< Zacharias 5 >

1 And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked and behold a flying sickle.
Then again lifting up my eyes I saw a roll in flight through the air.
2 And he said to me, What see you? And I said, I see a flying sickle, of the length of twenty cubits, and of the breadth of ten cubits.
And he said to me, What do you see? And I said, A roll going through the air; it is twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.
3 And he said to me, This is the curse that goes forth over the face of the whole earth: for every thief shall be punished with death on this side, and every false swearer shall be punished on that side.
Then he said to me, This is the curse which goes out over the face of all the land: for long enough has every thief gone without punishment, and long enough has every taker of false oaths gone without punishment.
4 And I will bring it forth, says the Lord Almighty, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that swears falsely by my name: and it shall rest in the midst of his house, and shall consume it, and the timber of it, and the stones of it.
And I will send it out, says the Lord of armies, and it will go into the house of the thief and into the house of him who takes a false oath by my name: and it will be in his house, causing its complete destruction, with its woodwork and its stones.
5 And the angel that talked with me went forth, and said to me, Lift up your eyes, and see this that goes forth.
And the angel who was talking to me went out and said to me, Let your eyes be lifted up now, and see the ephah which is going out.
6 And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the measure that goes forth. And he said, This is their iniquity in all the earth.
And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah which is going out. And he said further, This is their evil-doing in all the land.
7 And behold a talent of lead lifted up: and behold a woman sat in the midst of the measure.
And I saw a round cover of lead lifted up; and a woman was seated in the middle of the ephah.
8 And he said, This is iniquity. And he cast it into the midst of the measure, and cast the weight of lead on the mouth of it.
And he said, This is Sin; and pushing her down into the ephah, he put the weight of lead on the mouth of it.
9 And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, two women coming forth, and the wind was in their wings; and they had stork's wings: and they lifted up the measure between the earth and the sky.
And lifting up my eyes I saw two women coming out, and the wind was in their wings; and they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they took the ephah, lifting it up between earth and heaven.
10 And I said to the angel that spoke with me, Whither do these carry away the measure?
And I said to the angel who was talking to me, Where are they taking the ephah?
11 And he said to me, To build it a house in the land of Babylon, and to prepare [a place for it]; and they shall set it there on its own base.
And he said to me, To make a house for her in the land of Shinar: and they will make a place ready, and put her there in the place which is hers.

< Zacharias 5 >