The Flying Scroll

I looked again, and there before me was a flying scroll.(A)

He asked me, “What do you see?”(B)

I answered, “I see a flying scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.[a]

And he said to me, “This is the curse(C) that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief(D) will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely(E) will be banished. The Lord Almighty declares, ‘I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely(F) by my name. It will remain in that house and destroy it completely, both its timbers and its stones.(G)’”

The Woman in a Basket

Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, “Look up and see what is appearing.”

I asked, “What is it?”

He replied, “It is a basket.(H)” And he added, “This is the iniquity[b] of the people throughout the land.”

Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! He said, “This is wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed its lead cover down on it.(I)

Then I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork,(J) and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth.

10 “Where are they taking the basket?” I asked the angel who was speaking to me.

11 He replied, “To the country of Babylonia[c](K) to build a house(L) for it. When the house is ready, the basket will be set there in its place.”(M)

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 5:2 That is, about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide or about 9 meters long and 4.5 meters wide
  2. Zechariah 5:6 Or appearance
  3. Zechariah 5:11 Hebrew Shinar

The People of the Holy City[a]

Chapter 5

Vision of the Scroll that Flies.[b] Again I looked up, and I beheld a flying scroll. The angel said to me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll. It is twenty cubits in length and ten cubits in width.”

Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes forth over the entire earth. According to the writing on one side, every thief will be swept away, and according to the writing on the other side, everyone who commits perjury in my name will be banished. I have sent it forth, says the Lord of hosts, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who commits perjury in my name. It will lodge inside such a house and consume it, both timber and stones.”

Vision of the Bushel Coming Forth.[c] Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said, “Raise your eyes and see what this is that is coming forth.” I asked, “What is it?” The angel replied, “This is a bushel basket coming forth.” And he added, “This is their guilt throughout the land.”

Then a leaden cover was lifted up, and there was a woman sitting inside the bushel basket. “This is Wickedness,” the angel said. He immediately pushed her back into the basket and pressed the leaden cover into the opening.

Then I raised my eyes and beheld two women coming forward, with the wind in their wings which were like those of a stork. As they lifted up the bushel basket into the air, 10 I asked the angel who had been conversing with me, “Where are they taking the bushel basket?” 11 He replied, “To the land of Shinar, to build a house for it. When the house is completed, they will set down the bushel basket on a pedestal designed for it.”

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 5:1 It is not enough to restore political and religious buildings and structures; the essential thing is to implement the moral and spiritual conditions that are needed for a new community. These final three visions proclaim that the Lord intends to sanctify his people and make them truly faithful to their mission of salvation.
  2. Zechariah 5:1 A scroll was a strip of parchment that was written on and then rolled up. The ancients thought that a prediction written on a scroll would certainly be fulfilled.
  3. Zechariah 5:5 The woman seen in a dream personifies the evil which God will remove from his people when he comes to save them.

Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll.

And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.

Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it.

I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.

Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.

And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth.

And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.

And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.

Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven.

10 Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?

11 And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.