Zechariah 4–6

4TH CHAPTER

The Lord’s House Will Be Rebuilt

¹The angel who was speaking with me returned and woke me up as one might wake up someone who is sleeping. ²He asked me, “What do you see?” 

I answered, “I see a solid gold lamp stand with a bowl on top and seven lamps on it. There are seven spouts for each lamp that is on top of it. ³There are also two olive trees beside it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.” 

⁴I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “What do these things mean, sir?” 

⁵Then the angel asked me, “Don’t you know what they mean?” 

“No, sir,” I answered. 

⁶Then he replied, “This is the word the Lord spoke to Zerubbabel: You won’t ⸤succeed⸥ by might or by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Armies. ⁷What a high mountain you are! In front of Zerubbabel you will become a plain. He will bring out the topmost stone with shouts of ‘Blessings, blessings on it!’ ” 

⁸Then the Lord spoke his word to me. He said, ⁹“Zerubbabel’s hands have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of Armies has sent me to you. ¹⁰Who despised the day when little things began to happen? They will be delighted when they see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand. (These seven eyes of the Lord roam over all the earth.)” 

¹¹I asked the angel, “What do these two olive trees at the right and the left of the lamp stand mean?” ¹²Again I asked him, “What is the meaning of the two branches from the olive trees next to the two golden pipes that are pouring out gold?” 

¹³He asked me, “Don’t you know what these things mean?” 

“No, sir,” I answered. 

¹⁴So he said, “These are the two anointed ones who are standing beside the Lord of the whole earth.” 

5TH CHAPTER

Sinners Will Be Separated from the Lord’s People

¹I looked up again and saw a flying scroll. 

²The angel asked me, “What do you see?” 

“I see a flying scroll,” I answered. “It’s 30 feet long and 15 feet wide.” 

³Then he said to me, “This is a curse that will go out all over the earth. The one side of the scroll says that every thief will be forced away. The other side of the scroll says that everyone who takes an oath will be forced away. ⁴I will send out a curse, declares the Lord of Armies, and it will enter the houses of thieves and the houses of those who take oaths in my name. It will stay in their houses and destroy the timber and stone.” 

Wickedness Will Be Removed from the Land

⁵The angel who was speaking with me came forward. He said, “Look up, and see what’s coming.” 

⁶“What is it?” I asked. 

“A basket is coming,” he said. Then he added, “This is what the people’s sins look like all over the earth.”^a7A lead cover ⸤on the basket⸥ was raised, and a woman was sitting in the basket. ⁸The angel said, “This is wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket and forced the lead cover down on top of it. 

⁹I looked up and saw two women coming forward with wind in their wings. They had wings like those of a stork. They carried the basket into the sky. 

¹⁰I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “Where are they taking the basket?” 

¹¹He answered me, “They are going to build a house for it in Shinar ^[Babylonia^[. When the house is ready, they will set the basket there on a stand.” 

6TH CHAPTER

The Lord’s Victory Throughout the Earth

¹I looked up again and saw four chariots going out from between the two mountains. They were mountains of bronze. ²The first chariot had red horses. The second had black horses. ³The third had white horses. And the fourth had strong, spotted horses. ⁴I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “What do these horses mean, sir?” 

⁵The angel answered, “They are the four spirits of heaven. They are going out after standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. ⁶The chariot with the black horses is going toward the north, and the white horses are following them. The spotted ones are going toward the south.” 

⁷When these strong horses went out, they were eager to patrol the earth. 

He said, “Go, patrol the earth!” And they patrolled the earth. 

⁸Then he called out to me, “Look! Those who went to the north have made my Spirit rest in the north.” 

Priest and King

⁹The Lord spoke his word to me. He said, ¹⁰“Take an offering from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon. This same day go to the house of Josiah, son of Zephaniah. ¹¹Take the silver and gold, make a crown, and put it on the head of Chief Priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak. ¹²Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: Here is the man whose name is Branch. He will branch out from where he is, and he will rebuild the Lord’s temple. ¹³He will rebuild the Lord’s temple and receive royal honor. He will sit and rule from his throne. He will be a priest on his throne. There will be a peaceful understanding between them. ¹⁴The crown will be a reminder to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen (son of Zephaniah) in the Lord’s temple. ¹⁵Those who are far away will come and rebuild the Lord’s temple. Then you will know the Lord of Armies has sent me to you. This will happen if you obey the Lord your God completely.’ ”