Zechariah 5:5-11

Expanded Bible

The Vision of the Woman

⁵ Then the ·angel [messenger] who was talking with me came forward and said to me, “·Look up [^LLift up your eyes] and see what is ·going out [or coming; appearing].”

⁶ “What is it?” I asked.

He answered, “It is a ·measuring basket [^Lephah] going out.” He also said, “It is ·a symbol of the people’s sins [^Ltheir iniquity; or their appearance; ^Ltheir eye] in all the land.”

⁷ Then the lid made of lead was raised, and there was a woman sitting inside the basket. ⁸ The angel said, “The woman ·stands for [^Lis] wickedness.” Then he pushed her back into the basket and put the lid back down.

⁹ Then I ·looked up [^Llifted my eyes] and saw two women going out with the wind in their wings. Their wings were like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and the ·sky [heaven].

¹⁰ I asked the ·angel [messenger] who was talking with me, “Where are they taking the basket?”

¹¹ “They are going to Babylonia to build a ·temple [^Lhouse] for it,” he answered. “When ·the temple [^Lit] is ready, they will set the basket there ·in its place [or on its base/pedestal].”