Day 332 of 365

¹The angel who talked with me came again, and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep.

²He said to me, "What do you see?" I said, "I have seen, and behold, a menorah all of gold, with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon; there are seven pipes to each of the lamps, which are on the top of it;

³and two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl, and the other on the left side of it."

⁴I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, "What are these, my lord?"

⁵Then the angel who talked with me answered me, "Do you not know what these are?" I said, "No, my lord."

⁶Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, 'Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts.

⁷Who are you, great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you are a plain; and he will bring out the capstone with shouts of 'Grace, grace, to it!'"

⁸Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

⁹"The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house. His hands shall also finish it; and you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.

¹⁰Indeed, who despises the day of small things? For these seven shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. These are the eyes of the Lord, which run back and forth through the whole earth."

¹¹Then I asked him, "What are these two olive trees on the right side of the menorah and on the left side of it?"

¹²I asked him the second time, "What are these two olive branches, which are beside the two golden spouts, that pour the golden oil out of themselves?"

¹³He answered me, "Do you not know what these are?" I said, "No, my lord."

¹⁴Then he said, "These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth."

¹Then again I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold, a flying scroll.

²He said to me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits, and its breadth ten cubits."

³Then he said to me, "This is the curse that goes out over the surface of the whole land; for everyone who steals shall be cut off according to it on the one side; and everyone who swears falsely shall be cut off according to it on the other side.

⁴I will cause it to go out," says the Lord of hosts, "and it will enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him who swears falsely by my name; and it will remain in the midst of his house, and will destroy it with its timber and its stones."

⁵Then the angel who talked with me came forward, and said to me, "Lift up now your eyes, and see what is this that is appearing."

⁶I said, "What is it?" He said, "This is the ephah basket that is appearing." He said moreover, "This is their appearance in all the land

⁷(and behold, a talent of lead was lifted up); and this is a woman sitting in the midst of the ephah basket."

⁸He said, "This is Wickedness;" and he threw her down into the midst of the ephah basket; and he threw the weight of lead on its mouth.

⁹Then lifted I up my eyes, and saw, and behold, there were two women, and the wind was in their wings. Now they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah basket between earth and the sky.

¹⁰Then said I to the angel who talked with me, "Where are these carrying the ephah basket?"

¹¹He said to me, "To build her a house in the land of Shinar. When it is prepared, she will be set there in her own place."

¹Again I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass.

²In the first chariot were red horses; in the second chariot black horses;

³in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot dappled horses, all of them powerful.

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

⁵The angel answered me, "These are the four winds of the sky, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.

⁶The one with the black horses goes out toward the north country; and the white went out after them; and the dappled went forth toward the south country."

⁷The strong went out, and sought to go that they might walk back and forth through the earth: and he said, "Go around and through the earth!" So they walked back and forth through the earth.

⁸Then he called to me, and spoke to me, saying, "Behold, those who go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country."

⁹The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

¹⁰"Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah; and come the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have come from Babylon.

¹¹Yes, take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest;

¹²and speak to him, saying, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, "Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: and he shall grow up out of his place; and he shall build the temple of the Lord;

¹³even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on his throne; and he shall be a priest on his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

¹⁴The crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of the Lord.

¹⁵Those who are far off shall come and build in the temple of the Lord; and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. This will happen, if you will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God."'"

¹Blessed is he whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

²Blessed is the man to whom the Lord doesn't impute iniquity, in whose spirit there is no deceit.

³When I kept silence, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

⁴For day and night your hand was heavy on me. My strength was sapped in the heat of summer. Selah.

⁵I acknowledged my sin to you. I did not hide my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

⁶For this, let everyone who is godly pray to you in a time when you may be found. Surely when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach to him.

⁷You are my hiding place. You will preserve me from trouble. You will surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.

⁸I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go. I will counsel you with my eye on you.

⁹Do not be like the horse, or like the mule, which have no understanding, who are controlled by bit and bridle, or else they will not come near to you.

¹⁰Many sorrows come to the wicked, but loving kindness shall surround him who trusts in the Lord.

¹¹Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, you righteous! Shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart!

¹A good name is more desirable than great riches, and loving favor is better than silver and gold.

²The rich and the poor have this in common: The Lord is the maker of them all.

³A prudent man sees danger, and hides himself; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.

⁴The result of humility and the fear of the Lord is wealth, honor, and life.

⁵Thorns and snares are in the path of the wicked: whoever guards his soul stays from them.

⁶Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

⁷The rich rule over the poor. The borrower is servant to the lender.

⁸He who sows wickedness reaps trouble, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.

⁹He who has a generous eye will be blessed; for he shares his food with the poor.

¹⁰Drive out the mocker, and strife will go out; yes, quarrels and insults will stop.

¹¹He who loves purity of heart and speaks gracefully is the king's friend.

¹²The eyes of the Lord watch over knowledge; but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.

¹³The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside! I will be killed in the streets!"

¹⁴The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit: he who is under the Lord's wrath will fall into it.

¹⁵Folly is bound up in the heart of a child: the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

¹⁶Whoever oppresses the poor for his own increase and whoever gives to the rich, both come to poverty.

¹⁷Turn your ear, and listen to the words of the wise. Apply your heart to my teaching.

¹⁸For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips.

¹⁹That your trust may be in the Lord, I teach you today, even you.

²⁰Haven't I written to you thirty excellent things of counsel and knowledge,

²¹To teach you truth, reliable words, to give sound answers to the ones who sent you?

²²Do not exploit the poor, because he is poor; and do not crush the needy in court;

²³for the Lord will plead their case, and plunder the life of those who plunder them.

²⁴Do not befriend a hot-tempered man, and do not associate with one who harbors anger:

²⁵lest you learn his ways, and ensnare your soul.

²⁶Do not be one of those who strike hands, of those who are collateral for debts.

²⁷If you do not have means to pay, why should he take away your bed from under you?

²⁸Do not move the ancient boundary stone, which your fathers have set up.

²⁹Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve kings. He won't serve obscure men.