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Zechariah 8

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1 And the word of Jehovah of Armies was to me, saying,

2 Thus says Jehovah of Armies: I was·​·zealous for Zion with great zeal, and with great fury I was·​·zealous for her.

3 Thus says Jehovah: I have returned to Zion, and will reside in the midst of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth, and the mountain of Jehovah of Armies the holy mountain.

4 Thus says Jehovah of Armies: Old men and old women shall still dwell in the avenues of Jerusalem, and a man with his staff in his hand from many days;

5 and the avenues of the city shall be·​·full of boys and girls playing in her avenues.

6 Thus says Jehovah of Armies: That which will be wonderful in the eyes of those who·​·are·​·left of this people in these days, will it even be wonderful in My eyes, says Jehovah of Armies?

7 Thus says Jehovah of Armies; Behold, I will save My people from the land of the sunrise, and from the land of the going·​·in of the sun.

8 and I will bring them, and they shall reside in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, in truth and in justice.

9 Thus says Jehovah of Armies: Let your hands be·​·firm, you who hear in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets, who were in the day that the house of Jehovah of Armies was founded, that the temple might be built.

10 For before these days there was not a wage for mankind, and there was no wage for the beast; and for him who went·​·out and for him who came·​·in there was no peace from the adversary; for I sent·​·out all mankind, a man against his companion.

11 But now I will not be to what·​·is·​·left of this people as in the first days, says Jehovah of Armies.

12 For the seed shall be of peace; the vine shall give her fruit, and the land shall give her produce, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause what·​·is·​·left of this people to inherit all these things.

13 And it shall be, that as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah, and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you shall be a blessing; fear not; let your hands be·​·firm.

14 For thus says Jehovah of Armies: As I purposed to do·​·evil to you when your fathers enraged Me, says Jehovah of Armies, and I repented not,

15 so returning I have purposed in these days to do·​·good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear ye not.

16 These are the words that you shall do; Speak ye the truth, a man with his companion; judge the truth and the judgment of peace in your gates;

17 and think not evil, a man against his companion, in your hearts, and love not a false promise; for all these are things that I hate, says Jehovah.

18 And the word of Jehovah of Armies was unto me, saying,

19 Thus says Jehovah of Armies: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be for the house of Judah for joy and for gladness, and for good, solemn festivals; therefore love the truth and the peace.

20 Thus says Jehovah of Armies: There shall yet come peoples and those who dwell in many cities;

21 and they who dwell in one city shall go to another one, saying, Going, let us go to implore the faces of Jehovah, and to seek Jehovah of Armies; I also will go.

22 And many peoples and numerous nations shall come to seek Jehovah of Armies in Jerusalem, and to implore the faces of Jehovah.

23 Thus says Jehovah of Armies: In those days it shall be that ten men from all the tongues of the nations shall hold·​·firm, and they shall hold·​·firm on the wing of the garment* of a man, a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.

   


Thanks to the Kempton Project for the permission to use this New Church translation of the Word.

Komentář

 

Good

  
To Charity, by João Zeferino da Costa

It seems rather circular to say that “good” in the Bible represents good, but in a general sense it's true! The case is this: The Lord is love itself given form and expression as wisdom itself, and that Divine Love and Divine Wisdom flow down into us, into the world and into the Bible in an unending stream with endless variety. Divine Love gives rise to our loves, our affections, our desires for good and the joy we can feel; Divine Wisdom gives rise to facts, knowledge, intelligence, understanding and human wisdom. And the more we can bring those two aspects of our lives into harmony, the more elevated we can become -- which will in turn make us happier, more useful, and ultimately more angelic.