Zechariah 8

vayehi devar-Adonai tseva'ot lemor

The word of GOD of Hosts came [to me]:

koh amar Adonai tseva'ot qinneti letsiyyon qinah gedolah vekhemah gedolah qinneti lah

Thus said GOD of Hosts: I am very jealous for Zion, I am fiercely jealous for her.

koh amar Adonai shavti el-tsiyyon veshakhanti betokh yerushalai͏m veniqre'ah yerushalai͏m ir ha'emet vehar-Adonai tseva'ot har haqqodesh

Thus said GOD: I have returned to Zion, and I will dwell in Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be called the City of Faithfulness, and the mount of GOD of Hosts the Holy Mount.

koh amar Adonai tseva'ot od yeshevu zeqenim uzeqenot birkhovot yerushalai͏m ve'ish mishanto beyado merov yamim

Thus said GOD of Hosts: There shall yet be elderly men and women in the squares of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of their great age.

urekhovot ha'ir yimmale'u yeladim viladot mesakhaqim birkhovoteha

And the squares of the city shall be crowded with boys and girls playing in the squares.

koh amar Adonai tseva'ot ki yippale be'ene she'erit ha'am hazzeh bayyamim hahem gam-be'enay yippale ne'um Adonai tseva'ot

Thus said GOD of Hosts: Though it will seem impossible to the remnant of this people in those days, shall it also be impossible to Me?—declares GOD of Hosts.

koh amar Adonai tseva'ot hinni moshia et-ammi me'erets mizrakh ume'erets mevo hashamesh

Thus said GOD of Hosts: I will rescue My people from the lands of the east and from the lands of the west,

veheveti otam veshakhenu betokh yerushalai͏m vehayu-li le'am va'ani ehyeh lahem lelohim be'emet uvitsdaqah

and I will bring them home to dwell in Jerusalem. They shall be My people, and I will be their God—in truth and sincerity.

koh-amar Adonai tseva'ot tekhezaqnah yedekhem hashome'im bayyamim ha'elleh et haddevarim ha'elleh mippi hannevi'im asher beyom yussad bet-Adonai tseva'ot hahekhal lehibbanot

Thus said GOD of Hosts: Take courage, you who now hear these words that the prophets spoke when the foundations were laid for the rebuilding of the temple, the House of GOD of Hosts.

ki lifne hayyamim hahem sekhar ha'adam lo nihyah usekhar habbehemah enennah velayyotse velabba en-shalom min-hatsar va'ashallakh et-kol-ha'adam ish bere'ehu

For before that time, the earnings from labor were nil, and profits from livestock were nothing. It was not safe to go about one’s business on account of enemies; and I set every person against someone else.

ve'attah lo khayyamim harishonim ani lisherit ha'am hazzeh ne'um Adonai tseva'ot

But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as before—declares GOD of Hosts—

ki-zera hashalom haggefen titten piryah veha'arets titten et-yevulah vehashamayim yittenu tallam vehinkhalti et-she'erit ha'am hazzeh et-kol-elleh

but what it sows shall prosper: The vine shall produce its fruit, the ground shall produce its yield, and the skies shall provide their moisture. I will bestow all these things upon the remnant of this people.

vehayah ka'asher heyitem qelalah baggoyim bet yehudah uvet yisra'el ken oshia etkhem vihyitem berakhah al-tira'u tekhezaqnah yedekhem

And just as you were a curse among the nations, O House of Judah and House of Israel, so, when I vindicate you, you shall become a blessing. Have no fear; take courage!

ki khoh amar Adonai tseva'ot ka'asher zamamti lehara lakhem behaqtsif avotekhem oti amar Adonai tseva'ot velo nikhameti

For thus said GOD of Hosts: Just as I planned to afflict you and did not relent when your ancestors provoked Me to anger—said GOD of Hosts—

ken shavti zamamti bayyamim ha'elleh lehetiv et-yerushalai͏m ve'et-bet yehudah al-tira'u

so, at this time, I have turned and planned to do good to Jerusalem and to the House of Judah. Have no fear!

elleh haddevarim asher ta'asu dabberu emet ish et-re'ehu emet umishpat shalom shiftu besha'arekhem

These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to one another, render true and perfect justice in your gates.

ve'ish et-ra'at re'ehu al-takhshevu bilvavkhem ushevu'at sheqer al-te'ehavu ki et-kol-elleh asher saneti ne'um-Adonai

And do not contrive evil against one another, and do not love perjury, because all those are things that I hate—declares GOD.

vayehi devar-Adonai tseva'ot elay lemor

And the word of GOD of Hosts came to me, saying,

koh-amar Adonai tseva'ot tsom harevi'i vetsom hakhamishi vetsom hashevi'i vetsom ha'asiri yihyeh levet-yehudah lesason ulesimkhah ulemo'adim tovim veha'emet vehashalom ehavu

Thus said GOD of Hosts: The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth month, the fast of the seventh month, and the fast of the tenth month shall become occasions for joy and gladness, happy festivals for the House of Judah; but you must love honesty and integrity.

koh amar Adonai tseva'ot od asher yavo'u ammim veyosheve arim rabbot

Thus said GOD of Hosts: Peoples and the inhabitants of many cities shall yet come—

vehalekhu yosheve akhat el-akhat lemor nelekhah halokh lekhallot et-pene Adonai ulevaqqesh et-Adonai tseva'ot elekhah gam-ani

the inhabitants of one shall go to the other and say, “Let us go and entreat the favor of GOD, let us seek GOD of Hosts; I will go, too.”

uva'u ammim rabbim vegoyim atsumim levaqqesh et-Adonai tseva'ot birushalai͏m ulekhallot et-pene Adonai

The many peoples and the multitude of nations shall come to seek GOD of Hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of GOD.

koh-amar Adonai tseva'ot bayyamim hahemmah asher yakhaziqu asarah anashim mikkol leshonot haggoyim vehekheziqu bikhnaf ish yehudi lemor nelekhah immakhem ki shamanu elohim immakhem

Thus said GOD of Hosts: In those days, ten people from nations of every tongue will take hold—they will take hold of every Jew by a corner of their cloak and say, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”