In that daythe Branchof the LORDwill be beautifuland glorious,and the fruitof the earth[will be] the prideand the adornmentof the survivorsof Israel.
The earthhas yieldedits produce;God,our God,blessesus.
May there be abundanceof grainin the earthon topof the mountains;Its fruitwill wavelike [the cedars of] Lebanon;And may those from the cityflourishlike vegetationof the earth.
"You shall makeholygarmentsfor Aaronyour brother,for gloryand for beauty.
But with righteousnessHe will judgethe poor,And decidewith fairnessfor the afflictedof the earth;And He will strikethe earthwith the rodof His mouth,And with the breathof His lipsHe will slaythe wicked.
In that daythissongwill be sungin the landof Judah:"We have a strongcity;He setsup wallsand rampartsfor security.
In the days to comeJacobwill takeroot,Israelwill blossomand sprout,And they will fillthe wholeworldwith fruit.
Then He will give[you] rainfor the seedwhichyou will sowin the ground,and bread[from] the yieldof the ground,and it will be richand plenteous;on that dayyour livestockwill grazein a roomypasture.
"Dripdown,O heavens,from above,And let the cloudspourdownrighteousness;Let the earthopenup and salvationbearfruit,And righteousnessspringup with it. I, the LORD,have createdit.
For He grewup beforeHim like a tendershoot,And like a rootout of parchedground;He has no[stately] formor majestyThat we should lookupon Him, Norappearancethat we should be attractedto Him.
"Whereasyou have beenforsakenand hatedWith noonepassingthrough,I will makeyou an everlastingpride,A joyfrom generationto generation.
"Then allyour people[will be] righteous;They will possessthe landforever,The branchof My planting,The workof My hands,That I may be glorified.
For as the earthbringsforthits sprouts,And as a gardencauses the thingssownin it to springup, Sothe LordGODwill cause righteousnessand praiseTo springup beforeallthe nations.
"Behold,[the] daysare coming,"declaresthe LORD,"When I will raiseup for Davida righteousBranch;And He will reignas kingand actwiselyAnd dojusticeand righteousnessin the land.
In thosedaysand at that timeI will cause a righteousBranchof Davidto springforth;and He shall executejusticeand righteousnesson the earth.
So there will be norefugeesor survivorsfor the remnantof Judahwho have enteredthe landof Egyptto residethereand then to returnto the landof Judah,to whichthey are longingto returnand live;for nonewill returnexcept[a few] refugees.'"
Those whoescapethe swordwill returnout of the landof Egyptto the landof Judahfewin number.Then allthe remnantof Judahwho have goneto the landof Egyptto residetherewill knowwhosewordwill stand,Mineor theirs.
"I will establishfor them a renownedplantingplace,and they will not againbe victimsof faminein the land,and they will not endurethe insultsof the nationsanymore.
But you, O mountainsof Israel,you will putforth your branchesand bearyour fruitfor My peopleIsrael;for they will sooncome.
Even when their survivorsescape,they will be on the mountainslike dovesof the valleys,allof them mourning,eachover his own iniquity.
"And it will comeabout that whoevercallson the nameof the LORDWill be delivered;For on MountZionand in JerusalemThere will be those who escape,As the LORDhas said,Even among the survivorswhomthe LORDcalls.
And in that dayThe mountainswill dripwith sweetwine,And the hillswill flowwith milk,And allthe brooksof Judahwill flowwith water;And a springwill goout from the houseof the LORDTo waterthe valleyof Shittim.
"But on MountZionthere will be those whoescape,And it will be holy.And the houseof Jacobwill possesstheir possessions.
Nowlisten,Joshuathe highpriest,you and your friendswho are sittingin frontof you-- indeedthey are menwho are a symbol,for behold,I am going to bringin My servantthe Branch.
"Then sayto him, 'Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,"Behold,a manwhose nameis Branch,for He will branchout from whereHe is; and He will buildthe templeof the LORD.
For whatcomelinessand beauty[will be] theirs! Grainwill make the youngmenflourish,and newwinethe virgins.
"They will be Mine," saysthe LORDof hosts,"on the daythat I prepare[My] own possession,and I will sparethem as a manspareshis own sonwho serveshim."
"Unlessthosedayshad been cutshort,nolifewould have been saved;but for the sakeof the electthosedayswill be cut short.
"But keep on the alertat alltimes,prayingthat you may have strengthto escapeallthese thingsthat are aboutto take place,and to standbeforethe Sonof Man."
And the Wordbecameflesh,and dweltamongus, and we sawHis glory,gloryas of the only begottenfrom the Father,fullof graceand truth.
For God,who said,"Lightshall shineout of darkness,"is the One whohas shonein our heartsto give the Lightof the knowledgeof the gloryof Godin the faceof Christ.
For we did not followcleverly devisedtaleswhen we made knownto you the powerand comingof our LordJesusChrist,but we were eyewitnessesof His majesty.
