Zechariah Chapter 8

3 hear the words which Jehovah cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?

4 And the word of Jehovah came unto Zechariah, saying,

5 Thus hath Jehovah of hosts spoken, saying, Execute true judgment, and show kindness and compassion every man to his brother;

6 and oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the sojourner, nor the poor; and let none of you devise evil against his brother in your heart.

7 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear.

8 Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which Jehovah of hosts had sent by his Spirit by the former prophets: therefore there came great wrath from Jehovah of hosts.

9 And it is come to pass that, as he cried, and they would not hear, so they shall cry, and I will not hear, said Jehovah of hosts;

10 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 laid the pleasant land desolate.

11 And the word of Jehovah of hosts came

12 to me, saying,

13 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath.

14 Thus saith Jehovah: I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called The city of truth; and the mountain of Jehovah of hosts, The holy mountain.

15 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand for very age.

16 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.

17 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith Jehovah of hosts.

18 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country;

19 and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.

20 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets that were in the day that the foundation of the house of Jehovah of hosts was laid, even the temple, that it might be built.

21 For before those days 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 adversary: for I set all men every one against his neighbor.

22 But now I will not be unto the remnant of this people as in the former days, saith Jehovah of hosts.

23 For

darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext

1 And the word of Jehovah of hosts came [unto me], saying,

2 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great fury.

3 Thus saith Jehovah: I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem shall be called, The city of truth; and the mountain of Jehovah of hosts, The holy mountain.

4 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: There shall yet old men and old women sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand for multitude of days.

5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.

6 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: If it be wonderful in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be wonderful in mine eyes? saith Jehovah of hosts.

7 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country;

8 and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people, and I will be theirGod, in truth and in righteousness.

9 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, that were in the day that the foundation of the house of Jehovah of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.

10 For before those days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; and there was no peace for him that went out or that came in, because of the distress: for I let loose all men, every one against his neighbour.

11 But now I will not be unto the remnant of this people as in the former days, saith Jehovah of hosts;

12 for the seed shall be prosperous, the vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these [things].

13 And it shall come to pass, like as ye were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear ye not, let your hands be strong.

14 For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Like as I thought to do you evil when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I repented not;

15 so again have I thought in these days to do good unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.

16 These are the things that ye shall do: Speak truth every one with his neighbour; execute truth and the judgment of peace in your gates;

17 and let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are [things] that I hate, saith Jehovah.

18 And the word of Jehovah of hosts came unto me, saying,

19 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: The fast of the fourth [month] and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful gatherings. Love ye then truth and peace.

20 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Yet again shall there come peoples, and the inhabitants of many cities;

21 and the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to supplicate Jehovah, and to seek Jehovah of hosts: I will go also.

22 And many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek Jehovah of hosts in Jerusalem, and to supplicate Jehovah.

23 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: In those days shall ten men take hold, out of all languages of the nations, shall even take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you; for we have heard [that]God is with you.

lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM

1 And the word of the Lord Almighty came, saying,

2 Thus saith the Lord Almighty; I have been jealous for Jerusalem and for Sion with great jealousy, and I have been jealous for her with great fury.

3 Thus saith the Lord; I will return to Sion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a true city, and the mountain of the Lord Almighty a holy mountain.

4 Thus saith the Lord Almighty; There shall yet dwell old men and old women in the streets of Jerusalem, every one holding his staff in his hand for age.

5 And the broad places of the city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.

6 Thus saith the Lord Almighty; If it shall be impossible in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, shall it also be impossible in my sight? saith the Lord Almighty.

7 Thus saith the Lord Almighty; Behold, I [will] save my people from the east country, and the west country;

8 and I will bring them in, and cause [them] to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be to me a people, and I will be to them a God, in truth and in righteousness.

9 Thus saith the Lord Almighty; Let your hands be strong, [ye that] hear in these days these words out of the mouth of the prophets, from the day that the house of the Lord Almighty was founded, and from the time that the temple was built.

10 For before those days the wages of men could not be profitable, and there could be no hire of cattle, and there could be no peace by reason of the affliction to him that went out or to him that came in: for I would have let loose all men, every one against his neighbour.

11 But now I [will] not do to the remnant of this people according to the former days, saith the Lord Almighty.

12 But I will shew peace: the vine shall yield her fruit, and the land shall yield her produce, and the heaven shall give its dew: and I will give as an inheritance all these things to the remnant of my people.

13 And it shall come to pass, as ye were a curse among the nations, O house of Juda, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: be of good courage, and strengthen your hands.

14 For thus saith the Lord Almighty; As I took counsel to afflict you when your fathers provoked me, saith the Lord Almighty, and I repented not:

15 so have I prepared and taken counsel in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Juda: be ye of good courage.

16 These [are] the things which ye shall do; speak truth every one with his neighbour; judge truth and peaceable judgment in your gates:

17 and let none of you devise evil in his heart against his neighbour; and love not a false oath: for all these things I hate, saith the Lord Almighty.

18 And the word of the Lord Almighty came to me, saying,

19 Thus saith the Lord Almighty, The fourth fast, and the fifth fast, and the seventh fast, and the tenth fast, shall be to the house of Juda for joy and gladness, and for good feasts; and ye shall rejoice; and love ye the truth and peace.

20 Thus saith the Lord Almighty; Yet shall many peoples come, and the inhabitants of many cities;

21 and the inhabitants of five cities shall come together to one city, saying, Let us go to make supplication to the Lord, and to seek the face of the Lord Almighty; I will go also.

22 And many peoples and many nations shall come to seek earnestly the face of the Lord Almighty in Jerusalem, and to obtain favour of the Lord.

23 Thus saith the Lord Almighty; In those days [my word shall be fulfilled] if ten men of all the languages of the nations should take hold—even take hold of the hem of a Jew, saying, We will go with thee; for we have heard that God is with you.

vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)

1 Et factum est verbum Domini exercituum, dicens:

2 Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum: Zelatus sum Sion zelo magno, et indignatione magna zelatus sum eam.

3 Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum: Reversus sum ad Sion, et habitabo in medio Ierusalem: et vocabitur Ierusalem Civitas veritatis, et Mons Domini exercituum mons sanctificatus.

4 Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum: Adhuc habitabunt senes, et anus in plateis Ierusalem: et viri baculus in manu eius præ multitudine dierum.

5 Et plateæ civitatis complebuntur infantibus, et puellis ludentibus in plateis eius.

6 Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum: Si videbitur difficile in oculis reliquiarum populi huius in diebus illis, numquid in oculis meis difficile erit, dicit Dominus exercituum?

7 Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum: Ecce ego salvabo populum meum de terra Orientis, et de terra Occasus solis.

8 Et adducam eos, et habitabunt in medio Ierusalem: et erunt mihi in populum, et ego ero eis in Deum in veritate, et in iustitia.

9 Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum: Confortentur manus vestræ, qui auditis in his diebus sermones istos per os prophetarum in die, qua fundata est domus Domini exercituum, ut templum ædificaretur.

10 Siquidem ante dies illos merces hominum non erat, nec merces iumentorum erat, neque introeunti, neque exeunti erat pax præ tribulatione: et dimisi omnes homines, unumquemque contra proximum suum.

11 Nunc autem non iuxta dies priores ego faciam reliquiis populi huius, dicit Dominus exercituum,

12 sed semen pacis erit: vinea dabit fructum suum, et terra dabit germen suum, et cæli dabunt rorem suum: et possidere faciam reliquias populi huius universa hæc.

13 Et erit: sicut eratis maledictio in Gentibus, domus Iuda, et domus Israel: sic salvabo vos, et eritis benedictio: nolite timere, confortentur manus vestræ.

14 Quia hæc dicit Dominus exercituum: Sicut cogitavi ut affligerem vos, cum ad iracundiam provocassent patres vestri me, dicit Dominus,

15 et non sum misertus: sic conversus cogitavi in diebus istis ut benefaciam domui Iuda, et Ierusalem: nolite timere.

16 Hæc sunt ergo verba, quæ facietis: Loquimini veritatem, unusquisque cum proximo suo: veritatem, et iudicium pacis iudicate in portis vestris.

17 Et unusquisque malum contra amicum suum ne cogitetis in cordibus vestris: et iuramentum mendax ne diligatis: omnia enim hæc sunt, quæ odi, dicit Dominus.

18 Et factum est verbum Domini exercituum ad me, dicens:

19 Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum: Ieiunium quarti, et ieiunium quinti, et ieiunium septimi, et ieiunium decimi erit domui Iuda in gaudium, et lætitiam, et in sollemnitates præclaras: veritatem tantum, et pacem diligite.

20 Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum: Usquequo veniant populi, et habitent in civitatibus multis,

21 et vadant habitatores, unus ad alterum, dicentes: Eamus, et deprecemur faciem Domini, et quæramus Dominum exercituum: vadam etiam ego.

22 Et venient populi multi, et gentes robustæ ad quærendum Dominum exercituum in Ierusalem, et deprecandam faciem Domini.

23 Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum: In diebus illis, in quibus apprehendent decem homines ex omnibus linguis Gentium, et apprehendent fimbriam viri Iudæi, dicentes: Ibimus vobiscum: audivimus enim quoniam Deus vobiscum est.

web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV

1 The word of the LORD of Armies came to me.

2 The LORD of Armies says: “I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath.”

3 The LORD says: “I have returned to Zion, and will dwell in the middle of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called ‘The City of Truth;’ and the mountain of the LORD of Armies, ‘The Holy Mountain.’”

4 The LORD of Armies says: “Old men and old women will again dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand because of their old age.

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

6 The LORD of Armies says: “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 Armies.

7 The LORD of Armies says: “Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country.

8 I will bring them, and they will dwell within Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.”

9 The LORD of Armies says: “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 Armies was laid, even the temple, that it might be built.

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.

11 But now I will not be to the remnant of this people as in the former days,” says the LORD of Armies.

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. I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things.

13 It shall come to pass that, as you were a curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Don’t be afraid. Let your hands be strong.”

14 For the LORD of Armies says: “As I thought to do evil to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath,” says the LORD of Armies, “and I didn’t repent,

15 so again I have thought in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Don’t be afraid.

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,

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.

18 The word of the LORD of Armies came to me.

19 The LORD of Armies says: “The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months shall be for the house of Judah joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.”

20 The LORD of Armies says: “Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come.

21 The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, ‘Let’s go speedily to entreat the favor of the LORD, and to seek the LORD of Armies. I will go also.’

22 Yes, many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the LORD of Armies in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD.”

23 The LORD of Armies says: “In those days, ten men out of all the languages of the nations 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.’”

ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8

1 And there is a word of Jehovah of Hosts, saying:

2 `Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: I have been zealous for Zion with great zeal, With great heat I have been zealous for her.

3 Thus said Jehovah: I have turned back unto Zion, And I have dwelt in the midst of Jerusalem, And Jerusalem hath been called `The city of truth,' And the mountain of Jehovah of Hosts, `The holy mountain.'

4 Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Again dwell do old men and old women, In broad places of Jerusalem, And each his staff in his hand, Because of abundance of days.

5 And broad places of the city are full of boys and girls, Playing in its broad places.

6 Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Surely it is wonderful in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, Also in Mine eyes it is wonderful, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts.

7 Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Lo, I am saving My people from the land of the rising, And from the land of the going in, of the sun,

8 And I have brought them in, They have dwelt in the midst of Jerusalem, And they have been to Me for a people, And I am to them for God, In truth and in righteousness.

9 Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Let your hands be strong, Ye who are hearing in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets, That in the day the house of Jehovah of Hosts Hath been founded, the temple <FI>is<Fi> to be built.

10 For, before those days there hath been no hiring of man, Yea, a hiring of beasts there is none; And to him who is going out, And to him who is coming in, There is no peace because of the adversary, And I send all men--each against his neighbour.

11 And now, not as <FI>in<Fi> the former days <FI>am<Fi> I to the remnant of this people, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts.

12 Because of the sowing of peace, The vine doth give her fruit, And the earth doth give her increase, And the heavens do give their dew, And I have caused the remnant of this people To inherit all these.

13 And it hath come to pass, As ye have been a reviling among nations, O house of Judah, and house of Israel, So I save you, and ye have been a blessing, Do not fear, let your hands be strong.

14 For, thus said Jehovah of Hosts, As I did purpose to do evil to you, When your fathers made Me wroth, Said Jehovah of Hosts, and I did not repent,

15 So I have turned back, I have purposed, in these days, To do good with Jerusalem, And with the house of Judah--fear not!

16 These <FI>are<Fi> the things that ye do: Speak ye truth each with his neighbour, Truth and peaceful judgment judge in your gates,

17 And each the evil of his neighbour ye do not devise in your heart, And a false oath ye do not love, For all these <FI>are<Fi> things that I have hated, An affirmation of Jehovah.'

18 And there is a word of Jehovah of Hosts unto me, saying:

19 `Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: The fast of the fourth, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth <FI>months<Fi> , are to the house of Judah for joy and for rejoicing, and for pleasant appointed seasons, and the truth and the peace they have loved.

20 Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Yet come do peoples, and inhabitants of many cities,

21 Yea, gone have inhabitants of one To another, saying: We go diligently, To appease the face of Jehovah, To seek Jehovah of Hosts--I go, even I.

22 Yea, come in have many peoples, and mighty nations, To seek Jehovah of Hosts in Jerusalem, And to appease the face of Jehovah.

23 Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: In those days take hold do ten men of all languages of the nations, Yea, they have taken hold on the skirt of a man, a Jew, saying: We go with you, for we heard God <FI>is<Fi> with you!

Explanations by Age Level

Explain Like I'm 5

A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!

Explain Like I'm 10

Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.

Explain Like I'm 15

Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).