| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Again the word of the LORD of Hosts came to me, saying: | 1Then another message came to me from the LORD of Heaven’s Armies: |
| 2This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I am jealous for Zion with great zeal; I am jealous for her with great fervor.” | 2“This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: My love for Mount Zion is passionate and strong; I am consumed with passion for Jerusalem! |
| 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.” | 3“And now the LORD says: I am returning to Mount Zion, and I will live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City; the mountain of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will be called the Holy Mountain. |
| 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. | 4“This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: Once again old men and women will walk Jerusalem’s streets with their canes and will sit together in the city squares. |
| 5And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing there.” | 5And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls at play. |
| 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. | 6“This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: All this may seem impossible to you now, a small remnant of God’s people. But is it impossible for me? says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. |
| 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. | 7“This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: You can be sure that I will rescue my people from the east and from the west. |
| 8I will bring them back to dwell in Jerusalem, where they will be My people, and I will be their faithful and righteous God.” | 8I will bring them home again to live safely in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be faithful and just toward them as their God. |
| 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. | 9“This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: Be strong and finish the task! Ever since the laying of the foundation of the Temple of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, you have heard what the prophets have been saying about completing the building. |
| 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. | 10Before the work on the Temple began, there were no jobs and no money to hire people or animals. No traveler was safe from the enemy, for there were enemies on all sides. I had turned everyone against each other. |
| 11But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as I did in the past,” declares the LORD of Hosts. | 11“But now I will not treat the remnant of my people as I treated them before, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. |
| 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. | 12For I am planting seeds of peace and prosperity among you. The grapevines will be heavy with fruit. The earth will produce its crops, and the heavens will release the dew. Once more I will cause the remnant in Judah and Israel to inherit these blessings. |
| 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.” | 13Among the other nations, Judah and Israel became symbols of a cursed nation. But no longer! Now I will rescue you and make you both a symbol and a source of blessing. So don’t be afraid. Be strong, and get on with rebuilding the Temple! |
| 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, | 14“For this is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: I was determined to punish you when your ancestors angered me, and I did not change my mind, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. |
| 15“so now I have resolved to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid. | 15But now I am determined to bless Jerusalem and the people of Judah. So don’t be afraid. |
| 16These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another, render true and sound judgments in your gates, | 16But this is what you must do: Tell the truth to each other. Render verdicts in your courts that are just and that lead to peace. |
| 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. | 17Don’t scheme against each other. Stop your love of telling lies that you swear are the truth. I hate all these things, says the LORD.” |
| 18Then the word of the LORD of Hosts came to me, saying, | 18Here is another message that came to me from the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. |
| 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.” | 19“This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: The traditional fasts and times of mourning you have kept in early summer, midsummer, autumn, and winter are now ended. They will become festivals of joy and celebration for the people of Judah. So love truth and peace. |
| 20This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Peoples will yet come—the residents of many cities— | 20“This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: People from nations and cities around the world will travel to Jerusalem. |
| 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.’ | 21The people of one city will say to the people of another, ‘Come with us to Jerusalem to ask the LORD to bless us. Let’s worship the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. I’m determined to go.’ |
| 22And many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the LORD of Hosts in Jerusalem and to plead before the LORD.” | 22Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD of Heaven’s Armies and to ask for his blessing. |
| 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.’ ” | 23“This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: In those days ten men from different nations and languages of the world will clutch at the sleeve of one Jew. And they will say, ‘Please let us walk with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’” |
|
