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8:1  The Lord All-Powerful spoke his word, saying,
8:2  This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: “I have a very strong love for Jerusalem. My strong love for her is like a fire burning in me.”
8:3  This is what the Lord says: “I will return to Jerusalem and live in it. Then it will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the Lord All-Powerful will be called the Holy Mountain.”
8:4  This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: “Old men and old women will again sit along Jerusalem’s streets, each carrying a cane because of age.
8:5  And the streets will be filled with boys and girls playing.”
8:6  This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: “Those who are left alive then may think it is too difficult to happen, but it is not too difficult for me,” says the Lord All-Powerful.
8:7  This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: “I will save my people from countries in the east and west.
8:8  I will bring them back, and they will live in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their good and loyal God.”
8:9  This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: “Work hard, you who are hearing these words today. The prophets spoke these words when the foundation was laid for the house of the Lord All-Powerful, for the building of the Temple.
8:10  Before that time there was no money to hire people or animals. People could not safely come and go because of the enemies; I had turned everyone against his neighbor.
8:11  But I will not do to these people who are left what I did in the past,” says the Lord All-Powerful.
8:12  “They will plant their seeds in peace, their grapevines will have fruit, the ground will give good crops, and the sky will send rain. I will give all this to the people who are left alive.
8:13  Judah and Israel, your names have been used as curses in other nations. But I will save you, and you will become a blessing. So don’t be afraid; work hard.”
8:14  This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: “When your ancestors made me angry, I planned to punish you. I did not change my mind,” says the Lord All-Powerful.
8:15  “But now I will do something different. I am planning to do good to Jerusalem and Judah. So don’t be afraid.
8:16  These are the things you should do: Tell each other the truth. In the courts judge with truth and complete fairness.
8:17  Do not make plans to hurt your neighbors, and don’t love false promises. I hate all these things,” says the Lord.
8:18  The Lord All-Powerful spoke his word to me again.
8:19  This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: “The special days when you fast in the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months will become good, joyful, happy feasts in Judah. But you must love truth and peace.”
8:20  This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: “Many people from many cities will still come to Jerusalem.
8:21  People from one city will go and say to those from another city, ‘We are going to pray to the Lord and to ask the Lord All-Powerful for help. Come and go with us.’
8:22  Many people and powerful nations will come to worship the Lord All-Powerful in Jerusalem and to pray to the Lord for help.”
8:23  This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: “At that time, ten men from different countries will come and take hold of a Judean by his coat. They will say to him, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’”