What we heard we have also seen. We have seen it in the city of the Lord who rules over all. We have seen it in the city of our God. We have heard and seen that God makes it secure forever.
You take care of the land and water it. You make it able to grow many crops. You fill your streams with water. You do that to provide the people with grain. That’s what you have decided to do for the land.
Suppose you see poor people being mistreated somewhere. And what is being done to them isn’t right or fair. Don’t be surprised by that. One official is watched by a higher one. Officials who are even higher are watching both of them.
I wish you would pay attention to my commands. If you did, peace would flow over you like a river. Godliness would sweep over you like the waves of the ocean.
The children of those who crush you will come and bow down to you. All those who hate you will kneel down at your feet. Jerusalem, they will call you the City of the Lord. They will name you Zion, the City of the Holy One of Israel.
The people of Israel say, “What should we bring with us when we go to worship the Lord? What should we offer the God of heaven when we bow down to him? Should we take burnt offerings to him? Should we sacrifice calves that are a year old?
But you have come to Mount Zion. You have come to the city of the living God. This is the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to a joyful gathering of angels. There are thousands and thousands of them.
Then he carried me away in a vision. The Spirit took me to a huge, high mountain. He showed me Jerusalem, the Holy City. It was coming down out of heaven from God.