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Again the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying,
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"Thus says the LORD of hosts:
a 'I am 1 zealous for Zion with great 2 zeal;
With great 3 fervor I am zealous for her.'
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"Thus says the LORD:
b 'I will return to Zion,
And c dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem d shall be called the City of Truth,
e The Mountain of the LORD of hosts,
f The Holy Mountain.'
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"Thus says the LORD of hosts:
g 'Old men and old women shall again sit
In the streets of Jerusalem,
Each one with his staff in his hand
Because of 4 great age.
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The streets of the city
Shall be h full of boys and girls
Playing in its streets.'
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"Thus says the LORD of hosts:
'If it is 5 marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days,
i Will it also be marvelous in My eyes?'
Says the LORD of hosts.
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"Thus says the LORD of hosts:
'Behold, j I will save My people from the land of the 6 east
And from the land of the 7 west;
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I will k bring them back,
And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.
l They shall be My people
And I will be their God,
m In truth and righteousness.'
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"Thus says the LORD of hosts:
n 'Let your hands be strong,
You who have been hearing in these days
These words by the mouth of o the prophets,
Who spoke in p the day the foundation was laid
For the house of the LORD of hosts,
That the temple might be built.
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For before these days
There were no q wages for man nor any hire for beast;
There was no peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came in;
For I set all men, everyone, against his neighbor.
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r 'But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,' says the LORD of hosts.
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'For s the 8 seed shall be prosperous,
The vine shall give its fruit,
t The ground shall give her increase,
And u the heavens shall give their dew -
I will cause the remnant of this people
To possess all these.
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And it shall come to pass
That just as you were v a curse among the nations,
O house of Judah and house of Israel,
So I will save you, and w you shall be a blessing.
Do not fear,
Let your hands be strong.'
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"For thus says the LORD of hosts:
x 'Just as I determined to 9 punish you
When your fathers provoked Me to wrath,'
Says the LORD of hosts,
y 'And I would not relent,
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So again in these days
I am determined to do good
To Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.
Do not fear.
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These are the things you shall z do:
a Speak each man the truth to his neighbor;
Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace;
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b Let none of you think evil in 10 your heart against your neighbor;
And do not love a false oath.
For all these are things that I hate,'
Says the LORD."
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Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying,
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"Thus says the LORD of hosts:
c 'The fast of the fourth month,
d The fast of the fifth,
e The fast of the seventh,
f And the fast of the tenth,
Shall be g joy and gladness and cheerful feasts
For the house of Judah.
h Therefore love truth and peace.'
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"Thus says the LORD of hosts:
'Peoples shall yet come,
Inhabitants of many cities;
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The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying,
i "Let us continue to go and pray before the LORD,
And seek the LORD of hosts.
I myself will go also."
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Yes, j many peoples and strong nations
Shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem,
And to pray before the LORD.'
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"Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'In those days ten men k from every language of the nations shall l grasp the 11 sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard m that God is with you." ' "