A Vision of a Man with a Measuring Line
1 1 And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, oa man with a measuring line in his hand! 2 Then I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, p“To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.” 3 And behold, qthe angel who talked with me came forward, and another angel came forward to meet him 4 and said to him, “Run, say to that young man, r‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited sas villages without walls, because of tthe multitude of people and livestock in it. 5 And I will be to her ua wall of fire all around, declares the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst.’”
6 Up! Up! vFlee from the land of the north, declares the Lord. For I have wspread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, declares the Lord. 7 xUp! Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon. 8 For thus said the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me2 to the nations who plundered you, yfor he who touches you touches zthe apple of his eye: 9 “Behold, aI will shake my hand over them, band they shall become plunder for those who served them. Then cyou will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me. 10 dSing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for ebehold, I come fand I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord. 11 gAnd many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. fAnd I will dwell in your midst, and cyou shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. 12 hAnd the Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again ichoose Jerusalem.”
13 Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.
A Vision of Joshua the High Priest
1 Then he showed me jJoshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and kSatan3 standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, l“The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has mchosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this na brand4 plucked from the fire?” 3 Now jJoshua was standing before the angel, oclothed with filthy garments. 4 And the angel said to pthose who were standing before him, q“Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, rI have taken your iniquity away from you, and sI will clothe you with pure vestments.” 5 And I said, t“Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by.
6 And the angel of the Lord solemnly assured jJoshua, 7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and ukeep my charge, then you shall vrule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among wthose who are standing here. 8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for xthey are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring ymy servant zthe Branch. 9 For behold, on athe stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with bseven eyes,5 I will cengrave its inscription, declares the Lord of hosts, and dI will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. 10 In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come eunder his vine and under his fig tree.”
The Example of Christ
1 sWe who are strong thave an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 uLet each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For vChrist did not please himself, but as it is written, w“The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For xwhatever was written in former days was written for our yinstruction, that through endurance and through zthe encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you ato live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify bthe God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles
8 For I tell you that Christ cbecame a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order dto confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order ethat the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
f“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and sing to your name.”
10 And again it says,
g“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”
11 And again,
h“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and let all the peoples extol him.”
12 And again Isaiah says,
ij“The root of Jesse will come,
even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
kin him will the Gentiles hope.”
13 May the God of hope fill you with all ljoy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
