God’s Favor to Zion

[a]Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man with a (A)measuring line in his hand. So I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To (B)measure Jerusalem, to see how wide it is and how long it is.” And behold, the (C)angel who was speaking with me was going out, and another angel was coming out to meet him, and said to him, “Run, speak to that (D)young man, saying, ‘(E)Jerusalem will be inhabited [b](F)without walls because of the (G)multitude of men and cattle within it. For I,’ declares the Lord, ‘will be a (H)wall of fire [c]around her, and I will be the (I)glory in her midst.’”

[d]Ho there! (J)Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “for I have (K)dispersed you as the four winds of the heavens,” declares the Lord. “Ho, Zion! (L)Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon.” For thus says the Lord of hosts, “After [e](M)glory He has sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the [f](N)apple of His eye. For behold, I will (O)wave My hand over them so that they will be (P)plunder for their slaves. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me. 10 (Q)Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will (R)dwell in your midst,” declares the Lord. 11 (S)Many nations will join themselves to the Lord in that day and will become My people. Then I will (T)dwell in your midst, and you will (U)know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. 12 The Lord will [g](V)possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again (W)choose Jerusalem.

13 [h](X)Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord; for He is (Y)aroused from His holy habitation.”

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 2:1 Ch 2:5 in Heb
  2. Zechariah 2:4 Lit like unwalled villages; or like open country
  3. Zechariah 2:5 Lit to her
  4. Zechariah 2:6 Lit Ho! Ho!
  5. Zechariah 2:8 Or the glory
  6. Zechariah 2:8 Lit pupil
  7. Zechariah 2:12 Or inherit
  8. Zechariah 2:13 Lit Hush

A Man With a Measuring Line

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

He answered me, “To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is.”(A)

While the angel who was speaking to me was leaving, another angel came to meet him and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls(B) because of the great number(C) of people and animals in it.(D) And I myself will be a wall(E) of fire(F) around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory(G) within.’(H)

“Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “for I have scattered(I) you to the four winds of heaven,”(J) declares the Lord.(K)

“Come, Zion! Escape,(L) you who live in Daughter Babylon!”(M) For 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(N) I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them.[b](O) Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me.(P)

10 “Shout(Q) and be glad, Daughter Zion.(R) For I am coming,(S) and I will live among you,”(T) declares the Lord.(U) 11 “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people.(V) I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.(W) 12 The Lord will inherit(X) Judah(Y) as his portion in the holy land and will again choose(Z) Jerusalem. 13 Be still(AA) before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.(AB)

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 2:1 In Hebrew texts 2:1-13 is numbered 2:5-17.
  2. Zechariah 2:9 Or says after … eye: “I … plunder them.”

22 A man with an (A)evil eye (B)hastens after wealth
And does not know that want will come upon him.
23 He who (C)rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
Than he who (D)flatters with the tongue.
24 He who (E)robs his father or his mother
And says, “It is not a transgression,”
Is the (F)companion of a man who destroys.
25 An [a]arrogant man (G)stirs up strife,
But he who (H)trusts in the Lord (I)will [b]prosper.
26 He who (J)trusts in his own heart is a fool,
But he who walks wisely will be delivered.
27 He who (K)gives to the poor will never want,
But he who [c]shuts his eyes will have many curses.
28 When the wicked rise, men hide themselves;
But when they perish, the righteous increase.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 28:25 Lit broad soul
  2. Proverbs 28:25 Lit be made fat
  3. Proverbs 28:27 Lit hides

22 The stingy are eager to get rich
    and are unaware that poverty awaits them.(A)

23 Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor
    rather than one who has a flattering tongue.(B)

24 Whoever robs their father or mother(C)
    and says, “It’s not wrong,”
    is partner to one who destroys.(D)

25 The greedy stir up conflict,(E)
    but those who trust in the Lord(F) will prosper.

26 Those who trust in themselves are fools,(G)
    but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.(H)

27 Those who give to the poor will lack nothing,(I)
    but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.(J)

28 When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding;(K)
    but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.

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A Better Ministry

Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a (A)high priest, who has taken His seat at (B)the right hand of the throne of the (C)Majesty in the heavens, a (D)minister [a]in the sanctuary and [b]in the (E)true [c]tabernacle, which the Lord (F)pitched, not man. For every (G)high priest is appointed (H)to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer. Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who (I)offer the gifts according to the Law; who serve (J)a copy and (K)shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses [d]was (L)warned by God when he was about to erect the [e]tabernacle; for, “(M)See,” He says, “that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.” But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the (N)mediator of (O)a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.

A New Covenant

For (P)if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. For finding fault with them, He says,

(Q)Behold, days are coming, says the Lord,
[f]When I will effect (R)a new covenant
With the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;
(S)Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers
On the day when I took them by the hand
To lead them out of the land of Egypt;
For they did not continue in My covenant,
And I did not care for them, says the Lord.
10 (T)For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
After those days, says the Lord:
[g]I will put My laws into their minds,
And I will write them (U)on their hearts.
And I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.
11 (V)And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen,
And everyone his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
For (W)all will know Me,
From [h]the least to the greatest of them.
12 (X)For I will be merciful to their iniquities,
(Y)And I will remember their sins no more.”

13 [i]When He said, “(Z)A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. (AA)But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is [j]ready to disappear.

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 8:2 Or of
  2. Hebrews 8:2 Or of
  3. Hebrews 8:2 Or sacred tent
  4. Hebrews 8:5 Lit has been
  5. Hebrews 8:5 Or sacred tent
  6. Hebrews 8:8 Lit And
  7. Hebrews 8:10 Lit Putting my laws into...
  8. Hebrews 8:11 Lit small to great of them
  9. Hebrews 8:13 Or In His saying
  10. Hebrews 8:13 Or near

The High Priest of a New Covenant

Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest,(A) who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,(B) and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle(C) set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.

Every high priest(D) is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices,(E) and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer.(F) If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law.(G) They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy(H) and shadow(I) of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned(J) when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”[a](K) But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant(L) of which he is mediator(M) is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.

For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.(N) But God found fault with the people and said[b]:

“The days are coming, declares the Lord,
    when I will make a new covenant(O)
with the people of Israel
    and with the people of Judah.
It will not be like the covenant
    I made with their ancestors(P)
when I took them by the hand
    to lead them out of Egypt,
because they did not remain faithful to my covenant,
    and I turned away from them,
declares the Lord.
10 This is the covenant(Q) I will establish with the people of Israel
    after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
    and write them on their hearts.(R)
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.(S)
11 No longer will they teach their neighbor,
    or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,(T)
    from the least of them to the greatest.
12 For I will forgive their wickedness
    and will remember their sins no more.(U)[c](V)

13 By calling this covenant “new,”(W) he has made the first one obsolete;(X) and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 8:5 Exodus 25:40
  2. Hebrews 8:8 Some manuscripts may be translated fault and said to the people.
  3. Hebrews 8:12 Jer. 31:31-34