< Zechariah 5 >

1 I looked up again, and I saw a scroll that was flying [through the air].
And I lifted up mine eyes again, and saw, and behold, a flying roll.
2 The angel asked me, “What do you see?” I replied, “I see a flying scroll that is [huge], (10 yards/9 meters) long and (5 yards/4.5 meters) wide.”
And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I see a flying roll: the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.
3 Then he said to me, “On this scroll is written the [words that Yahweh is speaking to] curse the entire country. On [one side of] the scroll it is written that every thief will be banished. On [the other side] it is written that everyone who tells a lie when he is solemnly promising to tell the truth will also be banished from the country.
And he said unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole land: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off according to it on this side; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off according to it on that side.
4 The Commander of the armies of angels says, ‘I will send [copies of] this scroll to the places where thieves live and to the houses of those who use my name when they solemnly promise to tell the truth. [The copies of] this scroll will stay in their houses, until those houses and all their wood and stones are destroyed.’”
I will cause it to go forth, saith Jehovah of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name; and it shall lodge in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.
5 Then the angel who had been talking to me came closer to me and said, “Look up and see what is appearing!”
And the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.
6 I asked him, “What is it?” He replied, “It is a big basket [for measuring grain]. But it represents the sins that everyone in this nation has committed.”
And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the ephah that goeth forth. And he said, This is their resemblance in all the land.
7 Then [the angel] lifted the basket’s cover, [which was made] of lead. There was a woman sitting inside the basket!
And behold, there was lifted up a round plate of lead; and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.
8 The angel said, “She represents the wicked things [that people do].” Then the angel pushed her back into the basket and closed the very heavy lid [again].
And he said, This is Wickedness: and he cast her into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.
9 Then I looked up and saw two women in front of me. They [were flying toward us], with their wings spread out in the wind. Their wings were [large], like [SIM] storks’ wings. They lifted the big basket up into the sky.
And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; and they had wings like the wings of a stork; and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens.
10 I asked the angel who had been talking to me, “Where are they taking that basket?”
And I said to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these carry the ephah?
11 He replied, “[They are taking it] to Babylonia to build a temple for it. When the temple is finished, they will set the basket there on a pedestal [for people to worship it].”
And he said unto me, To build it a house in the land of Shinar; and it shall be established, and set there upon its own base.

< Zechariah 5 >