The Holy Bible – Knox Translation
The Prophecy of Zacharias
|
Chapter 4
|
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
1
Once the angel monitor roused me to my senses, as though I had lain asleep;
2
Now, said he, what seest thou? Why, I said, here is a lamp-stand meets my eyes, all of gold. A bowl this lamp-stand has at the top of it, and from the bowl run seven pipes, to feed the seven lamps that crown it.
3
And there are two olive-trees hanging over it, one to the right and one to the left of the bowl.
4
Then in my turn I asked a question of the angel, Tell me, what does all this mean?
5
What, said my monitor, canst thou not recognize it? Not I, my Lord, I answered.

6
And thereupon the angel told me …

… Word from the Lord to Zorobabel: By arms, by force nothing canst thou; my spirit is all, says the Lord of hosts.
7
Vain is towering height of thine, great mountain; down to plain’s level thou must stoop at Zorobabel’s coming; stone from thee he must quarry and smooth to be his coping-stone, how fair, how fair!
8
This message, too, I had from the Lord:
9
Yonder temple hand of Zorobabel has founded, hand of Zorobabel shall finish. No more you shall doubt that I come to you on the Lord’s errand.
10
Humble fortunes of yesterday who dared belittle? Rejoice they now, to see plummet at work in Zorobabel’s hand …

… What should they be, those seven, but eyes the Lord has, glancing this way and that to scan the earth?

11
Then I asked him about the two olive-trees, to right and left of the lamp-stand; and there was more I would know,
12
What of the two olive-shoots, close beside the two golden taps that feed yonder pipes of gold?
13
What said he, canst thou not tell? Not I, my Lord, I answered.
14
What should these be, he said, but the two newly-anointed ones that stand in his presence, who is Master of the whole earth?