A treia viziune: omul cu funia de măsurat

Apoi mi-am ridicat ochii, m-am uitat şi am văzut un om care avea în mână o funie de măsurat. L-am întrebat:

– Unde te duci?

El mi-a răspuns:

– Să măsor Ierusalimul, ca să văd ce lăţime şi ce lungime are.

Atunci îngerul care vorbea cu mine s-a îndepărtat, iar un alt înger a venit să-l întâlnească. Acesta i-a zis: «Aleargă la tânărul acesta şi spune-i că Ierusalimul va fi locuit ca o cetate fără ziduri, din pricina mulţimii oamenilor şi a animalelor din mijlocul lui. Eu Însumi voi fi un zid de foc împrejurul lui, zice Domnul, şi voi fi slava din mijlocul lui.»

«Repede! Repede! Fugiţi din ţara din nord, zice Domnul. Căci v-am împrăştiat ca pe cele patru vânturi ale cerurilor, zice Domnul

«Repede! Scapă, Sioane, tu, care locuieşti la fiica Babilonului! Căci aşa vorbeşte Domnul Oştirilor: ‘După slavă[a] M-a trimis El la neamurile care v-au jefuit, căci cel ce se atinge de voi, se atinge de lumina ochilor Lui! Prin urmare, iată, Îmi[b] ridic mâna împotriva lor şi vor deveni pradă pentru înşişi sclavii lor! Şi veţi şti astfel că Domnul Oştirilor M-a trimis!’»

10 «Strigă de bucurie şi veseleşte-te, fiică a Sionului, căci iată că Eu vin şi voi locui în mijlocul tău, zice Domnul. 11 Multe neamuri se vor alătura Domnului în ziua aceea şi vor fi poporul Meu. Eu voi locui în mijlocul tău şi astfel vei şti că Domnul Oştirilor M-a trimis la tine. 12 Domnul va lua în stăpânire pe Iuda, ca partea Lui de moştenire din ţinutul sfânt, şi va alege iarăşi Ierusalimul! 13 Orice făptură să tacă înaintea Domnului, căci El S-a ridicat din locuinţa Lui cea sfântă!»

Footnotes

  1. Zaharia 2:8 Sensul în ebraică al acestei expresii este nesigur; sau: După ce M-a onorat; sau, mai puţin probabil: Cu insistenţă, termenul ebraic pentru slavă având şi sensul de a fi greu, tare
  2. Zaharia 2:9 Sau: Căci aşa vorbeşte Domnul Oştirilor, după ce M-a onorat şi M-a trimis la neamurile care v-au jefuit (căci cel ce se atinge de voi, se atinge de lumina ochilor Lui): „Iată, Îmi

Third Vision: Surveyor

[a]I looked up and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. I asked, “Where are you going?”

He answered me, “To measure Jerusalem to determine its width and length.”

Then the angel who was speaking with me went out, and another angel went out to meet him. He said to him, “Run and tell this young man: Jerusalem will be inhabited without walls because of the number of people and livestock in it.”(A) The declaration of the Lord: “I will be a wall(B) of fire around it, and I will be the glory within it.”

“Get up! Leave the land of the north”(C)—this is the Lord’s declaration—“for I have scattered you like the four winds of heaven”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “Go, Zion! Escape, you who are living with Daughter Babylon.” For the Lord of Hosts says this: “He has sent Me[b] for His glory against the nations who are plundering you, for anyone who touches you touches the pupil[c] of His[d] eye. I will move against them with My[e] power, and they will become plunder for their own servants.(D) Then you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent Me.[f]

10 “Daughter Zion, shout for joy and be glad, for I am coming to dwell among you”—this is the Lord’s declaration. 11 “Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day and become My[g] people.(E) I will dwell among you, and you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent Me[h] to you. 12 The Lord will take possession of Judah as His portion in the Holy Land, and He will once again choose Jerusalem.(F) 13 Let all people be silent(G) before the Lord, for He is coming from His holy dwelling.”

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 2:1 Zch 2:5 in Hb
  2. Zechariah 2:8 Or me
  3. Zechariah 2:8 Or apple
  4. Zechariah 2:8 Ancient Jewish tradition reads My
  5. Zechariah 2:9 Or my
  6. Zechariah 2:9 Or me
  7. Zechariah 2:11 LXX, Syr read His
  8. Zechariah 2:11 Or me

The vision about Jerusalem that God gave to Zechariah

Then I looked up and I saw a man in front of me. He had a line in his hand. The line was to measure something. I asked the man, ‘Where are you going?’ He said to me, ‘I am going to measure Jerusalem. I want to see how wide and how long it is.’ The angel that talked with me went away. Another angel came to meet him. The second angel said to the first angel, ‘Run to that young man with the line in his hand. Say that Jerusalem will be a city without walls. This is because of the many people and many animals that will live in it. The Lord himself promises that he will be like a wall of fire round Jerusalem. He will shine as a beautiful light inside the city.’

The Lord will be among his people

‘Come! Come! Run away from the country in the north,’ says the Lord. ‘As the four winds blow in different directions, I sent you to many far countries.

Come, my people. Run away from Babylon and return to Jerusalem.’ Return because the Lord says, ‘Anyone that attacks you is attacking the Lord's people. He is attacking the people that the Lord loves.’ So the Lord Almighty sent me, Zechariah, with this message about the countries that have robbed his people. ‘The Lord himself will fight against your enemies and their own slaves will rob them. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me, Zechariah, to you.’

10 ‘Sing and be happy, you people in Jerusalem. This is because I will come. And I will live among you,’ says the Lord. 11 ‘On that day, the people from many countries will come to me, the Lord, and they will become my people. I will live among you. You will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me. 12 The Lord will choose Judah for himself again. Jerusalem will be the city that he loves most of all cities. 13 Be quiet, all people, because the Lord has left his home in heaven to come among you.’