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Vision Three: The Surveyor
2 (2:5) I looked again, and there was a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 I asked, “Where are you going?” He replied, “To measure Jerusalem in order to determine its width and its length.” 3 At this point the angelic messenger[a] who spoke to me went out, and another messenger came to meet him 4 and said to him, “Hurry, speak to this young man[b] as follows: ‘Jerusalem will no longer be enclosed by walls[c] because of the multitude of people and animals there. 5 But I,’ the Lord says, ‘will be a wall of fire surrounding Jerusalem[d] and the source of glory in her midst.’”
6 “You there![e] Flee from the northland!” says the Lord, “for like the four winds of heaven[f] I have scattered you,” says the Lord. 7 “Escape, Zion, you who live among the Babylonians!”[g] 8 For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “For his own glory[h] he has sent me to the nations that plundered you—for anyone who touches you touches the pupil[i] of his[j] eye. 9 Yes, look here, I am about to punish them[k] so that they will be looted by their own slaves.” Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me.
10 “Sing out and be happy, Zion my daughter![l] For look, I have come; I will settle in your midst,” says the Lord. 11 “Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on the day of salvation,[m] and they will also be my[n] people. Indeed, I will settle in the midst of you all. Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me to you. 12 The Lord will take possession of[o] Judah as his portion in the holy land and he will choose Jerusalem once again. 13 Be silent in the Lord’s presence, all people everywhere,[p] for he is being moved to action in his holy dwelling place.”[q]
Vision Four: The Priest
3 Next I saw Joshua the high priest[r] standing before the angel of the Lord, with Satan[s] standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 The Lord[t] said to Satan, “May the Lord rebuke you, Satan! May the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Isn’t this man like a burning stick snatched from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes[u] as he stood there before the angel. 4 The angel[v] spoke up to those standing all around, “Remove his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua,[w] “I have freely forgiven your iniquity and will dress you[x] in fine clothing.” 5 Then I spoke up, “Let a clean turban be put on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood nearby. 6 Then the angel of the Lord exhorted Joshua solemnly: 7 “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘If you follow[y] my ways and keep my requirements, you will be able to preside over my temple[z] and attend to my courtyards, and I will allow you to come and go among these others who are standing by you. 8 Listen now, Joshua the high priest, both you and your colleagues who are sitting before you, all of you[aa] are a symbol that I am about to introduce my servant, the Branch.[ab] 9 As for the stone[ac] I have set before Joshua—on the one stone there are seven eyes.[ad] I am about to engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, ‘to the effect that I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day.[ae] 10 In that day,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, ‘everyone will invite his friend to fellowship under his vine and under his fig tree.’”[af]
The Two Beasts
13 Then[a] I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It[b] had ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns were ten diadem crowns,[c] and on its heads a blasphemous name.[d] 2 Now[e] the beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The[f] dragon gave the beast[g] his power, his throne, and great authority to rule.[h] 3 One of the beast’s[i] heads appeared to have been killed,[j] but the lethal wound had been healed.[k] And the whole world followed[l] the beast in amazement; 4 they worshiped the dragon because he had given ruling authority[m] to the beast, and they worshiped the beast too, saying: “Who is like the beast?” and “Who is able to make war against him?”[n] 5 The beast[o] was given a mouth speaking proud words[p] and blasphemies, and he was permitted[q] to exercise ruling authority[r] for forty-two months. 6 So[s] the beast[t] opened his mouth to blaspheme against God—to blaspheme both his name and his dwelling place,[u] that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 The beast[v] was permitted to go to war against the saints and conquer them.[w] He was given ruling authority[x] over every tribe, people,[y] language, and nation, 8 and all those who live on the earth will worship the beast,[z] everyone whose name has not been written since the foundation of the world[aa] in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was killed.[ab] 9 If anyone has an ear, he had better listen!
10 If anyone is meant for captivity,
into captivity he will go.
If anyone is to be killed by the sword,[ac]
then by the sword he must be killed.
This[ad] requires steadfast endurance[ae] and faith from the saints.
11 Then[af] I saw another beast[ag] coming up from the earth. He[ah] had two horns like a lamb,[ai] but[aj] was speaking like a dragon. 12 He[ak] exercised all the ruling authority[al] of the first beast on his behalf,[am] and made the earth and those who inhabit it worship the first beast, the one whose lethal wound had been healed. 13 He[an] performed momentous signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people[ao] 14 and, by the signs he was permitted to perform on behalf of the beast, he deceived those who live on the earth. He told[ap] those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who had been wounded by the sword, but still lived. 15 The second beast[aq] was empowered[ar] to give life[as] to the image of the first beast[at] so that it could speak, and could cause all those who did not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He also caused[au] everyone (small and great, rich and poor, free and slave[av]) to obtain a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. 17 Thus no one was allowed to buy[aw] or sell things[ax] unless he bore[ay] the mark of the beast—that is, his name or his number.[az] 18 This calls for wisdom:[ba] Let the one who has insight calculate the beast’s number, for it is man’s number,[bb] and his number is 666.[bc]
Psalm 141[a]
A psalm of David.
141 O Lord, I cry out to you. Come quickly to me.
Pay attention to me when I cry out to you.
2 May you accept my prayer like incense,
my uplifted hands like the evening offering.[b]
3 O Lord, place a guard on my mouth.
Protect the opening[c] of my lips.[d]
4 Do not let me have evil desires,[e]
or participate in sinful activities
with men who behave wickedly.[f]
I will not eat their delicacies.[g]
5 May the godly strike me in love and correct me.
May my head not refuse[h] choice oil.[i]
Indeed, my prayer is a witness against their evil deeds.[j]
6 They will be thrown over the side of a cliff by their judges.[k]
They[l] will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.
7 As when one plows and breaks up the soil,[m]
so our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
8 Surely I am looking to you,[n] O Sovereign Lord.
In you I take shelter.
Do not expose me to danger.[o]
9 Protect me from the snare they have laid for me,
and the traps the evildoers have set.[p]
10 Let the wicked fall[q] into their[r] own nets,
while I escape.[s]
18 There are three things that are too wonderful for me,[a]
four that I do not understand:
19 the way[b] of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a snake on a rock,
the way of a ship in the sea,
and the way of a man with a woman.[c]
20 This is the way[d] of an adulterous[e] woman:
she has eaten and wiped her mouth[f]
and has said, “I have not done wrong.”[g]
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