The Hebrew Prophets

Then he said to me, "This is the curse that goes out over the face of all the land; for [according to what is written] on one side, everyone who steals will be swept away; and [according to what is written] on the other side, everyone who swears will be swept away.

'I will release it,' says ADONAI-Tzva'ot, 'and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely by my name; it will stay there inside the house and consume it completely, even its timbers and stones.'"

Then the angel speaking with me went forward and said to me, "Now raise your eyes, and see what this thing is, passing by."

I asked, "What is it?" He said, "This is the eifah-measure [a one-bushel dry-measure] passing by." Then he added, "This is their eye in all the land."

Next I saw a lead disc lifted up to reveal a woman sitting in the eifah.

He said, "This is Evil." He threw her down into the eifah and pressed the lead weight over its opening.

I raised my eyes and saw two women coming with the wind in their wings; for they had wings like those of a stork. They lifted the eifah up between the earth and the sky.

I asked the angel speaking with me, "Where are they taking the eifah?"

He answered me, "To build it a shrine in the land of Shin'ar. When it's ready, [the eifah] will be set down there on its base."

Again I raised my eyes, and I saw in front of me four chariots coming out from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze.

The first chariot had red horses; the second chariot, black horses;

the third chariot, white horses; and the fourth chariot, spotted gray horses.

I asked the angel speaking with me, "What are these, my Lord?"

The angel answered me, "These are the four winds of the sky that go out, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the land.

The one with the black horses is going out toward the land in the north, the white [horses] have gone out after them, and the spotted have gone out toward the land in the south."

Then the gray ones went out and were seeking to go and wander throughout the whole earth, when he said, "Wander throughout the whole earth"; and they did wander throughout the whole earth.

Then he called out to me and said, "Look! The ones going to the land in the north have given my Spirit rest in the north country."

This message from ADONAI came to me:

"Take [gifts] from the exiles of Heldai, Toviyah, and Y'da'yah, who have arrived from Bavel; then you, go to the house of Yoshiyah the son of Tz'fanyah.

Take silver and gold; make crowns; put one on the head of Y'hoshua the son of Y'hotzadak, the cohen hagadol;

and tell him, 'ADONAI-Tzva'ot says: "There is coming a man whose name is Tzemach [Sprout]. He will sprout up from his place and rebuild the temple of ADONAI.

Yes, he will rebuild the temple of ADONAI; and he will take up royal splendor, sitting and ruling from his throne. There will be a cohen before his throne; and they will accept each other's advice in complete harmony.

The other crowns will be for Helem, Toviyah, Y'da'yah and Hen the son of Tz'fanyah; then [they are to be kept] as a memorial in the temple of ADONAI.

Those who are now far away will come and help rebuild the temple of ADONAI." Then you will know that it is ADONAI-Tzva'ot who sent me to you. And it will all come about, provided you heed carefully what ADONAI your God says.'"

In the fourth year of King Daryavesh, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Kislev, a message from ADONAI came to Z'kharyah.