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Fifth Vision: The Lampstand and Olive Trees

The angel who spoke with me came again and wakened me, as one is wakened from sleep.(A) He said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it; there are seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it.(B) And by it there are two olive trees, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”(C) I said to the angel who spoke with me, “What are these, my lord?” Then the angel who spoke with me answered me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” He said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts.(D) What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain, and he shall bring out the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’ ”(E)

Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.(F) 10 For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel.

“These seven are the eyes of the Lord that range through the whole earth.”(G) 11 Then I said to him, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?” 12 And a second time I said to him, “What are these two branches of the olive trees that pour out the oil[a] through the two golden pipes?” 13 He said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” 14 Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”(H)

Sixth Vision: The Flying Scroll

Again I looked up and saw a flying scroll.(I) And he said to me, “What do you see?” 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 curse that goes out over the face of the whole land, for everyone who has stolen, as is forbidden on one side, has gone unpunished, and everyone who has sworn falsely,[b] as is forbidden on the other side, has gone unpunished.(J) I have sent it out, says the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely by my name, and it shall abide in that house and consume it, both timber and stones.”(K)

Seventh Vision: The Woman in a Basket

Then the angel who spoke with me came forward and said to me, “Look up and see what this is that is coming out.” I said, “What is it?” He said, “This is a basket[c] coming out.” And he said, “This is their iniquity[d] in the whole land.” Then a leaden cover was lifted, and there was a woman sitting in the basket![e] And he said, “This is Wickedness.” So he thrust her back into the basket[f] and pressed the leaden weight down on its mouth.(L) Then I looked up and saw two women coming forward. The wind was in their wings; they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket[g] between earth and sky. 10 Then I said to the angel who spoke with me, “Where are they taking the basket?”[h] 11 He said to me, “To the land of Shinar, to build a house for it, and when this is prepared, they will set it down there on its base.”(M)

Eighth Vision: Four Chariots

And again I looked up and saw four chariots coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze. The first chariot had red horses, the second chariot black horses,(N) the third chariot white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled gray[i] horses.(O) Then I said to the angel who spoke with me, “What are these, my lord?” The angel answered me, “These are the four winds[j] of heaven going out, after presenting themselves before the Lord of the whole earth.(P) The chariot with the black horses goes toward the north country, the white ones go toward the west country,[k] and the dappled ones go toward the south country.”(Q) When the steeds came out, they were impatient to get off and patrol the earth. And he said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth. Then he cried out to me, “See, those who go toward the north country have set my spirit at rest in the north country.”(R)

The Coronation of the Branch

The word of the Lord came to me: 10 “Collect silver and gold[l] from the exiles—from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah—who have arrived from Babylon, and go the same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah.(S) 11 Take the silver and gold and make a crown[m] and set it on the head of the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak;(T) 12 say to him: Thus says the Lord of hosts: Here is a man whose name is Branch, for he shall branch out in his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord.(U) 13 It is he who shall build the temple of the Lord; he shall bear royal honor and shall sit upon his throne and rule. There shall be a priest by his throne, with peaceful understanding between the two of them.(V) 14 And the crown[n] shall be in the care of Heldai,[o] Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Josiah[p] son of Zephaniah, as a memorial in the temple of the Lord.

15 “Those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the Lord, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. This will happen if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.”(W)

Footnotes

  1. 4.12 Cn: Heb gold
  2. 5.3 The word falsely added from verse 4
  3. 5.6 Heb ephah
  4. 5.6 Gk Compare Syr: Heb their eye
  5. 5.7 Heb ephah
  6. 5.8 Heb ephah
  7. 5.9 Heb ephah
  8. 5.10 Heb ephah
  9. 6.3 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  10. 6.5 Or spirits
  11. 6.6 Cn: Heb go after them
  12. 6.10 Heb lacks silver and gold
  13. 6.11 Gk mss Syr Tg: Heb crowns
  14. 6.14 Gk Syr: Heb crowns
  15. 6.14 Syr: Heb Helem
  16. 6.14 Syr: Heb Hen

The Gold Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees

Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke(A) me up, like someone awakened from sleep.(B) He asked me, “What do you see?”(C)

I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand(D) with a bowl at the top and seven lamps(E) on it, with seven channels to the lamps. Also there are two olive trees(F) by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”

I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”

He answered, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I replied.(G)

So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:(H) ‘Not(I) by might nor by power,(J) but by my Spirit,’(K) says the Lord Almighty.

“What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground.(L) Then he will bring out the capstone(M) to shouts(N) of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’”

Then the word of the Lord came to me: “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation(O) of this temple; his hands will also complete it.(P) Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me(Q) to you.

10 “Who dares despise the day(R) of small things,(S) since the seven eyes(T) of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone[a] in the hand of Zerubbabel?”(U)

11 Then I asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees(V) on the right and the left of the lampstand?”

12 Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?”

13 He replied, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I said.

14 So he said, “These are the two who are anointed(W) to[b] serve the Lord of all the earth.”

The Flying Scroll

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

He asked me, “What do you see?”(Y)

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

And he said to me, “This is the curse(Z) that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief(AA) will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely(AB) 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(AC) by my name. It will remain in that house and destroy it completely, both its timbers and its stones.(AD)’”

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.(AE)” And he added, “This is the iniquity[d] 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.(AF)

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,(AG) 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[e](AH) to build a house(AI) for it. When the house is ready, the basket will be set there in its place.”(AJ)

Four Chariots

I looked up again, and there before me were four chariots(AK) coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze. The first chariot had red horses, the second black,(AL) the third white,(AM) and the fourth dappled—all of them powerful. I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these, my lord?”

The angel answered me, “These are the four spirits[f](AN) of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world.(AO) The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west,[g] and the one with the dappled horses toward the south.”

When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earth.(AP) And he said, “Go throughout the earth!” So they went throughout the earth.

Then he called to me, “Look, those going toward the north country have given my Spirit[h] rest(AQ) in the land of the north.”(AR)

A Crown for Joshua

The word of the Lord came to me: 10 “Take silver and gold from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon.(AS) Go the same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. 11 Take the silver and gold and make a crown,(AT) and set it on the head of the high priest, Joshua(AU) son of Jozadak.[i](AV) 12 Tell him this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch,(AW) and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the Lord.(AX) 13 It is he who will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he[j] will be a priest(AY) on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.’ 14 The crown will be given to Heldai,[k] Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen[l] son of Zephaniah as a memorial(AZ) in the temple of the Lord. 15 Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the Lord,(BA) and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.(BB) This will happen if you diligently obey(BC) the Lord your God.”

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 4:10 Or the plumb line
  2. Zechariah 4:14 Or two who bring oil and
  3. Zechariah 5:2 That is, about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide or about 9 meters long and 4.5 meters wide
  4. Zechariah 5:6 Or appearance
  5. Zechariah 5:11 Hebrew Shinar
  6. Zechariah 6:5 Or winds
  7. Zechariah 6:6 Or horses after them
  8. Zechariah 6:8 Or spirit
  9. Zechariah 6:11 Hebrew Jehozadak, a variant of Jozadak
  10. Zechariah 6:13 Or there
  11. Zechariah 6:14 Syriac; Hebrew Helem
  12. Zechariah 6:14 Or and the gracious one, the