Zechariah · Chapter 8

[ edit] And þe word of þe Lord of ooſtis is maad to me, ſayinge, Þeſe þingis ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis, Y hatide Syon wiþ grete feruour, and wiþ grete indignacioun Y hatid it. Þeſe þingus ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis, Y am turned aȝein to Syon, and Y ſhal dwelle in þe mydil of Jeruſalem; and Jeruſalem ſhal be clepid a cytee of trewþe, and þe hill of þe Lord, an hill halewid. Þeſe þingus ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis, Ȝit olde men and olde wymmen ſhuln dwelle in ſtreetis of Jeruſalem, and þe ſtaff of a man in his hond, for multitude of ȝeeris. And ſtreetis of þe citee ſhuln be fulfillid wiþ infauntis and maydens, pleyinge in þe ſtreetis of it.

Þeſe þingus ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis, Ȝif it ſhal be ſeen hard in eeȝen of þe relikis of þis peple in þo dayes, wher in myn eeȝen it ſhal be hard, ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis? Þeſe þingus ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis, Loo! Y ſhal ſaue my peple of lond of þe eeſt, and of þe lond of goynge doun of þe ſunne; and Y ſhal leede hem to, and þei ſhuln dwelle in mydil of Jeruſalem; and þei ſhuln be to me in to peple, and Y ſhal be to hem in to God, and in trewþe, and in riȝtwiſneſſe. Þeſe þingis ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis, Be ȝoure hondis counfortid, whiche heeren in þeſe days þeſe wordis by þe mouþ of prophetis, in þe day in whiche þe hous of þe Lord of ooſtis is foundid, þat þe temple ſhulde be beeldid.

Soþely bifore þo days hijre of men was not, neþer hijre of werk beeſtis was, neþer to man entringe and goynge out was pees for tribulacioun; and Y departide alle men, eche aȝeinus his neiȝbore. Now forſoþe not after þe former days Y ſhal do to þe relikis of þis peple, ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtus, but ſeed of pees ſhal be; þe vyne ȝerd ſhal ȝeue his fruyt, and þe erþe ſhal ȝeue his buriownyng, and heuens ſhuln ȝeue her dewe; and Y ſhal make þe relikis of þis peple for to welde alle þeſe þingus. And it ſhal be, as ȝe, hous of Juda, and þe hous of Yrael, weren curſynge in heiþen men, Y ſhal ſaaue ȝou, and ȝe ſhuln be bleſſyng.

Nyl ȝe dreede, be ȝour hondis coumfortid; for þeſe þingus ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis, As Y þouȝte for to tourmente ȝou, whanne ȝoure fadris hadden terrid me to wraþ, ſaiþ þe Lord, and Y hadde not mercy, ſo Y conuertid þouȝte in þeſe days for to do wele to þe hous of Juda and Jeruſalem; nyl ȝe dreede. Forſoþe þeſe ben þe wordis whiche ȝe ſhuln do; ſpeke ȝe trewþe, eche man wiþ his neiȝbore; deme ȝe treuþe and dom of pees in ȝour ȝatis; and þinke ȝe not in ȝoure hertis, eche man yuel aȝeinys his freend, and loue ȝe not a fals oþ; forſoþe alle þeſe þingus ben, whiche Y hate, ſaiþ þe Lord.

And þe word of þe Lord of hooſtis is maad to me, ſayinge, Þeſe þingus ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis, Faſtyng of þe fourþe moneþe, and faſtynge of þe fifþe, and faſtyng of þe ſeuenþe, and faſtyng of þe tenþe, ſhal be to þe hous of Juda in to ioye and gladneſſe, and in to ful cleere ſolempnytees; loue ȝe oonly treuþe and pees. Þeſe þingis ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis, On eche ſyde peplis ſhuln cume, and dwelle in many citees; and þe dwellers ſhuln go, oon to an oþer, ſaiynge, Go we, and biſeche þe face of þe Lord, and ſeeke we þe Lord of ooſtus; alſo Y ſhal go. And many peplis ſhuln cumme, and ſtronge folkis, for to ſeeke þe Lord of ooſtus in Jeruſalem, for to biſeche þe face of þe Lord.

Þeſe þingus ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis, In þo days, in whiche ten men of alle tungis, or langagis, of heiþen men ſhuln cacche, and þei ſhuln catche þe hem of a man Jew, ſayinge, We ſhuln go wiþ ȝou; forſoþe we han herd, for God is wiþ ȝou.