Zechariah 4

1 And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep.

Then the angel who had been talking with me returned, and he called to me as though I had been asleep.

2 And said to me, What see you? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are on the top thereof:

He asked me, “What do you see?” I replied, “I see a lampstand [made] completely of gold. There is a small bowl [for olive oil] at the top, and there are seven [small] lamps around the bowl, and a place for a wick on each lamp.

3 And two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl, and the other on the left side thereof.

Furthermore, I see two olive trees, one at the right side of the lampstand and one at the left side.”

4 So I answered and spoke to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?

I asked the angel who was talking with me, “Sir, what are these?”

5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said to me, Know you not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.

He replied, “Surely you know [RHQ] what they are?” I replied, “No, I do not know.”

6 Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the LORD of hosts.

Then he said to me, “This is the message that Yahweh [says that you should give] to Zerubbabel [the governor of Judah: ‘You will do what I want you to do, but it will] not be by your own strength or power. It will be [done] by [the power of] my Spirit, says the Commander of the armies of angels.

7 Who are you, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace to it.

Zerubbabel, you [have many difficult matters to handle. They are like] high mountains [MET]. But they will [become easy to handle, as though] they will become flat land. And you will bring [to the temple] the final stone [to complete the rebuilding of the temple]. When you do that, [all the people] will shout repeatedly, “It is beautiful! May God bless it!”’”

8 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Then Yahweh gave me [another] message.

9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.

He said [to me], “Zerubbabel [SYN] laid the first stone in the foundation of the temple, and he will put the last stone in its place. When that happens, the people will know that [it is I, the Commander of the armies of angels, who] have sent you to them.” And he said, “The seven bowls represent the eyes of Yahweh, who looks back and forth at everything [that happens] on the earth.”

10 For who has despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

No one [RHQ] should think that little things that are done at the beginning of a big project are unimportant. [When the temple is almost finished being rebuilt, ] Zerubbabel will use a (plumb line/string with a stone fastened to it) [to see if the walls they are building are straight]; so when the people see that, they will rejoice.”

11 Then answered I, and said to him, What are these two olive trees on the right side of the candlestick and on the left side thereof?

Then I asked the angel, “What is [the meaning of] the two olive trees, one on each side of the lampstand?

12 And I answered again, and said to him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?

And what [the meaning of] the two olive branches, one alongside each of the gold pipes from which [olive] oil flows to the lamps?”

13 And he answered me and said, Know you not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.

He replied, “Surely [RHQ] you know what they are?” I replied, “No, sir, [I do not know.]”

14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth.

So he said, “They represent the two [men who have been] appointed [MTY] to serve the Lord who [rules] the entire earth.”