| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Then the word of the LORD who rules over all came to me as follows: | 1Then another message came to me from the LORD of Heaven’s Armies: |
| 2"The LORD who rules over all says, 'I am very much concerned for Zion; indeed, I am so concerned for her that my rage will fall on those who hurt her.' | 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! |
| 3The Lord says, 'I have returned to Zion and will live within Jerusalem. Now Jerusalem will be called "truthful city," "mountain of the LORD who rules over all," "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. |
| 4Moreover, the LORD who rules over all says, 'Old men and women will once more live in the plazas of Jerusalem, each one leaning on a cane because of advanced 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 full of boys and girls playing. | 5And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls at play. |
| 6And,' says the LORD who rules over all, 'though such a thing may seem to be difficult in the opinion of the small community of those days, will it also appear difficult to me?' asks the LORD who rules over all. | 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. |
| 7"The LORD who rules over all asserts, 'I am about to save my people from the lands of the east and 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. |
| 8And I will bring them to settle within Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness.' | 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. |
| 9"The LORD who rules over all also says, 'Gather strength, you who are listening to these words today from the mouths of the prophets who were there at the founding of the house of the LORD who rules over all, so that the temple might be built. | 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. |
| 10Before that time there was no compensation for man or animal, nor was there any relief from adversity for those who came and went, because I had pitted everybody--each one--against everyone else. | 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 I will be different now to this remnant of my people from the way I was in those days,' says the LORD who rules over all, | 11“But now I will not treat the remnant of my people as I treated them before, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. |
| 12for there will be a peaceful time of sowing, the vine will produce its fruit and the ground its yield, and the skies will rain down dew. Then I will allow the remnant of my people to possess all these things. | 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. |
| 13And it will come about that just as you (both Judah and Israel) were a curse to the nations, so I will save you and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid! Instead, 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! |
| 14"For the LORD who rules over all says, 'As I had planned to hurt you when your fathers made me angry,' says the LORD who rules over all, 'and I was not sorry, | 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. |
| 15so, to the contrary, I have planned in these days to do good to Jerusalem and Judah--do not fear! | 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 the truth, each of you, to one another. Practice true and righteous judgment in your courts. | 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 plan evil in your hearts against one another. Do not favor a false oath--these are all things that I hate,' says 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.” |
| 18The word of the LORD who rules over all came to me as follows: | 18Here is another message that came to me from the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. |
| 19"The LORD who rules over all says, 'The fast of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months will become joyful and happy, pleasant feasts for the house of Judah, so love 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. |
| 20The LORD who rules over all says, 'It will someday come to pass that people--residents of many cities--will come. | 20“This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: People from nations and cities around the world will travel to Jerusalem. |
| 21The inhabitants of one will go to another and say, "Let's go up at once to ask the favor of the LORD, to seek the LORD who rules over all. Indeed, I'll go with you."' | 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.’ |
| 22Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD who rules over all and to ask his favor. | 22Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD of Heaven’s Armies and to ask for his blessing. |
| 23The LORD who rules over all says, 'In those days ten people from all languages and nations will grasp hold of--indeed, grab--the robe of one Jew and say, "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.’” |
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