Zechariah 4 – NIRV & NIV

New International Reader’s Version

Zechariah 4:1-14

A Vision of the Gold Lampstand and Two Olive Trees

1Then the angel who was talking with me returned. He woke me up. It was as if I had been asleep. 2“What do you see?” he asked me.

“I see a solid gold lampstand,” I answered. “It has a bowl on top of it. There are seven lamps on it. Seven tubes lead to the lamps. 3There are two olive trees by the lampstand. One is on its right side. The other is on its left.”

4I asked the angel who was talking with me, “Sir, what are these?”

5He answered, “Don’t you know what they are?”

“No, sir,” I replied.

6So he said to me, “A message from the Lord came to Zerubbabel. The Lord said, ‘Your strength will not get my temple rebuilt. Your power will not do it either. Only the power of my Spirit will do it,’ says the Lord who rules over all.

7“So nothing can stop Zerubbabel from completing the temple. Even a mountain of problems will be smoothed out by him. When the temple is finished, he will put its most important stone in place. Then the people will shout, ‘God bless it! God bless it!’ ”

8Then a message from the Lord came to me. His angel said, 9“The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple. His hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord who rules over all has sent me to you.

10“Do not look down on the small amount of work done on the temple so far. The seven eyes of the Lord look over the whole earth. They will see Zerubbabel holding the most important stone. They will be filled with joy when they see it.”

11Then I said to the angel, “I see two olive trees. One is on the right side of the lampstand. The other is on the left. What are these trees?”

12I continued, “I also see two olive branches. They are next to the two gold pipes that pour out golden olive oil. What are these branches?”

13He answered, “Don’t you know what they are?”

“No, sir,” I said.

14So he told me, “They are Zerubbabel and Joshua. The Lord of the whole earth has anointed them to serve him.”

New International Version

Zechariah 4:1-14

The Gold Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees

1Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke me up, like someone awakened from sleep. 2He asked me, “What do you see?”

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

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

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

“No, my lord,” I replied.

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

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

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

10“Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone4:10 Or the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel?”

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

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

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

“No, my lord,” I said.

14So he said, “These are the two who are anointed to4:14 Or two who bring oil and serve the Lord of all the earth.”