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¹ So the word of the lord of hoastes came vnto me, saying:² Thus saith the lorde of hoastes: I was in great ielousie for Sion, yea I haue ben very ielous for her with great wrath.³ Thus saith the Lord: I wyl returne vnto Sion, & wyll dwell in the middest of Hierusalem: so that Hierusalem shalbe called, A faithful and true citie, the hil of the Lorde of hoastes, an holy hill.⁴ Thus saith the lord of hoastes: There shal yet olde men & olde women dwel againe in the streetes of Hierusalem: yea, & such as go with staues in their handes for very age.⁵ The streetes of the citie also shalbe ful of young boyes and damsels playing in the streetes thereof.⁶ Thus saith the Lorde of hoastes: If the residue of this people thinke it to be vnpossible in [their] eyes in these dayes: shoulde it therfore be vnpossible in my sight, saith the Lorde of hoastes?⁷ Thus saith the Lorde of hoastes: Beholde, I wyll deliuer my people from the countryes of the east and west,⁸ And wyl bring them againe, that they may dwel in the middest of Hierusalem: they shalbe my people, and I wyl be their God in trueth and righteousnesse.

⁹ Thus saith the Lorde of hoastes: Let your hands be strong ye that now heare these wordes by the mouth of the prophetes which are in these dayes, that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hoastes is layde, that the temple may be builded.¹⁰ For before these dayes neither men nor cattaile could winne any thing, neither might any man come in and out in reste for trouble: but I let euery man go against his neighbour.¹¹ Neuerthelesse, I wyl now intreate the residue of this people no more as afore time, saith the Lorde of Hoastes.¹² For the seede shal prosper, the vine shal geue her fruite, the grounde shall geue her encrease, and the heauens shal geue their deawe, and I shall cause the remnaunt of this people to haue all these in possession.¹³ And it shal come to passe, that like as ye were a curse among the heathen O ye house of Iuda and ye house of Israel, euen so wyll I deliuer you, that ye shal be a blessing: feare not, but let your handes be strong:¹⁴ For thus saith the Lorde of hoastes: Like as I thought to punishe you, what time as your fathers prouoked me vnto wrath, saith the Lorde of hoastes, and spared not:¹⁵ Euen so am I determined now in these dayes for to do well vnto the house of Iuda & Hierusale: [therfore] feare ye not.¹⁶ Now the thinges that ye shall do, are these: Speake euery man the trueth vnto his neighbour, execute iudgement truely & peaceably within your portes:¹⁷ And let none of you imagine euil in his heart against his neighbour, and loue no false othes: for all these are ye thinges that I hate, saith the Lorde.

¹⁸ And the word of the Lorde of hoastes came vnto me, saying:¹⁹ Thus saith the Lorde of hoastes: The fast of the fourth [moneth] the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seuenth, and the fast of the tenth, shalbe ioy & gladnesse and prosperous hie feastes vnto the house of Iuda: onely loue the trueth & peace.²⁰ Thus saith the lord of hoastes: There shal yet come people, and the inhabiters of many cities:²¹ And they that dwell in one citie shall go to another saying, Up, let vs go and pray before the Lorde, let vs seeke the Lorde of hoastes: I wyll go with you.²² Yea much people and mightie nations shal come to seeke the lorde of hoastes at Hierusalem, & to pray before the Lorde.²³ Thus saith the Lorde of hoastes: In that time shall ten men (out of al maner of language of the Gentiles) take one Iewe by the hemme of his garment, and say, We wyll go with you: for we haue heard that God is among you.