< Zechariah 5 >

1 And I turned and lifted up my eyes. And I saw, and behold, a book flying.
Then I turned and lifted my eyes, and I saw, behold, a flying scroll!
2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a book flying. Its length is twenty cubits, and its width is ten cubits.”
The angel said to me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.”
3 And he said to me, “This is the curse that goes forth over the face of the whole earth. For every thief will be judged, just as it has been written there, and everyone who swears by this, will be judged in like manner.”
Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the surface of the whole land. For every thief will be cut off according to what it says on the one side, and everyone who swears a false oath will be cut off according to what it says on the other side.
4 I will bring it forth, says the Lord of hosts, and it will approach to the house of the thief, and to the house of him who swears falsely by my name, and it will remain in the midst of his house and will consume it, with its wood and its stones.
“I will send it out—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts—so it will enter into the house of the thief and into the house of the one that swears falsely by my name. It will remain in his house and consume its timber and stones.”
5 And the angel had departed, who was speaking with me. And he said to me, “Lift up your eyes, and see what this is, that goes forth.”
Then the angel who was speaking with me went out and said to me, “Raise your eyes and see what is coming!”
6 And I said, “What, then, is it?” And he said, “This is a container going forth.” And he said, “This is their eye in all the earth.”
I said, “What is it?” He said, “This is a basket containing an ephah that is coming. This is their iniquity in the whole land.”
7 And behold, a talent of lead was being carried; and behold, one woman sitting in the middle of the container.
Then a lead covering was lifted off the basket and there was a woman under it sitting in it!
8 And he said, “This is impiety.” And he cast her into the middle of the container, and he sent the weight of lead into its mouth.
The angel said, “This is Wickedness!” He threw her back inside the basket, and he threw the lead cover over its opening.
9 And I lifted up my eyes and I saw. And behold, two women were departing, and a spirit was in their wings, and they had wings like the wings of a kite, and they lifted up the container between earth and heaven.
I lifted my eyes and saw two women coming toward me, and wind was in their wings—for they had wings like a stork's wings. They lifted up the basket between earth and heaven.
10 And I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “Where are they taking the container?”
So I said to the angel who was talking to me, “Where are they taking the basket?”
11 And he said to me, “To a house that may be built for it in the land of Shinar, and so that it may be established and set there upon its own base.”
He said to me, “To build a temple in the land of Shinar for it, so that when the temple is ready, the basket will be set there on its prepared base.”

< Zechariah 5 >