Vision of the Lampstand and Olive Trees

Now (A)the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, (B)as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. And he said to me, “What do you see?”

So I said, “I am looking, and there is (C)a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, (D)and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. (E)Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left.” So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?”

Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?”

And I said, “No, my lord.”

So he answered and said to me:

“This is the word of the Lord to (F)Zerubbabel:
(G)‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’
Says the Lord of hosts.
‘Who are you, (H)O great mountain?
Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!
And he shall bring forth (I)the capstone
(J)With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’ ”

Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

“The hands of Zerubbabel
(K)Have laid the foundation of this [a]temple;
His hands (L)shall also finish it.
Then (M)you will know
That the (N)Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.
10 For who has despised the day of (O)small things?
For these seven rejoice to see
The [b]plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
(P)They are the eyes of the Lord,
Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”

11 Then I answered and said to him, “What are these (Q)two olive trees—at the right of the lampstand and at its left?” 12 And I further answered and said to him, “What are these two olive branches that drip [c]into the receptacles of the two gold pipes from which the golden oil drains?”

13 Then he answered me and said, “Do you not know what these are?

And I said, “No, my lord.”

14 So he said, (R)“These are the two [d]anointed ones, (S)who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.”

Vision of the Flying Scroll

Then I turned and raised my eyes, and saw there a flying (T)scroll.

And he said to me, “What do you see?”

So I answered, “I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits.”

Then he said to me, “This is the (U)curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth: ‘Every thief shall be expelled,’ according to this side of the scroll; and, ‘Every perjurer shall be expelled,’ according to that side of it.”

“I will send out the curse,” says the Lord of hosts;
“It shall enter the house of the (V)thief
And the house of (W)the one who swears falsely by My name.
It shall remain in the midst of his house
And consume (X)it, with its timber and stones.”

Vision of the Woman in a Basket

Then the angel who talked with me came out and said to me, “Lift your eyes now, and see what this is that goes forth.”

So I asked, “What is it?” And he said, “It is a [e]basket that is going forth.”

He also said, “This is their resemblance throughout the earth: Here is a lead disc lifted up, and this is a woman sitting inside the basket”; then he said, “This is Wickedness!” And he thrust her down into the basket, and threw the lead [f]cover over its mouth. Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were two women, coming with the wind in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a (Y)stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven.

10 So I said to the (Z)angel who talked with me, “Where are they carrying the basket?”

11 And he said to me, “To (AA)build a house for it in (AB)the land of [g]Shinar; when it is ready, the basket will be set there on its base.”

Vision of the Four Chariots

Then I turned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. With the first chariot were (AC)red horses, with the second chariot (AD)black horses, with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot dappled horses—strong steeds. Then I answered (AE)and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”

And the angel answered and said to me, (AF)“These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their (AG)station before the Lord of all the earth. [h]The one with the black horses is going to (AH)the north country, the white are going after them, and the dappled are going toward the south country.” Then the strong steeds went out, eager to go, that they might (AI)walk to and fro throughout the earth. And He said, “Go, walk to and fro throughout the earth.” So they walked to and fro throughout the earth. And He called to me, and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My (AJ)Spirit in the north country.”

The Command to Crown Joshua

Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 10 “Receive the gift from the captives—from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have come from Babylon—and go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah. 11 Take the silver and gold, make (AK)an[i] elaborate crown, and set it on the head of (AL)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 Then speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying:

“Behold, (AM)the Man whose name is the (AN)BRANCH!
From His place He shall [j]branch out,
(AO)And He shall build the temple of the Lord;
13 Yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord.
He (AP)shall bear the glory,
And shall sit and rule on His throne;
So (AQ)He shall be a priest on His throne,
And the counsel of peace shall be between [k]them both.” ’

14 “Now the [l]elaborate crown shall be (AR)for a memorial in the temple of the Lord [m]for Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah. 15 Even (AS)those from afar shall come and build the temple of the Lord. Then you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. And this shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.”

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 4:9 Lit. house
  2. Zechariah 4:10 Lit. plummet stone
  3. Zechariah 4:12 Lit. into the hands of
  4. Zechariah 4:14 Lit. sons of fresh oil
  5. Zechariah 5:6 Heb. ephah, a measuring container, and so elsewhere
  6. Zechariah 5:8 Lit. stone
  7. Zechariah 5:11 Babylon
  8. Zechariah 6:6 The chariot
  9. Zechariah 6:11 Lit. crowns
  10. Zechariah 6:12 Lit. sprout up
  11. Zechariah 6:13 Both offices
  12. Zechariah 6:14 Lit. crowns
  13. Zechariah 6:14 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; Syr. for Heldai (cf. v. 10); LXX for the patient ones

Praise to the Lord from Creation

148 Praise[a] the Lord!

Praise the Lord from the heavens;
Praise Him in the heights!
Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all you stars of light!
Praise Him, (A)you heavens of heavens,
And (B)you waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For (C)He commanded and they were created.
(D)He also established them forever and ever;
He made a decree which shall not pass away.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 148:1 Heb. Hallelujah

24 There are four things which are little on the earth,
But they are exceedingly wise:
25 (A)The ants are a people not strong,
Yet they prepare their food in the summer;
26 (B)The [a]rock badgers are a feeble folk,
Yet they make their homes in the crags;
27 The locusts have no king,
Yet they all advance in ranks;
28 The [b]spider skillfully grasps with its hands,
And it is in kings’ palaces.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 30:26 rock hyraxes
  2. Proverbs 30:28 Or lizard

The Scarlet Woman and the Scarlet Beast

17 Then (A)one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying [a]to me, “Come, (B)I will show you the judgment of (C)the great harlot (D)who sits on many waters, (E)with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and (F)the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”

So he carried me away in the Spirit (G)into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting (H)on a scarlet beast which was full of (I)names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman (J)was arrayed in purple and scarlet, (K)and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, (L)having in her hand a golden cup (M)full of abominations and the filthiness of [b]her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written:

(N)MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS
OF THE EARTH.

I saw (O)the woman, drunk (P)with the blood of the saints and with the blood of (Q)the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.

The Meaning of the Woman and the Beast

But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the [c]mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and (R)will ascend out of the bottomless pit and (S)go to [d]perdition. And those who (T)dwell on the earth (U)will marvel, (V)whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and [e]yet is.

(W)“Here is the mind which has wisdom: (X)The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. 10 There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must (Y)continue a short time. 11 The (Z)beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to [f]perdition.

12 (AA)“The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 (AB)These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will (AC)overcome them, (AD)for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; (AE)and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”

15 Then he said to me, (AF)“The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, (AG)are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which you [g]saw on the beast, (AH)these will hate the harlot, make her (AI)desolate (AJ)and naked, eat her flesh and (AK)burn her with fire. 17 (AL)For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, (AM)until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman whom you saw (AN)is that great city (AO)which reigns over the kings of the earth.”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 17:1 NU, M omit to me
  2. Revelation 17:4 M the fornication of the earth
  3. Revelation 17:7 hidden truth
  4. Revelation 17:8 destruction
  5. Revelation 17:8 NU, M shall be present
  6. Revelation 17:11 destruction
  7. Revelation 17:16 NU, M saw, and the beast

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