زَكَريَّا 5

١ 1 فَعُدْتُ وَرَفَعْتُ عَيْنَيَّ وَنَظَرْتُ وَإِذَا بِدَرْجٍ طَائِرٍ.

I looked up again, and I saw a scroll that was flying [through the air].

٢ 2 فَقَالَ لِي: «مَاذَا تَرَى؟» فَقُلْتُ: «إِنِّي أَرَى دَرْجًا طَائِرًا، طُولُهُ عِشْرُونَ ذِرَاعًا، وَعَرْضُهُ عَشَرُ أَذْرُعٍ».

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.”

٣ 3 فَقَالَ لِي: «هَذِهِ هِيَ ٱللَّعْنَةُ ٱلْخَارِجَةُ عَلَى وَجْهِ كُلِّ ٱلْأَرْضِ. لِأَنَّ كُلَّ سَارِقٍ يُبَادُ مِنْ هُنَا بِحَسَبِهَا، وَكُلَّ حَالِفٍ يُبَادُ مِنْ هُنَاكَ بِحَسَبِهَا.

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.

٤ 4 إِنِّي أُخْرِجُهَا، يَقُولُ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ، فَتَدْخُلُ بَيْتَ ٱلسَّارِقِ وَبَيْتَ ٱلْحَالِفِ بِٱسْمِي زُورًا، وَتَبِيتُ فِي وَسَطِ بَيْتِهِ وَتُفْنِيهِ مَعَ خَشَبِهِ وَحِجَارَتِهِ».

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.’”

٥ 5 ثُمَّ خَرَجَ ٱلْمَلَاكُ ٱلَّذِي كَلَّمَنِي وَقَالَ لِي: «ٱرْفَعْ عَيْنَيْكَ وَٱنْظُرْ مَا هَذَا ٱلْخَارِجُ».

Then the angel who had been talking to me came closer to me and said, “Look up and see what is appearing!”

٦ 6 فَقُلْتُ: «مَا هُوَ؟» فَقَالَ: «هَذِهِ هِيَ ٱلْإِيفَةُ ٱلْخَارِجَةُ». وَقَالَ: «هَذِهِ عَيْنُهُمْ فِي كُلِّ ٱلْأَرْضِ».

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.”

٧ 7 وَإِذَا بِوَزْنَةِ رَصَاصٍ رُفِعَتْ. وَكَانَتِ ٱمْرَأَةٌ جَالِسَةٌ فِي وَسَطِ ٱلْإِيفَةِ.

Then [the angel] lifted the basket’s cover, [which was made] of lead. There was a woman sitting inside the basket!

٨ 8 فَقَالَ: «هَذِهِ هِيَ ٱلشَّرُّ». فَطَرَحَهَا إِلَى وَسَطِ ٱلْإِيفَةِ، وَطَرَحَ ثِقْلَ ٱلرَّصَاصِ عَلَى فَمِهَا.

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].

٩ 9 وَرَفَعْتُ عَيْنَيَّ وَنَظَرْتُ وَإِذَا بِٱمْرَأَتَيْنِ خَرَجَتَا وَٱلرِّيحُ فِي أَجْنِحَتِهِمَا، وَلَهُمَا أَجْنِحَةٌ كَأَجْنِحَةِ ٱللَّقْلَقِ، فَرَفَعَتَا ٱلْإِيفَةَ بَيْنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱلسَّمَاءِ.

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.

١٠ 10 فَقُلْتُ لِلْمَلَاكِ ٱلَّذِي كَلَّمَنِي: «إِلَى أَيْنَ هُمَا ذَاهِبَتَانِ بِٱلْإِيفَةِ؟»

I asked the angel who had been talking to me, “Where are they taking that basket?”

١١ 11 فَقَالَ لِي: «لِتَبْنِيَا لَهَا بَيْتًا فِي أَرْضِ شِنْعَارَ. وَإِذَا تَهَيَّأَ تَقِرُّ هُنَاكَ عَلَى قَاعِدَتِهَا».

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].”