Charles Spurgeon Commentary Zechariah 8:16-17

"These are the things that ye shall do: speak ye every man the truth with his neighbor; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates; and let none of you devise evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith Jehovah." — Zechariah 8:16-17 (ASV)

These are the things that ye shall do: Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour: execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.

He will have his people true, even if they swear to their own hurt. They must not change. They are to speak the truth, though a thousand calamities should be let loose as a result. May God make us a truth-loving, truth-speaking, truth-doing people.

These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: and let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour;

Some have wickedly said that "thought is free, and can't be condemned"; but here we see that, if it goes after evil, it is a wicked thing which God abhors.