The Mountain of the House of the LORD (Isaiah 2:1–4)
1 UDB Yahweh says that his temple will be set on the top of a mountain, and that mountain will be the most important mountain on all the earth; it will be as though it was higher than all the hills, and huge groups of people from all over the world will come there to worship. BSB BSB: In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and the peoples will stream to it.
2 UDB People from many nations will say to each other, "Let us go to the mountain where Yahweh is, to the temple where we can worship the God whom Jacob worshiped. There he will teach us how he wants us to conduct our lives, and we will do what he wants us to do." Mount Zion is the place where he will teach people; and people will go out from Jerusalem to tell others his messages. BSB BSB: And many nations will come and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 UDB Everyone will sit peacefully under his own grapevines, and under his own fig trees; no one will cause them to be afraid. That is what will surely happen because Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, has said it. BSB BSB: And each man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, with no one to frighten him. For the mouth of the LORD of Hosts has spoken.
5 UDB Many of the people of other nations will worship their own gods, but we will worship Yahweh our God always, forever. BSB BSB: Though all the nations may walk in the name of their gods, yet we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.
The Restoration of Zion (Zechariah 8:1–23)
6 UDB Yahweh says, "There will soon be a time when I will gather the people whom I have punished, who have been exiled, all those whom I have caused to suffer much. BSB BSB: “On that day,” declares the LORD, “I will gather the lame; I will assemble the outcast, even those whom I have afflicted.
7 UDB My people who did not die while they were exiled will become a strong nation again. Then I, Yahweh, will be their king, and I will rule from Jerusalem forever. BSB BSB: And I will make the lame into a remnant, the outcast into a strong nation. Then the LORD will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever.
8 UDB As for you people of Jerusalem, you who guard all of my people as a shepherd guards his sheep from a tower, you who live on Mount Zion will have great power again. You people who live in Jerusalem will again rule as you did previously. BSB BSB: And you, O watchtower of the flock, O stronghold of the Daughter of Zion—the former dominion will be restored to you; sovereignty will come to the Daughter of Jerusalem.”
9 UDB So why are you wailing now? Is it because you have no king? Have all your wise people died? You are weeping loudly like a woman who is giving birth to a baby. BSB BSB: Why do you now cry aloud? Is there no king among you? Has your counselor perished so that anguish grips you like a woman in labor?
10 UDB Well, you people of Jerusalem should twist and groan as a woman who is having birth pains, because now you must leave this city. While you are traveling, you will set up tents in open fields at night; you will go to live in Babylon. But while you are there, I, Yahweh, will rescue you; I will free you from the power of your enemies. BSB BSB: Writhe in agony, O Daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor. For now you will leave the city and camp in the open fields. You will go to Babylon; there you will be rescued; there the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies!
11 UDB Now the armies of many nations have gathered to attack you. They are saying, 'Jerusalem must be destroyed! We want to see this city when it becomes ruins!'" BSB BSB: But now many nations have assembled against you, saying, “Let her be defiled, and let us feast our eyes on Zion.”
12 UDB The prophet says, they do not know what Yahweh thinks; and they do not understand what he is planning. He will gather them and punish them as farmers thresh grain on the ground. BSB BSB: But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD or understand His plan, for He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 UDB Yahweh says, "So, you people of Jerusalem, rise up and punish the nations who oppose you. I will cause you to be very strong, as if you had horns made of iron, as if you had hooves made of bronze; and you will crush many nations. Then you will take from your enemies the valuable things that they have taken from other countries, and I will cause you to dedicate those things to me, the one who is the Lord of all the people on the earth." BSB BSB: Rise and thresh, O Daughter of Zion, for I will give you horns of iron and hooves of bronze to break to pieces many peoples. Then you will devote their gain to the LORD, their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.