Zechariah 8:16

“These are the things that you shall do: Speak truth each with his neighbor; judge with truth and judgment of peace in your gates.”
Zechariah 8:16 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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Zechariah: let everyone speak the truth to their neighborThe Tongue

With the Hebrew beneath

Theseאֵלֶּהare the thingsהַדְּבָרִיםthatאֲשֶׁרyou shall do:תַּעֲשׂוּSpeakדַּבְּרוּtruthאֱמֶתeachאִישׁwith his neighbor;אֶת רֵעֵהוּjudgeשִׁפְטוּwith truthאֱמֶתand judgmentוּמִשְׁפַּטof peaceשָׁלוֹםin your gates.בְּשַׁעֲרֵיכֶם

Quotation · Ephesians 4:25

Go to Ephesians 4:25

Paul uses Zechariah 8:16 without a formula: “speak truth, each one with his neighbor.”

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: Διὸ ἀποθέμενοι τὸ ψεῦδος λαλεῖτε ἀλήθειαν ἕκαστος μετὰ τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ ὅτι ἐσμὲν ἀλλήλων μέλη

Hebrew (Masoretic text): אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשׂוּ דַּבְּרוּ אֱמֶת אִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ אֱמֶת וּמִשְׁפַּט שָׁלוֹם שִׁפְטוּ בְּשַׁעֲרֵיכֶם

Septuagint (Zechariah 8:16-17 in the Septuagint numbering): οὗτοι οἱ λόγοι οὓς ποιήσετε· λαλεῖτε ἀλήθειαν καὶ ἕκαστος τὴν κακίαν τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ μὴ λογίζεσθε ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν, καὶ ὅρκον ψευδῆ μὴ ἀγαπᾶτε· διότι ταῦτα πάντα ἐμίσησα, λέγει Κύριος ΙΙαντοκράτωρ.

In the Septuagint verse that most resembles it, at most 3 consecutive words match the Greek of the NT. The transcription has reading errors, so a match may not show.

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Zechariah 8:16, word by word

are the thingsדְּבָרִיםdevarim

thing

A matter, a thing; with "not", nothing.

Where else “devarim” appears

you shall doתַּעֲשׂוּtaasu

To carry out an act or to deal with someone in a certain way, for good or ill.

Where else “taasu” appears

Speakדַּבְּרוּdabru

speak

To speak, say something; above all God to his people.

Where else “dabru” appears

truthאֱמֶתemet

truth

What corresponds to the facts, what is so and not otherwise.

Where else “emet” appears

eachאִישׁish

each

Literally "a man": any person; with "not", not a single person.

Where else “ish” appears

with his neighborרֵעֵree

neighbor

The person living near, anyone one deals with.

Where else “ree” appears

judgeשִׁפְטוּshiftu

judge

To judge and do justice, defend the weak.

Where else “shiftu” appears

and judgmentמִשְׁפַּטmishpat

judgment

The decision a judge gives on a case.

Where else “mishpat” appears

of peaceשָׁלוֹםshalom

peace

Living without war or quarrels, in harmony.

Where else “shalom” appears

in your gatesשַׁעֲרֵיshaare

gate

The entrance of a city or house, with doors that close.

Where else “shaare” appears

Translation note

Paul quotes the first words in Ephesians 4:25.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Ephesians 4:25

Paul uses Zechariah 8:16 without a formula: “speak truth, each one with his neighbor.”

See them side by side

Zechariah 8:16

¹⁶These are the things that you shall do: Speak truth each with his neighbor; judge with truth and judgment of peace in your gates.

Ephesians 4:25

²⁵Therefore, having put off falsehood, speak truth, each one with his neighbor, because we are members of one another.

The context

15so again I have purposed in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear.

16 · This verse (above)

17And do not plan in your heart evil against his neighbor, each of you; and do not love a false oath; for all these are things that I hate, declares YHWH.”

Read all of Zechariah 8

How to use it