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Zechariah 2
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Zechariah 2
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 2
Second Vision: The Four Horns and the Four Smiths. 1 I raised my eyes and looked and there were four horns.[a] 2 Then I asked the angel who spoke with me, “What are those?” He answered, “Those are the horns that scattered[b] Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”(A)
3 Then the Lord showed me four workmen.[c] 4 And I said, “What are these coming to do?” And the Lord said, “Those are the horns that scattered Judah, so that none could raise their heads any more;(B) and these have come to terrify them—to cut down the horns of the nations that raised their horns to scatter the land of Judah.”
Third Vision: The Man with the Measuring Cord. 5 I raised my eyes and looked, and there was a man with a measuring cord[d] in his hand.(C) 6 I asked, “Where are you going?” And he said, “To measure Jerusalem—to see how great its width is and how great its length.”
7 Then the angel who spoke with me advanced as another angel came out to meet him 8 and he said to the latter, “Run, speak to that official:[e] Jerusalem will be unwalled, because of the abundance of people and beasts in its midst.(D) 9 I will be an encircling wall of fire[f] for it—oracle of the Lord—and I will be the glory in its midst.”(E)
Expansion on the Themes of the First Three Visions. 10 Up! Up! Flee from the land of the north[g]—oracle of the Lord;—For like the four winds of heaven I have dispersed you—oracle of the Lord.(F) 11 Up, Zion! Escape, you who dwell in daughter Babylon! 12 For thus says the Lord of hosts after the Lord’s glory had sent me, concerning the nations that have plundered you: Whoever strikes you strikes me directly in the eye.(G) 13 Now I wave my hand over them, and they become plunder for their own servants.(H) Thus you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me. 14 Sing and rejoice, daughter Zion! Now, I am coming to dwell in your midst—oracle of the Lord. 15 Many nations will bind themselves to the Lord on that day.(I) They will be my people,[h] and I will dwell in your midst. Then you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. 16 The Lord will inherit Judah(J) as his portion of the holy land,[i] and the Lord will again choose Jerusalem. 17 Silence, all people, in the presence of the Lord, who stirs forth from his holy dwelling.(K)
Footnotes
- 2:1 Four horns: symbols of the total political and military might of Judah’s imperial adversaries, probably representing Assyria, Babylonia, and Persia. The number four represents universality rather than any specific number of foes.
- 2:2 Scattered: sent part of the population into exile. This was standard imperial policy initiated in the ancient Near East by the Assyrians for dealing with a conquered state.
- 2:3 Four workmen: four agents of God’s power. The imagery follows that of four horns: the workers cut down, or make ineffectual, the horns, i.e., enemy.
- 2:5 Measuring cord: a string for measuring, as opposed to a builder’s string, 1:16.
- 2:8 That official: probably the man with the measuring cord of v. 5.
- 2:9 Encircling wall of fire: divine protection for an unwalled Jerusalem. Urban centers were generally walled, and Jerusalem’s walls were eventually rebuilt in the late fifth century B.C. (Neh 2:17–20).
- 2:10 Land of the north: refers to Babylon (v. 11), in a geographic rather than a political sense, as the place from which exiles will return. The designation is “north” because imperial invaders historically entered Palestine from that direction (see Jer 3:18; 23:8).
- 2:15 Many nations…my people: a way of expressing God’s relationship to people in covenant language. The covenant between God and Israel (see Jer 31:33; 32:38) is here universalized to include all nations.
- 2:16 The holy land: the Lord’s earthly territory, a designation found only rarely in the Old Testament.
Zechariah 2
New International Version
Zechariah 2
New International Version
A Man With a Measuring Line
2 [a]Then I looked up, and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 I asked, “Where are you going?”
He answered me, “To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is.”(A)
3 While the angel who was speaking to me was leaving, another angel came to meet him 4 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) 5 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)
6 “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)
7 “Come, Zion! Escape,(L) you who live in Daughter Babylon!”(M) 8 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)— 9 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
- Zechariah 2:1 In Hebrew texts 2:1-13 is numbered 2:5-17.
- Zechariah 2:9 Or says after … eye: 9 “I … plunder them.”
Zechariah 2
King James Version
Zechariah 2
King James Version
2 I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.
2 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.
3 And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him,
4 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:
5 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.
6 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.
7 Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.
8 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.
9 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.
Zechariah 2
New King James Version
Zechariah 2
New King James Version
Vision of the Measuring Line
2 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, (A)a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 So 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.”
3 And there was the angel who talked with me, going out; and another angel was coming out to meet him, 4 who said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying: (C)‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it. 5 For I,’ says the Lord, ‘will be (D)a wall of fire all around her, (E)and I will be the glory in her midst.’ ”
Future Joy of Zion and Many Nations
6 “Up, up! Flee (F)from the land of the north,” says the Lord; “for I have (G)spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven,” says the Lord. 7 “Up, Zion! (H)Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.”
8 For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who (I)touches you touches the [a]apple of His eye. 9 For surely I will (J)shake My hand against them, and they shall become [b]spoil for their servants. Then (K)you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me.
10 (L)“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I (M)will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord. 11 (N)“Many nations shall be joined to the Lord (O)in that day, and they shall become (P)My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then (Q)you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. 12 And the Lord will (R)take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem. 13 (S)Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused (T)from His holy habitation!”
Footnotes
- Zechariah 2:8 Lit. pupil
- Zechariah 2:9 booty or plunder
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.