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Zechariah 3-6
Common English Bible
Zechariah 3-6
Common English Bible
Fourth night vision
3 Then the Lord showed me the high priest Joshua, standing before the messenger from the Lord,
and the Adversary[a] was standing by his right side to accuse him.
2 And the Lord said to the Adversary:
“The Lord rebukes you, Adversary.
The Lord, the one choosing Jerusalem, rebukes you.
Is this one not a log snatched from the fire?”
3 Joshua was wearing filthy clothes and standing before the messenger.
4 He responded to those standing before him,
“Take off his filthy clothes.”
And he said to Joshua,
“Look, I have removed your guilt from you.
Put on priestly robes.”
5 He[b] said, “Put a clean turban upon his head.”
So they put the clean turban upon his head,
and they dressed him in garments while the Lord’s messenger stood by.
6 Then the Lord’s messenger admonished Joshua:
7 “The Lord of heavenly forces proclaims:
If you will walk in my paths,
if you will keep my charge,
then you will lead my house and guard my courts,
and I will allow you to walk among those standing here.
8 Now listen, High Priest Joshua,
you and your companions sitting before you—
for these men are a sign—
look, I am about to bring my servant, Branch.
9 See this stone that I have put before Joshua.
Upon one stone, there are seven facets.
I am about to engrave an inscription on it,
says the Lord of heavenly forces.
I will remove the guilt of that land in one day.
10 On that day, says the Lord of heavenly forces,
everyone will invite their neighbors to sit beneath their vines and the fig trees.”
Fifth night vision
4 The messenger speaking with me returned and woke me like one who awakens someone who is asleep.
2 Then he said to me, “What do you see?”
I said, “I see a lampstand
made entirely of gold.
It has a bowl on top.
The bowl has seven lamps on top
and seven metal pipes for those lamps.
3 It has two olive trees beside the lampstand,
one to the right of its bowl and one to the left.”
4 I responded to the messenger speaking with me,
“What are these, sir?”
5 The messenger responded to me:
“Don’t you know what these are?”
I said, “No, sir. I don’t.”
6 He answered me:
“This is the Lord’s word to Zerubbabel:
Neither by power, nor by strength,
but by my spirit, says the Lord of heavenly forces.”
7 Who are you, great mountain?
Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain.
He will present the capstone to shouts of great gratitude.
8 The Lord’s word came to me:
9 The hands of Zerubbabel laid the foundation of this house,
and his hands will finish it
so that you will know that the Lord of heavenly forces has sent me to you.
10 Those who despise a time of little things will rejoice when they see the plumb line[c] in Zerubbabel’s hand.
These are the seven eyes of the Lord, surveying the entire earth.
11 I responded to him,
“What are these two olive trees on the right and left sides of the lampstand?”
12 Then I responded a second time,
“What are these two olive branches that empty out golden oil through the two gold pipes?”
13 He said to me, “Don’t you know what these are?”
I said, “No, sir.”
14 He said,
“These are the two anointed ones[d] standing beside the Lord of all the earth.”
Sixth night vision
5 I looked up again and saw a flying scroll.
2 And he said to me, “What do you see?”
I said, “I see a flying scroll, thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide.”
3 He said to me, “This is the curse going out across all the land.
Anyone stealing will be purged according to what’s on one side of the scroll,[e]
and anyone swearing lies[f] will be purged according to what’s on the other side.
4 I sent it out, says the Lord of heavenly forces.
It will come to the house of the thief and the one swearing lies in my name.
It will lodge in their house and destroy the wood and stones of that house.”
Seventh night vision
5 Then the messenger speaking with me came forward and said,
“Look up and see what’s approaching.”
6 I said, “What’s this?”
He said, “This is the basket[g] that is going out.
This is how it appears[h] throughout the entire land.”[i]
7 Then a lead cover was lifted,
showing a woman sitting in the middle of the basket.
8 He said, “This is wickedness.”
He shoved her back into the basket,
and he put the lead stone over its opening.
9 I looked up again and saw two women going out.
There was a wind in their wings;
their wings were like the wings of a stork.
They carried the basket between the earth and the sky.
10 I said to the messenger speaking with me,
“Where are they taking the basket?”
11 He said to me,
“To build a house for it in the land of Shinar.
It will be firmly placed there on its base.”
Eighth night vision
6 I looked up again
and saw four chariots coming out from between two mountains;
the mountains were made of bronze.
2 The first chariot had red horses,
and the second chariot had black horses.
3 The third chariot had white horses,
and the fourth chariot had horses that were heavily spotted.
4 I responded and said to the messenger speaking with me,
“What are these, sir?”
5 The messenger answered and said to me,
“These are the four winds of heaven that are going out
after presenting themselves to the Lord of all the earth.
6 The one with the black horses is going to the north country;
the white ones are going to the west;[j]
and the spotted ones are going south.”
7 Then the powerful ones approached, intent on going to patrol the earth.
He said, “Go! Patrol the earth!”
So they patrolled the earth.
8 Then he called out and said to me,
“Look, the ones going north have provided rest for my spirit in the north.”
9 The Lord’s word came to me:
10 Take silver and gold[k] from the exiles who came from Babylon,
from Heldai, from Tobijah, and from Jedaiah.
As for you, go that same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah.
11 Take silver and gold and make a crown.[l]
Place it on the head of the high priest Joshua, Jehozadak’s son.
12 Say to him,
“The Lord of heavenly forces proclaims:
Here is a man.
His name is Branch, and he will branch out from his place;
he will build the Lord’s temple.
13 He will build the Lord’s temple.
He will be majestic;
he will sit and rule on his throne.
There will be a priest on his throne,
and the two of them will share a peaceable plan.
14 The crown will be a memorial in the Lord’s temple
for Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and for Hen, Zephaniah’s son.
15 People from far away will come and build the Lord’s temple
so you might know that the Lord of heavenly forces has sent me to you.
It will happen if you truly obey the voice of the Lord your God.”
Footnotes
- Zechariah 3:1 Heb hassatan; cf Job 1:6
- Zechariah 3:5 Or I
- Zechariah 4:10 Or stone, tin
- Zechariah 4:14 Or sons of oil
- Zechariah 5:3 Heb lacks of the scroll.
- Zechariah 5:3 Heb lacks lies.
- Zechariah 5:6 Heb ephah, a basket measuring approximately twenty quarts
- Zechariah 5:6 Or their eye
- Zechariah 5:6 Heb uncertain
- Zechariah 6:6 Or after them
- Zechariah 6:10 Heb lacks silver and gold; cf 6:11.
- Zechariah 6:11 LXX; Heb crowns, so also 6:14
Zechariah 3-6
New International Version
Zechariah 3-6
New International Version
Clean Garments for the High Priest
3 Then he showed me Joshua(A) the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan[a](B) standing at his right side to accuse him. 2 The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you,(C) Satan! The Lord, who has chosen(D) Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick(E) snatched from the fire?”(F)
3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.”
Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin,(G) and I will put fine garments(H) on you.”
5 Then I said, “Put a clean turban(I) on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by.
6 The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: 7 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements,(J) then you will govern my house(K) and have charge(L) of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.(M)
8 “‘Listen, High Priest(N) Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic(O) of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.(P) 9 See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua!(Q) There are seven eyes[b](R) on that one stone,(S) and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin(T) of this land in a single day.
10 “‘In that day each of you will invite your neighbor to sit(U) under your vine and fig tree,(V)’ declares the Lord Almighty.”
The Gold Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees
4 Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke(W) me up, like someone awakened from sleep.(X) 2 He asked me, “What do you see?”(Y)
I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand(Z) with a bowl at the top and seven lamps(AA) on it, with seven channels to the lamps. 3 Also there are two olive trees(AB) by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”
4 I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”
5 He answered, “Do you not know what these are?”
“No, my lord,” I replied.(AC)
6 So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:(AD) ‘Not(AE) by might nor by power,(AF) but by my Spirit,’(AG) says the Lord Almighty.
7 “What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground.(AH) Then he will bring out the capstone(AI) to shouts(AJ) of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’”
8 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation(AK) of this temple; his hands will also complete it.(AL) Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me(AM) to you.
10 “Who dares despise the day(AN) of small things,(AO) since the seven eyes(AP) of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone[c] in the hand of Zerubbabel?”(AQ)
11 Then I asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees(AR) 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(AS) to[d] serve the Lord of all the earth.”
The Flying Scroll
5 I looked again, and there before me was a flying scroll.(AT)
2 He asked me, “What do you see?”(AU)
I answered, “I see a flying scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.[e]”
3 And he said to me, “This is the curse(AV) that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief(AW) will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely(AX) will be banished. 4 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(AY) by my name. It will remain in that house and destroy it completely, both its timbers and its stones.(AZ)’”
The Woman in a Basket
5 Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, “Look up and see what is appearing.”
6 I asked, “What is it?”
He replied, “It is a basket.(BA)” And he added, “This is the iniquity[f] of the people throughout the land.”
7 Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! 8 He said, “This is wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed its lead cover down on it.(BB)
9 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,(BC) 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[g](BD) to build a house(BE) for it. When the house is ready, the basket will be set there in its place.”(BF)
Four Chariots
6 I looked up again, and there before me were four chariots(BG) coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze. 2 The first chariot had red horses, the second black,(BH) 3 the third white,(BI) and the fourth dappled—all of them powerful. 4 I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these, my lord?”
5 The angel answered me, “These are the four spirits[h](BJ) of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world.(BK) 6 The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west,[i] and the one with the dappled horses toward the south.”
7 When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earth.(BL) And he said, “Go throughout the earth!” So they went throughout the earth.
8 Then he called to me, “Look, those going toward the north country have given my Spirit[j] rest(BM) in the land of the north.”(BN)
A Crown for Joshua
9 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.(BO) Go the same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. 11 Take the silver and gold and make a crown,(BP) and set it on the head of the high priest, Joshua(BQ) son of Jozadak.[k](BR) 12 Tell him this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch,(BS) and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the Lord.(BT) 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[l] will be a priest(BU) on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.’ 14 The crown will be given to Heldai,[m] Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen[n] son of Zephaniah as a memorial(BV) in the temple of the Lord. 15 Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the Lord,(BW) and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.(BX) This will happen if you diligently obey(BY) the Lord your God.”
Footnotes
- Zechariah 3:1 Hebrew satan means adversary.
- Zechariah 3:9 Or facets
- Zechariah 4:10 Or the plumb line
- Zechariah 4:14 Or two who bring oil and
- Zechariah 5:2 That is, about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide or about 9 meters long and 4.5 meters wide
- Zechariah 5:6 Or appearance
- Zechariah 5:11 Hebrew Shinar
- Zechariah 6:5 Or winds
- Zechariah 6:6 Or horses after them
- Zechariah 6:8 Or spirit
- Zechariah 6:11 Hebrew Jehozadak, a variant of Jozadak
- Zechariah 6:13 Or there
- Zechariah 6:14 Syriac; Hebrew Helem
- Zechariah 6:14 Or and the gracious one, the
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