to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope!
Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.
{9:13} For indeed I bend Judah as a bow for me.
I have filled the bow with Ephraim;
and I will stir up your sons, Zion,
against your sons, Greece,
and will make you like the sword of a mighty man.
{9:14} The LORD will be seen over them;
and his arrow will go flash like lightning;
and the Lord GOD will blow the [1>]shofar[<1],
and will go with whirlwinds of the south.
{9:15} The LORD of Hosts will defend them;
and they will destroy and overcome with sling stones;
and they will drink, and roar as through wine;
and they will be filled like bowls,
like the corners of the altar.
{9:16} 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.
{9:17} For how great is his goodness,
and how great is his beauty!
Grain will make the young men flourish,
and new wine the virgins.
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Footnotes:
[1] {9:14} or, trumpet
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