Lament Over Fallen Babylon

18 After this I saw another angel^(A) coming down from heaven.^(B) He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor.^{(C) 2} With a mighty voice he shouted:

Warning to Escape Babylon’s Judgment

⁴ Then I heard another voice from heaven say:

Threefold Woe Over Babylon’s Fall

⁹ “When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her^(V) and shared her luxury^(W) see the smoke of her burning,^(X) they will weep and mourn over her.^{(Y) 10} Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off^(Z) and cry:

¹¹ “The merchants^(AC) of the earth will weep and mourn^(AD) over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore^(AE)— ¹² cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble;^{(AF) 13} cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.^(AG)

¹⁴ “They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ ¹⁵ The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her^(AH) will stand far off,^(AI) terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn^{(AJ) 16} and cry out:

“Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea,^(AO) will stand far off.^{(AP) 18} When they see the smoke of her burning,^(AQ) they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city^(AR)?’^{(AS) 19} They will throw dust on their heads,^(AT) and with weeping and mourning^(AU) cry out:

The Finality of Babylon’s Doom

²¹ Then a mighty angel^(AZ) picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea,^(BA) and said:

The Gold Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees

4 Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke^(A) me up, like someone awakened from sleep.^{(B) 2} He asked me, “What do you see?”^(C)

I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand^(D) with a bowl at the top and seven lamps^(E) on it, with seven channels to the lamps. ³ Also there are two olive trees^(F) by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”

⁴ I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”

⁵ He answered, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I replied.^(G)

⁶ So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:^(H) ‘Not^(I) by might nor by power,^(J) but by my Spirit,’^(K) says the Lord Almighty.

⁷ “What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground.^(L) Then he will bring out the capstone^(M) to shouts^(N) of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’”

⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to me: ⁹ “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation^(O) of this temple; his hands will also complete it.^(P) Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me^(Q) to you.

¹⁰ “Who dares despise the day^(R) of small things,^(S) since the seven eyes^(T) of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone^[a] in the hand of Zerubbabel?”^(U)

¹¹ Then I asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees^(V) on the right and the left of the lampstand?”

¹² Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?”

¹³ He replied, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I said.

¹⁴ So he said, “These are the two who are anointed^(W) to^[b] serve the Lord of all the earth.”

The Flying Scroll

5 I looked again, and there before me was a flying scroll.^(X)

² He asked me, “What do you see?”^(Y)

I answered, “I see a flying scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.^[c]”

³ And he said to me, “This is the curse^(Z) that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief^(AA) will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely^(AB) will be banished. ⁴ The Lord Almighty declares, ‘I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely^(AC) by my name. It will remain in that house and destroy it completely, both its timbers and its stones.^(AD)’”

The Woman in a Basket

⁵ Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, “Look up and see what is appearing.”

⁶ I asked, “What is it?”

He replied, “It is a basket.^(AE)” And he added, “This is the iniquity^[d] of the people throughout the land.”

⁷ Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! ⁸ He said, “This is wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed its lead cover down on it.^(AF)

⁹ Then I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork,^(AG) and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth.

¹⁰ “Where are they taking the basket?” I asked the angel who was speaking to me.

¹¹ He replied, “To the country of Babylonia^[e](AH) to build a house^(AI) for it. When the house is ready, the basket will be set there in its place.”^(AJ)

Four Chariots

6 I looked up again, and there before me were four chariots^(AK) coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze. ² The first chariot had red horses, the second black,^{(AL) 3} the third white,^(AM) and the fourth dappled—all of them powerful. ⁴ I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these, my lord?”

⁵ The angel answered me, “These are the four spirits^[f](AN) of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world.^{(AO) 6} The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west,^[g] and the one with the dappled horses toward the south.”

⁷ When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earth.^(AP) And he said, “Go throughout the earth!” So they went throughout the earth.

⁸ Then he called to me, “Look, those going toward the north country have given my Spirit^[h] rest^(AQ) in the land of the north.”^(AR)

A Crown for Joshua

⁹ The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁰ “Take silver and gold from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon.^(AS) Go the same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. ¹¹ Take the silver and gold and make a crown,^(AT) and set it on the head of the high priest, Joshua^(AU) son of Jozadak.^{[i](AV) 12} Tell him this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch,^(AW) and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the Lord.^{(AX) 13} It is he who will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he^[j] will be a priest^(AY) on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.’ ¹⁴ The crown will be given to Heldai,^[k] Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen^[l] son of Zephaniah as a memorial^(AZ) in the temple of the Lord. ¹⁵ Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the Lord,^(BA) and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.^(BB) This will happen if you diligently obey^(BC) the Lord your God.”