The New Residents of Jerusalem^(A)

11 Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem. The rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten of them to live in Jerusalem,^(B) the holy city,^(C) while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns.^{(D) 2} The people commended all who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

³ These are the provincial leaders who settled in Jerusalem (now some Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants and descendants of Solomon’s servants lived in the towns of Judah, each on their own property in the various towns,^{(E) 4} while other people from both Judah and Benjamin^(F) lived in Jerusalem):^(G)

From the descendants of Judah:

⁷ From the descendants of Benjamin:

¹⁰ From the priests:

¹⁵ From the Levites:

¹⁹ The gatekeepers:

²⁰ The rest of the Israelites, with the priests and Levites, were in all the towns of Judah, each on their ancestral property.

²¹ The temple servants^(P) lived on the hill of Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of them.

²² The chief officer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah,^(Q) the son of Mika. Uzzi was one of Asaph’s descendants, who were the musicians responsible for the service of the house of God. ²³ The musicians^(R) were under the king’s orders, which regulated their daily activity.

²⁴ Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, one of the descendants of Zerah^(S) son of Judah, was the king’s agent in all affairs relating to the people.

²⁵ As for the villages with their fields, some of the people of Judah lived in Kiriath Arba^(T) and its surrounding settlements, in Dibon^(U) and its settlements, in Jekabzeel and its villages, ²⁶ in Jeshua, in Moladah,^(V) in Beth Pelet,^{(W) 27} in Hazar Shual,^(X) in Beersheba^(Y) and its settlements, ²⁸ in Ziklag,^(Z) in Mekonah and its settlements, ²⁹ in En Rimmon, in Zorah,^(AA) in Jarmuth,^{(AB) 30} Zanoah,^(AC) Adullam^(AD) and their villages, in Lachish^(AE) and its fields, and in Azekah^(AF) and its settlements. So they were living all the way from Beersheba^(AG) to the Valley of Hinnom.

³¹ The descendants of the Benjamites from Geba^(AH) lived in Mikmash,^(AI) Aija, Bethel^(AJ) and its settlements, ³² in Anathoth,^(AK) Nob^(AL) and Ananiah, ³³ in Hazor,^(AM) Ramah^(AN) and Gittaim,^{(AO) 34} in Hadid, Zeboim^(AP) and Neballat, ³⁵ in Lod and Ono,^(AQ) and in Ge Harashim.

³⁶ Some of the divisions of the Levites of Judah settled in Benjamin.

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)”

Clean Garments for the High Priest

3 Then he showed me Joshua^(AC) the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan^[c](AD) standing at his right side to accuse him. ² The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you,^(AE) Satan! The Lord, who has chosen^(AF) Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick^(AG) snatched from the fire?”^(AH)

³ Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. ⁴ The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.”

Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin,^(AI) and I will put fine garments^(AJ) on you.”

⁵ Then I said, “Put a clean turban^(AK) on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by.

⁶ The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: ⁷ “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements,^(AL) then you will govern my house^(AM) and have charge^(AN) of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.^(AO)

⁸ “‘Listen, High Priest^(AP) Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic^(AQ) of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.^{(AR) 9} See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua!^(AS) There are seven eyes^[d](AT) on that one stone,^(AU) and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin^(AV) of this land in a single day.

¹⁰ “‘In that day each of you will invite your neighbor to sit^(AW) under your vine and fig tree,^(AX)’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

The Scroll and the Lamb

5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne^(A) a scroll with writing on both sides^(B) and sealed^(C) with seven seals. ² And I saw a mighty angel^(D) proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” ³ But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. ⁴ I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. ⁵ Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion^(E) of the tribe of Judah,^(F) the Root of David,^(G) has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

⁶ Then I saw a Lamb,^(H) looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures^(I) and the elders.^(J) The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes,^(K) which are the seven spirits^[a](L) of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷ He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.^{(M) 8} And when he had taken it, the four living creatures^(N) and the twenty-four elders^(O) fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp^(P) and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers^(Q) of God’s people. ⁹ And they sang a new song, saying:^(R)

¹¹ Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.^(Y) They encircled the throne and the living creatures^(Z) and the elders.^{(AA) 12} In a loud voice they were saying:

¹³ Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth^(AE) and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:

¹⁴ The four living creatures^(AI) said, “Amen,”^(AJ) and the elders^(AK) fell down and worshiped.^(AL)

The Seals

6 I watched as the Lamb^(AM) opened the first of the seven seals.^(AN) Then I heard one of the four living creatures^(AO) say in a voice like thunder,^(AP) “Come!” ² I looked, and there before me was a white horse!^(AQ) Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown,^(AR) and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.^(AS)

³ When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature^(AT) say, “Come!” ⁴ Then another horse came out, a fiery red one.^(AU) Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth^(AV) and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.

⁵ When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature^(AW) say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse!^(AX) Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. ⁶ Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures,^(AY) saying, “Two pounds^[c] of wheat for a day’s wages,^[d] and six pounds^[e] of barley for a day’s wages,^[f](AZ) and do not damage^(BA) the oil and the wine!”

⁷ When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature^(BB) say, “Come!” ⁸ I looked, and there before me was a pale horse!^(BC) Its rider was named Death, and Hades^(BD) was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.^(BE)

⁹ When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under^(BF) the altar^(BG) the souls of those who had been slain^(BH) because of the word of God^(BI) and the testimony they had maintained. ¹⁰ They called out in a loud voice, “How long,^(BJ) Sovereign Lord,^(BK) holy and true,^(BL) until you judge the inhabitants of the earth^(BM) and avenge our blood?”^{(BN) 11} Then each of them was given a white robe,^(BO) and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters,^[g] were killed just as they had been.^(BP)

¹² I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake.^(BQ) The sun turned black^(BR) like sackcloth^(BS) made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, ¹³ and the stars in the sky fell to earth,^(BT) as figs drop from a fig tree^(BU) when shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴ The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up,^(BV) and every mountain and island was removed from its place.^(BW)

¹⁵ Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free,^(BX) hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.^{(BY) 16} They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us^(BZ) and hide us^[h] from the face of him who sits on the throne^(CA) and from the wrath of the Lamb! ¹⁷ For the great day^(CB) of their^[i] wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”^(CC)