1The restoration of Jerusalem. 9The people are encouraged to build the temple by a promise of God's blessing. 16Truth and justice required of them. 18Joy and enlargement of the church promised.
1AGAIN athe word of the LORD of hosts came to me , saying,
a He. 1.1. 2Ti. 3.16. 2Pe. 1.21. Eze. 2.7; 3.17.
2Thus saith the LORD of hosts; bI was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her cwith great fury.
b ch. 1.14,16. Na. 1.2. Is. 9.7; 63.1-4,15. De. 7.7,6. Joel 2.18. c Na. 1.2. Eze. 36.5,6. Je. 50; 51. Is. 13; 14; 21.
3Thus saith the LORD; dI am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called ea city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.
d ch. 1.14,16; 2.10. 2Co. 6.16. Re. 21.3. Eze. 48.35. e Is. 1.21,26; 2.2,3. Je. 31.23. Eze. 43.12. ch. 14.20,21. Re. 21.27.
4Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet fold men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for 1very age.
1Heb. multitude of days.
f Is. 65.20,22. Je. 14.12; 15.2. Eze. 5.12. 1Sa. 2.31. La. 2.21.
5And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.
6Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be 2marvellous in the eyes of gthe remnant of this people in these days, should it also be hmarvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.
2Or, hard, or, difficult.
g Zep. 2.7. v.12. h Ge. 18.14. Lu. 1.37; 18.27. Ro. 4.20,21. Je. 32.17,27.
7Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, iI will save my people from the east country, and from 3the west country;
3Heb. the country of the going down of the sun.
i Is. 11.11,12; 27.12,13; 41.6; 43.5,6; 49.12. Ps. 50.1; 113.3. Mal. 1.11. Ho. 11.10. Eze. 37.16,19.
8And jI will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and kthey shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.
j Je. 3.18; 23.3; 30.3,18. Eze. 37.25,26. Am. 9.14. Ro. 11.25-27. k ch. 13.9. Le. 26.12. Je. 4.2; 30.22; 31.1,33. Eze. 11.20; 36.28; 37.27. Ho. 2.19,20,23.
9¶Thus saith the LORD of hosts; lLet your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts mwas laid, that the temple might be built.
l Hag. 2.4. ch. 4.7,9. v.13. Jos. 1.5,6. Ep. 6.10. 2Ti. 2.1. m Hag. 2.18. Ezr. 5.1,2.
10For before these days 4there was nno hire for man, nor any hire for beast; oneither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour.
4Or, the hire of man became nothing.
n Hag. 1.6,9-11; 2.16,17. o Ezr. 4. 2Ch. 15.2,5. Is. 45.7. Am. 3.6. Mat. 10.34-36.
11But pnow I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the LORD of hosts.
p v.8,9. Is. 11.13; 12.1. Ps. 103.9.
12For qthe seed shall be 5prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the rremnant of this people sto possess all these things.
5Heb. of peace, Ps. 72.3.
q Hag. 2.18,19. Joel 2.22. Ps. 67.6,7. De. 28.8. Ho. 2.21,22. v.10. r v.6. Mi. 4.7. s 1Co. 3.21. Mat. 6.33. 1Ti. 4.8. Ro. 8.32. Is. 3.10.
13And it shall come to pass, that as ye were ta curse among the heathen, uO house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be va blessing: wfear not, but let your hands be strong.
t Je. 24.9; 29.22; 42.18. Is. 65.15. De. 28.37; 29.28. u ch. 1.19; 9.13; 10.6. 2Ch. 11.16; 34.33. Ezr. 4.17. v Zep. 3.20. Is. 19.24,25. Mi. 5.7. Ge. 12.2. w v.9. Is. 41.10,15,16. 1Co. 16.13. Ep. 6.10.
14For thus saith the LORD of hosts; xAs I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the LORD of hosts, and I repented not:
x ch. 1.6. Je. 31.28. 2Ch. 36.16. Je. 15.1-4; 32.42.
15ySo again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.
y Je. 29.11; 31.28. Ps. 34.15. Is. 43.1,2. v.13. Lu. 12.32.
16¶These are the things that ye shall do; zSpeak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; 6execute the ajudgment of truth and peace in your gates:
6Heb. judge truth, and the judgment of peace.
z Ps. 15. Ep. 4.25. Pr. 12.19. a ch. 7.9,10. De. 21.19.
17bAnd let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and clove no false oath: for all these are things that dI hate, saith the LORD.
b Pr. 3.29. Je. 4.14. ch. 7.10. Ro. 7.14,23,24. Mat. 5.28. c ch. 5.3,4. Je. 4.2. d Je. 44.4. Pr. 6.16-19. Ps. 5.4-6. Hab. 1.13.
18¶And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying,
19Thus saith the LORD of hosts; eThe fast of the fourth month , and the fast of fthe fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of gthe tenth, shall be to hthe house of Judah joy and gladness, and 7cheerful ifeasts; therefore love the truth and peace.
7Or, solemn, or, set times.
e ch. 7.5. Je. 52.4,6,12; 41.1,2; 39.2. 2Ki. 25.1,4,8,25. f ch. 7.3. g Je. 39.1. h Es. 8.17. Ps. 30.11. Is. 35.10; 51.11. i Lu. 1.74,75. Tit. 2.11,12. Mat. 23.23.
20Thus saith the LORD of hosts; jIt shall yet come to pass , that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities:
j Is. 2.2,3; 60.3,8,9; 66.23. Je. 50.4. ch. 14.16; 2.11. Mi. 4.1,2. Mat. 8.11. Je. 31.6. Is. 11.9,10.
21And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, kLet us go 8speedily 9to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also.
8Or, continually. Heb. going, Ho. 6.3.
9Heb. to entreat the face of the LORD.
k Ps. 122.1.
22Yea, lmany people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and 10to pray before the LORD.
10Heb. to entreat the face of.
l Is. 60.3. ch. 2.11.
23Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass , that mten men shall take hold nout of all languages of the nations, even shall otake hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, pWe will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
m Ec. 11.2. Is. 4.1. Mi. 5.5. Ge. 31.7,41. Nu. 14.22. Da. 1.20. n Re. 5.9; 7.9. Ro. 2.28,29. ch. 2.11. Is. 66.18. o Is. 4.1; 3.6. p Is. 60.3; 2.3. 1Co. 14.25. Nu. 10.29,32.