the First Week of Advent
Click here to join the effort!
Read the Bible
King James Version (1611 Edition)
Zechariah 8
1 Againe the word of the Lord of hostes came to me, saying; 2 Thus sayeth the Lord of hostes, I was iealous for Zion, with great iealousie; and I was iealous for her with great furie. 3 Thus saith the Lord, I am returned vnto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Ierusalem, and Ierusalem shall be called a Citie of trueth, and the Mountaine of the Lord of hostes, the holy Mountaine. 4 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men, and old women, dwell in the streets of Ierusalem, and euery man with his staffe in his hand for very age. 5 And the streets of the citie shall be full of boyes and girles playing in the streets thereof. 6 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, If it bee marueilous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these dayes, should it also bee marueilous in my eyes, saith the Lord of hostes? 7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Beholde, I will saue my people from the East countrey, and from the West countrey. 8 And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Ierusalem, and they shalbe my people, and I will bee their God, in Trueth and in Righteousnesse.
9 Thus saith the Lord of hostes, Let your handes be strong, ye that heare in these dayes, these wordes by the mouth of the Prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laied, that the Temple might be built. 10 For before these daies there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast, neither was there any peace to him that went out, or came in, because of the affliction: for I set all men, euery one against his neighbour. 11 But now I will not bee vnto the residue of this people, as in the former daies, saith the Lord of hostes. 12 For the seed shalbe prosperous: the Uine shall giue her fruit, and the ground shall giue her increase, and the heauens shall giue their dew, and I will cause the remnant of this people to possesse all these things. 13 And it shall come to passe, that as yee were a curse among the heathen, O house of Iudah, and house of Israel; so will I saue you, and ye shalbe a blessing: feare not, but let your handes bee strong. 14 For thus saith the Lord of hostes, As I thought to punish you, when your fathers prouoked mee to wrath, saith the Lord of hostes, and I repented not: 15 So againe haue I thought in these dayes to doe well vnto Ierusalem, and to the house of Iudah: feare ye not. 16 These are the things that yee shall doe; Speake yee euery man the truth to his neighbor: execute the iudgment of trueth and peace in your gates. 17 And let none of you imagine euill in your hearts against his neighbour, and loue no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord.
18 And the word of the Lord of hostes came vnto me, saying, 19 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; The fast of the fourth moneth, and the fast of the fift, and the fast of the seuenth, and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Iudah ioy and gladnesse, and cheerefull feasts: therefore loue the trueth and peace. 20 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, It shall yet come to passe, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities. 21 And the inhabitants of one citie shall goe to another, saying, Let vs goe speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seeke the Lord of hostes: I will goe also. 22 Yea many people and strong nations shall come to seeke the Lord of hostes in Ierusalem, and to pray before the Lord. 23 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, In those daies it shall come to passe, that ten men shall take holde out of all languages of the nations, euen shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Iew, saying, Wee will goe with you: for we haue heard that God is with you.