| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Again the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying, | 1Again the word of the LORD of Hosts came to me, saying: |
| 2“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; With great fervor I am zealous for her.’ | 2This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I am jealous for Zion with great zeal; I am jealous for her with great fervor.” |
| 3“Thus says the LORD: ‘I will return to Zion, And dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, The Mountain of the LORD of hosts, The Holy Mountain.’ | 3This is what the LORD says: “I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of Hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.” |
| 4“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit In the streets of Jerusalem, Each one with his staff in his hand Because of great age. | 4This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Old men and old women will again sit along the streets of Jerusalem, each with a staff in hand because of great age. |
| 5The streets of the city Shall be full of boys and girls Playing in its streets.’ | 5And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing there.” |
| 6“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, Will it also be marvelous in My eyes?’ Says the LORD of hosts. | 6This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “If this is impossible in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be impossible in My eyes?” declares the LORD of Hosts. |
| 7“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east And from the land of the west; | 7This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west. |
| 8I will bring them back, And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people And I will be their God, In truth and righteousness.’ | 8I will bring them back to dwell in Jerusalem, where they will be My people, and I will be their faithful and righteous God.” |
| 9“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Let your hands be strong, You who have been hearing in these days These words by the mouth of the prophets, Who spoke in the day the foundation was laid For the house of the LORD of hosts, That the temple might be built. | 9This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Let your hands be strong, you who now hear these words spoken by the prophets who were present when the foundations were laid to rebuild the temple, the house of the LORD of Hosts. |
| 10For before these days There were no wages for man nor any hire for beast; There was no peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came in; For I set all men, everyone, against his neighbor. | 10For before those days neither man nor beast received wages, nor was there safety from the enemy for anyone who came or went, for I had turned every man against his neighbor. |
| 11But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ says the LORD of hosts. | 11But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as I did in the past,” declares the LORD of Hosts. |
| 12‘For the seed shall be prosperous, The vine shall give its fruit, The ground shall give her increase, And the heavens shall give their dew— I will cause the remnant of this people To possess all these. | 12“For the seed will be prosperous, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will yield its produce, and the skies will give their dew. To the remnant of this people I will give all these things as an inheritance. |
| 13And it shall come to pass That just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, Let your hands be strong.’ | 13As you have been a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid; let your hands be strong.” |
| 14“For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Just as I determined to punish you When your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’ Says the LORD of hosts, ‘And I would not relent, | 14For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Just as I resolved to bring disaster upon you when your fathers provoked Me to anger, and I did not relent,” says the LORD of Hosts, |
| 15So again in these days I am determined to do good To Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear. | 15“so now I have resolved to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid. |
| 16These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace; | 16These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another, render true and sound judgments in your gates, |
| 17Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; And do not love a false oath. For all these are things that I hate,’ Says the LORD.” | 17do not plot evil in your hearts against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely, for I hate all these things,” declares the LORD. |
| 18Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, | 18Then the word of the LORD of Hosts came to me, saying, |
| 19“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘The fast of the fourth month, The fast of the fifth, The fast of the seventh, And the fast of the tenth, Shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts For the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.’ | 19“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: The fasts of the fourth, the fifth, the seventh, and the tenth months will become times of joy and gladness, cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore you are to love both truth and peace.” |
| 20“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Peoples shall yet come, Inhabitants of many cities; | 20This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Peoples will yet come—the residents of many cities— |
| 21The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, “Let us continue to go and pray before the LORD, And seek the LORD of hosts. I myself will go also.” | 21and the residents of one city will go to another, saying: ‘Let us go at once to plead before the LORD and to seek the LORD of Hosts. I myself am going.’ |
| 22Yes, many peoples and strong nations Shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, And to pray before the LORD.’ | 22And many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the LORD of Hosts in Jerusalem and to plead before the LORD.” |
| 23“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” ’ ” | 23This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue will tightly grasp the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’ ” |
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