CHAPTER 8
1 And the word of the Lord of hosts was made to me, and said,
2 The Lord of hosts saith these things, I hated Zion with great fervor, and with great indignation I hated it. (The Lord of hosts saith these things, I hated the enemies of Zion with great fervor, and I hated them with great indignation.)
3 The Lord of hosts saith these things, I am turned again to Zion, and I shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth, and [the] hill of the Lord of hosts shall be called an hill hallowed. (The Lord of hosts saith these things, I have returned to Zion, and I shall live in the midst of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, and the hill, or the mount, of the Lord of hosts shall be called The Holy Hill, or the Sacred Mountain.)
4 The Lord of hosts saith these things, Yet eld men and eld women shall dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and the staff of a man shall be in his hand, for the multitude of years. (The Lord of hosts saith these things, Once again old men and old women shall sit in the streets of Jerusalem, and the staff of a man shall be in his hand, for the multitude of his years.)
5 And the streets of the city shall be filled with young children and damsels, playing in the streets thereof. (And the streets of the city shall be filled with young boys and young girls, playing in its streets.)
6 The Lord of hosts saith these things, Though it shall be seen (as) hard (to do) before the eyes of the remnants of this people in those days, whether before mine eyes it shall be hard (to do), saith the Lord of hosts? (The Lord of hosts saith these things, Though it shall be seen as impossible by those who be the remnants of this people in those days, shall I see it as impossible to do, saith the Lord of hosts?)
7 The Lord of hosts saith these things, Lo! I shall save my people from the land of the east, and from the land of the going down of the sun;
8 and I shall bring them (back), and they shall dwell in the middle of Jerusalem; and they shall be to me into a people, and I shall be to them into God, and in truth, and in rightwiseness. (and I shall bring them back, and they shall live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people, and I shall be their God, in truth, and in righteousness.)
9 The Lord of hosts saith these things, Be your hands strengthened, which hear in these days these words by the mouth of prophets, in the day in which the house of the Lord of hosts is founded, that the temple should be builded (again). (The Lord of hosts saith these things, Be strong! you who hear in these days these words from the mouths of the prophets, yea, those prophets from the days in which the House of the Lord of hosts was founded, who say that the Temple should now be built.)
10 Soothly before those days hire of men was not, neither hire of work beasts was, neither to man entering and going out was peace for tribulation; and I let go all men, each against his neighbour. (Truly before those days there was no hiring of men, or of work beasts, nor was there peace from tribulation for anyone entering in or going out; yea, I let everyone go, each against his neighbour or each against the other.)
11 But now not after the former days I shall do to the remnants of this people, saith the Lord of hosts, (But now I shall not do to the remnants of this people like in the earlier days, saith the Lord of hosts,)
12 but the seed of peace shall be; the vine shall give his fruit, and the earth shall give his burgeoning, and heavens shall give their dew; and I shall make the remnants of this people for to wield all these things. (but they shall sow, or plant, their seeds in peace; the vine shall give its fruit, and the earth shall give its burgeoning, or its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I shall make the remnants of this people to possess all these things, or all that they want.)
13 And it shall be, as ye, the house of Judah, and the house of Israel, were cursing among heathen men, so I shall save you, and ye shall be blessing. Do not ye dread, be your hands strengthened; (And it shall be, (that) as ye, the house of Judah, and the house of Israel, were examples of a curse among the heathen, so now I shall save you, and ye shall be examples of a blessing. Do not ye fear or Fear not, but take courage!)
14 for the Lord of hosts saith these things, As I thought to torment you, when your fathers had stirred me to wrath, saith the Lord, and I had not mercy, (for the Lord of hosts saith these things, As I thought to torment you, when your forefathers had stirred me to anger, saith the Lord, and I had no mercy,)
15 so I converted thought in these days to do well to the house of Judah and to Jerusalem; do not ye dread. (but now turned, I have thought, or I have resolved, in these days to do good to the house of Judah and to Jerusalem; do not ye fear or fear not.)
16 Therefore these be the words which ye shall do; speak ye truth, each man with his neighbour; deem ye truth and the doom of peace in your gates; (And so these be the things which ye shall do; speak ye truth, each person with his neighbour; judge ye truthfully, and give ye the kind of justice that bringeth peace within your gates;)
17 and think ye not in your hearts, any man, evil against his friend, and love not a false oath; for all these things it be which I hate, saith the Lord. (and think ye not in your hearts, anyone, evil against his friend, or against his neighbour, and do not love to make a false oath, or to commit perjury; for all these be the things which I hate, saith the Lord.)
18 And the word of the Lord of hosts was made to me, and said,
19 The Lord of hosts saith these things, The fasting of the fourth month, and the fasting of the fifth, and the fasting of the seventh, and the fasting of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah into joy and gladness, and into solemnities full clear; love ye only truth and peace. (The Lord of hosts saith these things, The fasting of the fourth month, and the fasting of the fifth month, and the fasting of the seventh month, and the fasting of the tenth month, shall be cheerful feasts of happiness, and joy, for the house of Judah; love ye only truth and peace.)
20 The Lord of hosts saith these things, Peoples shall come on each side, and dwell in many cities; (The Lord of hosts saith these things, Peoples shall come from everywhere, and shall live in many cities;)
21 and the dwellers shall go, one to another, and say, Go we, and beseech the face of the Lord, and seek we the Lord of hosts; also I shall go. (and the inhabitants shall go, one to another, and say, Let us go, and beseech the face of the Lord, and seek we the Lord of hosts; and I shall also go, or yea, come with me.)
22 And many peoples shall come, and strong folks, for to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to beseech the face of the Lord. (And many peoples, and strong nations, shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to beseech the face of the Lord.)
23 The Lord of hosts saith these things, In those days, in which ten men of all languages of heathen men shall take (hold), and they shall take the hem of a man a Jew, and say, We shall go with you; for we have heard that God is with you. (The Lord of hosts saith these things, In those days, in which ten men of all the languages of the heathen shall take hold, yea, they shall take hold of the hem of a Jewish man, and say, We shall go with you; for we have heard that God is with you.)