< Zacharias 5 >

1 And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked and behold a flying sickle.
Then again I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, a flying scroll.
2 And he said to me, What see you? And I said, I see a flying sickle, of the length of twenty cubits, and of the breadth of ten cubits.
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 And he said to me, This is the curse that goes forth over the face of the whole earth: for every thief shall be punished with death on this side, and every false swearer shall be punished on that side.
Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the surface of the whole land, for everyone who steals shall be cut off according to it on the one side; and everyone who swears falsely shall be cut off according to it on the other side.
4 And I will bring it forth, says the Lord Almighty, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that swears falsely by my name: and it shall rest in the midst of his house, and shall consume it, and the timber of it, and the stones of it.
I will cause it to go out,” says the LORD of Armies, “and it will enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him who swears falsely by my name; and it will remain in the middle of his house, and will destroy it with its timber and its stones.”
5 And the angel that talked with me went forth, and said to me, Lift up your eyes, and see this that goes forth.
Then the angel who talked with me came forward and said to me, “Lift up now your eyes and see what this is that is appearing.”
6 And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the measure that goes forth. And he said, This is their iniquity in all the earth.
I said, “What is it?” He said, “This is the ephah basket that is appearing.” He said moreover, “This is their appearance in all the land—
7 And behold a talent of lead lifted up: and behold a woman sat in the midst of the measure.
and behold, a lead cover weighing one talent was lifted up—and there was a woman sitting in the middle of the ephah basket.”
8 And he said, This is iniquity. And he cast it into the midst of the measure, and cast the weight of lead on the mouth of it.
He said, “This is Wickedness;” and he threw her down into the middle of the ephah basket; and he threw the lead weight on its mouth.
9 And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, two women coming forth, and the wind was in their wings; and they had stork's wings: and they lifted up the measure between the earth and the sky.
Then I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, there were two women; and the wind was in their wings. Now they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah basket between earth and the sky.
10 And I said to the angel that spoke with me, Whither do these carry away the measure?
Then I said to the angel who talked with me, “Where are these carrying the ephah basket?”
11 And he said to me, To build it a house in the land of Babylon, and to prepare [a place for it]; and they shall set it there on its own base.
He said to me, “To build her a house in the land of Shinar. When it is prepared, she will be set there in her own place.”

< Zacharias 5 >