| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 1Then the angel who had been talking with me returned and woke me, as though I had been asleep. | 1The angelic messenger who had been speaking with me then returned and woke me, as a person is wakened from sleep. |
| 2“What do you see now?” he asked. I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl of oil on top of it. Around the bowl are seven lamps, each having seven spouts with wicks. | 2He asked me, "What do you see?" I replied, "I see a menorah of pure gold with a receptacle at the top and seven lamps, with fourteen pipes going to the lamps. |
| 3And I see two olive trees, one on each side of the bowl.” | 3There are also two olive trees beside it, one on the right of the receptacle and the other on the left." |
| 4Then I asked the angel, “What are these, my lord? What do they mean?” | 4Then I asked the messenger who spoke with me, "What are these, sir?" |
| 5“Don’t you know?” the angel asked. “No, my lord,” I replied. | 5He replied, "Don't you know what these are?" So I responded, "No, sir." |
| 6Then he said to me, “This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. | 6Therefore he told me, "These signify the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by strength and not by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD who rules over all." |
| 7Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’ ” | 7"What are you, you great mountain? Because of Zerubbabel you will become a level plain! And he will bring forth the temple capstone with shoutings of 'Grace! Grace!' because of this." |
| 8Then another message came to me from the LORD: | 8Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me as follows: |
| 9“Zerubbabel is the one who laid the foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it. Then you will know that the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has sent me. | 9"The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundations of this temple, and his hands will complete it." Then you will know that the LORD who rules over all has sent me to you. |
| 10Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” (The seven lamps represent the eyes of the LORD that search all around the world.) | 10For who dares make light of small beginnings? These seven eyes will joyfully look on the tin tablet in Zerubbabel's hand. (These are the eyes of the LORD, which constantly range across the whole earth.) |
| 11Then I asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees on each side of the lampstand, | 11Next I asked the messenger, "What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the menorah?" |
| 12and what are the two olive branches that pour out golden oil through two gold tubes?” | 12Before he could reply I asked again, "What are these two extensions of the olive trees, which are emptying out the golden oil through the two golden pipes?" |
| 13“Don’t you know?” he asked. “No, my lord,” I replied. | 13He replied, "Don't you know what these are?" And I said, "No, sir." |
| 14Then he said to me, “They represent the two anointed ones who stand in the court of the Lord of all the earth.” | 14So he said, "These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth." |
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