1. And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying,
2. Thus saith the Lord of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great fury.
3. Thus saith the Lord: I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called The city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts The holy mountain.
4. Thus saith the Lord of hosts: There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand for very age.
5. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.
6. Thus saith the Lord of hosts: If it be marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in mine eyes? saith the Lord of hosts.
7. Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country:
8. and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.
9. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, even the temple, that it might be built.
10. For before those days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the adversary: for I set all men every one against his neighbour.
11. But now I will not be unto the remnant of this people as in the former days, saith the Lord of hosts.
12. For there shall be the seed of peace; 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 remnant of this people to inherit all these things.
13. And it shall come to pass that, as ye were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.