Zechariah Chapter 8

From The Open Bible Project

8:1 The word of Yahweh of Armies came to me.

8:2 Thus says Yahweh of Armies: "I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath."

  • (a) I loved my city with a singular love, so that I could not endure that any should do her any injury.

8:3 Thus says Yahweh: "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 Yahweh of Armies, 'The Holy Mountain.'"

  • (b) Because she will be faithful and loyal toward me her husband.

8:4 Thus says Yahweh of Armies: "Old men and old women will again dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand for very age.

  • (c) Though their enemies did greatly molest and trouble them, yet God would come and dwell among them, and so preserve them as long as nature would allow them to live, and increase their children in great abundance.

8:5 The streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing in its streets."

8:6 Thus says Yahweh of Armies: "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 Yahweh of Armies.

  • (d) He shows in what our faith consists, that is, to believe that God can perform that which he has promised, though it seem ever so impossible to man; (Genesis 13:14; Romans 4:20).

8:7 Thus says Yahweh of Armies: "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."

  • (e) So that their return will not be in vain: for God will accomplish his promise, and their prosperity will be sure and stable.

8:9 Thus says Yahweh of Armies: "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 Yahweh of Armies was laid, even the temple, that it might be built.

  • (f) Let neither respect of your personal benefits, neither counsel of others, nor fear of enemies, discourage you in the going forward with the building of the temple, but be steadfast and obey the Prophets, who encourage you to that.

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.

  • (g) For God cursed your work, so that neither man nor beast had profit from their labours.

8:11 But now I will not be to the remnant of this people as in the former days," says Yahweh of Armies.

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 Yahweh of Armies: "As I thought to do evil to you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath," says Yahweh of Armies, "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.

  • (i) Which declares that man cannot turn to God until he changes man’s heart by his Spirit, and so begin to do good to them, which is to pardon his sins and to give him his graces.

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 Yahweh.

8:18 The word of Yahweh of Armies came to me.

8:19 Thus says Yahweh of Armies: "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."

  • (k) Which fast was appointed when the city was besieged, and was the first fast of these four. And here the prophet shows that if the Jews will repent, and turn wholly to God, they will have no more occasion to fast, or to show signs of heaviness, for God will send them joy and gladness.

8:20 Thus says Yahweh of Armies: "Many peoples, and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come;

  • (l) He declares the great zeal that God would give the Gentiles to come to his Church, and to unite with the Jews in his true religion, which would be in the kingdom of Christ.

8:21 and the inhabitants of one shall go to another, saying, 'Let us go speedily to entreat the favor of Yahweh, and to seek Yahweh of Armies. I will go also.'

8:22 Yes, many peoples and strong nations will come to seek Yahweh of Armies in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of Yahweh."

8:23 Thus says Yahweh of Armies: "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.'"

Retrieved from "http://openbibleproject.org/Zechariah_Chapter_8"