< Zechariah 4 >

1 Then the angel who had been talking with me returned, and he called to me as though I had been asleep.
וַיָּ֕שָׁב הַמַּלְאָ֖ךְ הַדֹּבֵ֣ר בִּ֑י וַיְעִירֵ֕נִי כְּאִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יֵעֹ֥ור מִשְּׁנָתֹֽו׃
2 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.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י מָ֥ה אַתָּ֖ה רֹאֶ֑ה וַיֹאמֶר (וָאֹמַ֡ר) רָאִ֣יתִי ׀ וְהִנֵּ֣ה מְנֹורַת֩ זָהָ֨ב כֻּלָּ֜הּ וְגֻלָּ֣הּ עַל־רֹאשָׁ֗הּ וְשִׁבְעָ֤ה נֵרֹתֶ֙יהָ֙ עָלֶ֔יהָ שִׁבְעָ֤ה וְשִׁבְעָה֙ מֽוּצָקֹ֔ות לַנֵּרֹ֖ות אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־רֹאשָֽׁהּ׃
3 Furthermore, I see two olive trees, one at the right side of the lampstand and one at the left side.”
וּשְׁנַ֥יִם זֵיתִ֖ים עָלֶ֑יהָ אֶחָד֙ מִימִ֣ין הַגֻּלָּ֔ה וְאֶחָ֖ד עַל־שְׂמֹאלָֽהּ׃
4 I asked the angel who was talking with me, “Sir, what are these?”
וָאַ֙עַן֙ וָֽאֹמַ֔ר אֶל־הַמַּלְאָ֛ךְ הַדֹּבֵ֥ר בִּ֖י לֵאמֹ֑ר מָה־אֵ֖לֶּה אֲדֹנִֽי׃
5 He replied, “Surely you know [RHQ] what they are?” I replied, “No, I do not know.”
וַ֠יַּעַן הַמַּלְאָ֞ךְ הַדֹּבֵ֥ר בִּי֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י הֲלֹ֥וא יָדַ֖עְתָּ מָה־הֵ֣מָּה אֵ֑לֶּה וָאֹמַ֖ר לֹ֥א אֲדֹנִֽי׃
6 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.
וַיַּ֜עַן וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלַי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר זֶ֚ה דְּבַר־יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־זְרֻבָּבֶ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר לֹ֤א בְחַ֙יִל֙ וְלֹ֣א בְכֹ֔חַ כִּ֣י אִם־בְּרוּחִ֔י אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֹֽות׃
7 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!”’”
מִֽי־אַתָּ֧ה הַֽר־הַגָּדֹ֛ול לִפְנֵ֥י זְרֻבָּבֶ֖ל לְמִישֹׁ֑ר וְהֹוצִיא֙ אֶת־הָאֶ֣בֶן הָרֹאשָׁ֔ה תְּשֻׁאֹ֕ות חֵ֥ן חֵ֖ן לָֽהּ׃ פ
8 Then Yahweh gave me [another] message.
וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃
9 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.”
יְדֵ֣י זְרֻבָּבֶ֗ל יִסְּד֛וּ הַבַּ֥יִת הַזֶּ֖ה וְיָדָ֣יו תְּבַצַּ֑עְנָה וְיָ֣דַעְתָּ֔ כִּֽי־יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֹ֖ות שְׁלָחַ֥נִי אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃
10 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.”
כִּ֣י מִ֣י בַז֮ לְיֹ֣ום קְטַנֹּות֒ וְשָׂמְח֗וּ וְרָא֞וּ אֶת־הָאֶ֧בֶן הַבְּדִ֛יל בְּיַ֥ד זְרֻבָּבֶ֖ל שִׁבְעָה־אֵ֑לֶּה עֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה הֵ֥מָּה מְשֹׁוטְטִ֖ים בְּכָל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
11 Then I asked the angel, “What is [the meaning of] the two olive trees, one on each side of the lampstand?
וָאַ֖עַן וָאֹמַ֣ר אֵלָ֑יו מַה־שְּׁנֵ֤י הַזֵּיתִים֙ הָאֵ֔לֶה עַל־יְמִ֥ין הַמְּנֹורָ֖ה וְעַל־שְׂמֹאולָֽהּ׃
12 And what [the meaning of] the two olive branches, one alongside each of the gold pipes from which [olive] oil flows to the lamps?”
וָאַ֣עַן שֵׁנִ֔ית וָאֹמַ֖ר אֵלָ֑יו מַה־שְׁתֵּ֞י שִׁבֲּלֵ֣י הַזֵּיתִ֗ים אֲשֶׁר֙ בְּיַ֗ד שְׁנֵי֙ צַנְתְּרֹ֣ות הַזָּהָ֔ב הַֽמְרִיקִ֥ים מֵעֲלֵיהֶ֖ם הַזָּהָֽב׃
13 He replied, “Surely [RHQ] you know what they are?” I replied, “No, sir, [I do not know.]”
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלַי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הֲלֹ֥וא יָדַ֖עְתָּ מָה־אֵ֑לֶּה וָאֹמַ֖ר לֹ֥א אֲדֹנִֽי׃
14 So he said, “They represent the two [men who have been] appointed [MTY] to serve the Lord who [rules] the entire earth.”
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אֵ֖לֶּה שְׁנֵ֣י בְנֵֽי־הַיִּצְהָ֑ר הָעֹמְדִ֖ים עַל־אֲדֹ֥ון כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

< Zechariah 4 >