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

I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.

Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.

And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him,

And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein:

For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.

Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the Lord: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the Lord.

Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.

For thus saith the Lord of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.

For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me.

10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord.

11 And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto thee.

12 And the Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.

13 Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.

A Vision of a Man with a Measuring Line

[a] And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, (A)a man with a measuring line in his hand! Then I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, (B)“To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.” And behold, (C)the angel who talked with me came forward, and another angel came forward to meet him and said to him, “Run, say to that young man, (D)‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited (E)as villages without walls, because of (F)the multitude of people and livestock in it. And I will be to her (G)a wall of fire all around, declares the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst.’”

Up! Up! (H)Flee from the land of the north, declares the Lord. For I have (I)spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, declares the Lord. (J)Up! Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon. For thus said the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me[b] to the nations who plundered you, (K)for he who touches you touches (L)the apple of his eye: “Behold, (M)I will shake my hand over them, (N)and they shall become plunder for those who served them. Then (O)you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me. 10 (P)Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for (Q)behold, I come (R)and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord. 11 (S)And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. (T)And I will dwell in your midst, and (U)you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. 12 (V)And the Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again (W)choose Jerusalem.”

13 Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 2:1 Ch 2:5 in Hebrew
  2. Zechariah 2:8 Or he sent me after glory

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