Two Olive Trees and the Capstone

4 Then the angel who had been speaking with me returned and woke me—like a man who is wakened from his sleep.

² He asked me, ‘What do you see?’

I replied, ‘Behold, I see a solid gold menorah with its bowl at the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven pipes for the lamps that are on the top of it. ³ Also two olive trees are by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on the left side of it.’^[a]

⁴ Then I responded by saying to the angel speaking with me, ‘What are these, my lord?’

⁵ The angel who spoke with me responded by asking me, ‘You do not know what these are?’

I replied, ‘No, my lord.’

⁶ Then he responded to me by saying, ‘This is the word of Adonai to Zerubbabel saying: “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Ruach!” says Adonai-Tzva’ot. ⁷ “What are you, great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain. He will bring out the capstone with shouts of “Grace, grace” to it.’”

⁸ Again the word of Adonai came to me saying: ⁹ “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this House. His hands will also finish it. Then you will know that Adonai-Tzva’ot has sent me to you. ¹⁰ For who despises the day of small things? These seven—which are the eyes of Adonai that run back and forth throughout the whole earth—will rejoice when they see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.”

¹¹ Then I responded by asking him, “What are these two olive trees, on the right and on the left of the menorah?” ¹² Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two golden pipes that empty the golden oil out of them?”

¹³ He said to me, “You do not know what these are?”

I said, “No, my lord.”

¹⁴ So he said, “These are the two anointed ones, who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth.”