Vision of the Lampstand and Olive Trees

Now (A)the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, (B)as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. And he said to me, “What do you see?”

So I said, “I am looking, and there is (C)a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, (D)and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. (E)Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left.” So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?”

Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?”

And I said, “No, my lord.”

So he answered and said to me:

“This is the word of the Lord to (F)Zerubbabel:
(G)‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’
Says the Lord of hosts.
‘Who are you, (H)O great mountain?
Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!
And he shall bring forth (I)the capstone
(J)With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’ ”

Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

“The hands of Zerubbabel
(K)Have laid the foundation of this [a]temple;
His hands (L)shall also finish it.
Then (M)you will know
That the (N)Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.
10 For who has despised the day of (O)small things?
For these seven rejoice to see
The [b]plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
(P)They are the eyes of the Lord,
Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”

11 Then I answered and said to him, “What are these (Q)two olive trees—at the right of the lampstand and at its left?” 12 And I further answered and said to him, “What are these two olive branches that drip [c]into the receptacles of the two gold pipes from which the golden oil drains?”

13 Then he answered me and said, “Do you not know what these are?

And I said, “No, my lord.”

14 So he said, (R)“These are the two [d]anointed ones, (S)who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.”

Vision of the Flying Scroll

Then I turned and raised my eyes, and saw there a flying (T)scroll.

And he said to me, “What do you see?”

So 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 (U)curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth: ‘Every thief shall be expelled,’ according to this side of the scroll; and, ‘Every perjurer shall be expelled,’ according to that side of it.”

“I will send out the curse,” says the Lord of hosts;
“It shall enter the house of the (V)thief
And the house of (W)the one who swears falsely by My name.
It shall remain in the midst of his house
And consume (X)it, with its timber and stones.”

Vision of the Woman in a Basket

Then the angel who talked with me came out and said to me, “Lift your eyes now, and see what this is that goes forth.”

So I asked, “What is it?” And he said, “It is a [e]basket that is going forth.”

He also said, “This is their resemblance throughout the earth: Here is a lead disc lifted up, and this is a woman sitting inside the basket”; then he said, “This is Wickedness!” And he thrust her down into the basket, and threw the lead [f]cover over its mouth. Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were two women, coming with the wind in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a (Y)stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven.

10 So I said to the (Z)angel who talked with me, “Where are they carrying the basket?”

11 And he said to me, “To (AA)build a house for it in (AB)the land of [g]Shinar; when it is ready, the basket will be set there on its base.”

Vision of the Four Chariots

Then I turned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. With the first chariot were (AC)red horses, with the second chariot (AD)black horses, with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot dappled horses—strong steeds. Then I answered (AE)and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”

And the angel answered and said to me, (AF)“These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their (AG)station before the Lord of all the earth. [h]The one with the black horses is going to (AH)the north country, the white are going after them, and the dappled are going toward the south country.” Then the strong steeds went out, eager to go, that they might (AI)walk to and fro throughout the earth. And He said, “Go, walk to and fro throughout the earth.” So they walked to and fro throughout the earth. And He called to me, and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My (AJ)Spirit in the north country.”

The Command to Crown Joshua

Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 10 “Receive the gift from the captives—from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have come from Babylon—and go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah. 11 Take the silver and gold, make (AK)an[i] elaborate crown, and set it on the head of (AL)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 Then speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying:

“Behold, (AM)the Man whose name is the (AN)BRANCH!
From His place He shall [j]branch out,
(AO)And He shall build the temple of the Lord;
13 Yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord.
He (AP)shall bear the glory,
And shall sit and rule on His throne;
So (AQ)He shall be a priest on His throne,
And the counsel of peace shall be between [k]them both.” ’

14 “Now the [l]elaborate crown shall be (AR)for a memorial in the temple of the Lord [m]for Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah. 15 Even (AS)those from afar shall come and build the temple of the Lord. Then you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. And this shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.”

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 4:9 Lit. house
  2. Zechariah 4:10 Lit. plummet stone
  3. Zechariah 4:12 Lit. into the hands of
  4. Zechariah 4:14 Lit. sons of fresh oil
  5. Zechariah 5:6 Heb. ephah, a measuring container, and so elsewhere
  6. Zechariah 5:8 Lit. stone
  7. Zechariah 5:11 Babylon
  8. Zechariah 6:6 The chariot
  9. Zechariah 6:11 Lit. crowns
  10. Zechariah 6:12 Lit. sprout up
  11. Zechariah 6:13 Both offices
  12. Zechariah 6:14 Lit. crowns
  13. Zechariah 6:14 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; Syr. for Heldai (cf. v. 10); LXX for the patient ones

Beware of Hypocrisy(A)

12 In (B)the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, (C)“Beware of the [a]leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. (D)For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

Jesus Teaches the Fear of God(E)

(F)“And I say to you, (G)My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, (H)fear Him!

“Are not five sparrows sold for two [b]copper coins? And (I)not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Confess Christ Before Men(J)

(K)“Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me (L)before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who (M)denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

10 “And (N)anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.

11 (O)“Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. 12 For the Holy Spirit will (P)teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

The Parable of the Rich Fool

13 Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

14 But He said to him, (Q)“Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” 15 And He said to them, (R)“Take heed and beware of [c]covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, (S)“Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; (T)eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night (U)your soul will be required of you; (V)then whose will those things be which you have provided?’

21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, (W)and is not rich toward God.”

Do Not Worry(X)

22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, (Y)do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and (Z)God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why [d]are you anxious for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even (AA)Solomon in all his glory was not [e]arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of (AB)little faith?

29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father (AC)knows that you need these things. 31 (AD)But seek [f]the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

32 “Do not fear, little flock, for (AE)it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 (AF)Sell what you have and give (AG)alms; (AH)provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant(AI)

35 (AJ)“Let your waist be girded and (AK)your lamps burning; 36 and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. 37 (AL)Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. 38 And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39 (AM)But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would [g]have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 40 (AN)Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

41 Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?

42 And the Lord said, (AO)“Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food [h]in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 (AP)Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. 45 (AQ)But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a (AR)day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And (AS)that servant who (AT)knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 (AU)But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

Christ Brings Division(AV)

49 (AW)“I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But (AX)I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is (AY)accomplished! 51 (AZ)Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, (BA)but rather division. 52 (BB)For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. 53 (BC)Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

Discern the Time(BD)

54 Then He also said to the multitudes, (BE)“Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is. 55 And when you see the (BF)south wind blow, you say, ‘There will be hot weather’; and there is. 56 Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern (BG)this time?

Make Peace with Your Adversary

57 “Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right? 58 (BH)When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort (BI)along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite.”

Footnotes

  1. Luke 12:1 yeast
  2. Luke 12:6 Gr. assarion, a coin worth about 1⁄16 of a denarius
  3. Luke 12:15 NU all covetousness
  4. Luke 12:26 do you worry
  5. Luke 12:27 clothed
  6. Luke 12:31 NU His kingdom, and these things
  7. Luke 12:39 NU not have allowed
  8. Luke 12:42 at the right time

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