Zechariah 8 - Easy To Read Version

¹ This is a message from the Lord All-Powerful.

² The Lord All-Powerful says, “I truly love \{Mount\} Zion. I love her so much that I became angry when she was not faithful to me.”

³ The Lord says, “I have come back to Zion. I am living in Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be called FAITHFUL CITY. The Lord All-Powerful’s mountain will be called HOLY MOUNTAIN.”

⁴ The Lord All-Powerful says, “Old men and women will again be seen in the public places in Jerusalem. People will live so long that they will need their walking sticks.

⁵ And the city will be filled with children playing in the streets.

⁶ The survivors {\cf2\super [20]} will think it is wonderful. And I will think it is wonderful too!”

⁷ The Lord All-Powerful says, “Look, I am rescuing my people from countries in the east and west.

⁸ I will bring them back here, and they will live in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their good and faithful God.”

⁹ The Lord All-Powerful says, “Be strong! You people are hearing the same message today that the prophets gave when the Lord All-Powerful first laid the foundations to build his temple again.

¹⁰ Before that time, men didn’t have the money to hire workers or to rent animals. And it was not safe for people to come and go. There was no relief from all the troubles. I had turned every man against his neighbor.

¹¹ But it is not like that now. It will not be like that for the survivors. {\cf2\super [21]} ” The Lord All-Powerful said these things.

¹² “These people will plant in peace. Their grapevines will produce grapes. The land will give good crops, and the skies will give rain. I will give all these things to these, my people.

¹³ People began using the names Israel and Judah in their curses. But I will save Israel and Judah, and their names will become a blessing. So don’t be afraid. Be strong!”

¹⁴ The Lord All-Powerful says, “Your ancestors made me angry. So I decided to destroy them. I decided not to change my mind.” The Lord All-Powerful said these things.

¹⁵ “But now I have changed \{my mind\}. And in the same way, I have decided to be good to Jerusalem and to the people of Judah. So don’t be afraid!

¹⁶ But you must do these things: Tell the truth to your neighbors. When you make decisions in your cities, do the things that are true and right and that bring peace.

¹⁷ Don’t make secret plans to hurt your neighbors! Don’t make false promises! You must not enjoy doing those things. Why? Because I hate those things!” The Lord said these things.

¹⁸ I received this message from the Lord All-Powerful.

¹⁹ The Lord All-Powerful says, “You have special days of sadness and fasting in the fourth month, the fifth month, the seventh month, and the tenth month. {\cf2\super [22]} Those days of sadness must be changed into days of happiness. Those will be good and happy holidays. And you must love truth and peace!”

²⁰ The Lord All-Powerful says,\par “In the future, people from many cities\par will come to Jerusalem.\par

²¹ People from different cities\par will greet each other.\par Some of them will say,\par ‘We are going to worship\par the Lord All-Powerful.’\par \{And the other person will say,\}\par ‘I would like to go with you!’”\par

²² Many people and many powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to find the Lord All-Powerful and to worship him.

²³ The Lord All Powerful says, “At that time, many foreigners speaking different languages will come to a Jewish person, take hold of the hem of his robe and ask, ‘We heard that God is with you. Can we come with you to worship him?’”