³He said to me, “A curse sent by the Lord is written on it. It is going out over the whole land. Every thief will be driven out of the land. That is what it says on one side of the scroll. Everyone who lies when taking an oath to tell the truth will also be driven out. That is what it says on the other side. ⁴The Lord who rules over all announces, ‘I will send the curse out. It will enter the house of the thief. It will also enter the house of anyone who lies when taking an oath in my name. It will remain in that house and destroy it. It will pull down its beams and stones.’ ”

A Vision of a Woman in a Basket

⁵Then the angel who was talking with me came forward. He said to me, “Look at what is coming.”

⁶“What is it?” I asked.

“A measuring basket,” he replied. “The sins of the people all through the land are in it.”

⁷Then the basket’s cover was lifted up. It was made out of lead. A woman was sitting in the basket! ⁸The angel said, “She stands for everything that is evil.” Then he pushed her down into the basket. He put the lead cover back over its opening.

⁹I looked up and saw two other women. They had wings like the wings of a stork. A wind sent by the Lord carried them along. They lifted the basket up between heaven and earth.

¹⁰“Where are they taking the basket?” I asked the angel.

¹¹He replied, “To the country of Babylonia. A temple will be built for it. When the temple is ready, the basket will be set there in its place.”

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