Zechariah 5-6

New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition

Sixth Vision: The Flying Scroll

5 Again I looked up and saw a flying scroll. ² 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.’ ³ Then he said to me, ‘This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land; for everyone who steals shall be cut off according to the writing on one side, and everyone who swears falsely^[a] shall be cut off according to the writing on the other side. ⁴ 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.’

Seventh Vision: The Woman in a Basket

⁵ Then the angel who talked with me came forward and said to me, ‘Look up and see what this is that is coming out.’ ⁶ I said, ‘What is it?’ He said, ‘This is a basket^[b] coming out.’ And he said, ‘This is their iniquity^[c] in all the land.’ ⁷ Then a leaden cover was lifted, and there was a woman sitting in the basket!^{[d] 8} And he said, ‘This is Wickedness.’ So he thrust her back into the basket,^[e] and pressed the leaden weight down on its mouth. ⁹ 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^[f] between earth and sky. ¹⁰ Then I said to the angel who talked with me, ‘Where are they taking the basket?’^{[g] 11} He said to me, ‘To the land of Shinar, to build a house for it; and when this is prepared, they will set the basket^[h] down there on its base.’

Eighth Vision: Four Chariots

6 And again I looked up and saw four chariots coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze. ² The first chariot had red horses, the second chariot black horses, ³ the third chariot white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled grey^[i] horses. ⁴ Then I said to the angel who talked with me, ‘What are these, my lord?’ ⁵ The angel answered me, ‘These are the four winds^[j] of heaven going out, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth. ⁶ The chariot with the black horses goes towards the north country, the white ones go towards the west country,^[k] and the dappled ones go towards the south country.’ ⁷ 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. ⁸ Then he cried out to me, ‘Lo, those who go towards the north country have set my spirit at rest in the north country.’

The Coronation of the Branch

⁹ 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. 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; 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. ¹³ It is he that shall build the temple of the Lord; he shall bear royal honour, and shall sit and rule on his throne. There shall be a priest by his throne, with peaceful understanding between the two of them. 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.