A Man With a Measuring Line
In Hebrew texts 2:1-13 is numbered 2:5-17. 1Then I looked up, and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2I asked, “Where are you going?”
He answered me, “To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is.”
3While the angel who was speaking to me was leaving, another angel came to meet him 4and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of people and animals in it. 5And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.’
6“Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven,” declares the Lord.
7“Come, Zion! Escape, you who live in Daughter Babylon!” 8For this is what the Lord Almighty says: “After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye— 9I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them.2:8,9 Or says after… eye: 9 “I… plunder them.” Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me.
10“Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the Lord. 11“Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. 12The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem. 13Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.”
A Vision of a Man Holding a Measuring Line
1Then I looked up and saw a man. He was holding a measuring line. 2“Where are you going?” I asked.
“To measure Jerusalem,” he answered. “I want to find out how wide and how long it is.”
3The angel who was talking with me was leaving. At that time, another angel came over to him. 4He said to him, “Run! Tell that young man Zechariah, ‘Jerusalem will be a city that does not have any walls around it. It will have huge numbers of people and animals in it. 5And I myself will be like a wall of fire around it,’ announces the Lord. ‘I will be the city’s glory.’
6“Israel, I have scattered you,” announces the Lord. “I have used the power of the four winds of heaven to do it. Come quickly! Run away from the land of the north,” announces the Lord.
7“Come, people of Zion! Escape, you who live in Babylon!” 8The Lord rules over all. His angel says to Israel, “The Glorious One has sent me to punish the nations that have robbed you of everything. That’s because anyone who hurts you hurts those the Lord loves and guards. 9So I will raise my powerful hand to strike down your enemies. Their own slaves will rob them of everything. Then you will know that the Lord who rules over all has sent me.
10“ ‘People of Zion, shout and be glad! I am coming to live among you,’ announces the Lord. 11‘At that time many nations will join themselves to me. And they will become my people. I will live among you,’ says the Lord. Then you will know that the Lord who rules over all has sent me to you. 12He will receive Judah as his share in the holy land. And he will choose Jerusalem again. 13All you people of the world, be still because the Lord is coming. He is getting ready to come down from his holy temple in heaven.”
