1 The vision of the flying book, signifying the curse of thieves, and such as abuse the Name of God. 6 By the vision of the measure is signified the bringing of Judah’s afflictions into Babylon.

Then I turned me, and lifted up mine eyes and looked, and behold, a flying book.

And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying [a]book: the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.

Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the whole earth: for everyone that [b]stealeth, shall be cut off, as well on this [c]side, as on that: and everyone that [d]sweareth, shall be cut off, as well on this side, as on that.

I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that falsely sweareth by my Name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it, with the timber thereof, and stones thereof.

Then the Angel that talked with me, went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.

And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an [e]Ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is the [f]sight of them through all the earth.

And behold, there was lifted up a [g]talent of lead: and this is a [h]woman that sitteth in the midst of the Ephah.

And he said, This is [i]wickedness, and he cast it into the midst of the Ephah, and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.

Then I lifted mine eyes, and looked: and behold, there came out two [j]women, and the wind was in their wings (for they had wings like the wings of a stork) and they lifted up the Ephah between the earth and the heaven.

10 Then said I to the Angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the Ephah?

11 And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar, and it shall be [k]established and set there upon her own place.

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 5:2 Because the Jews had provoked God’s plagues by contemning his word, and casting off all judgment and equity, he showeth that God’s curses written in this book had justly light both on them and their fathers: but now if they would repent, God would send the same among the Chaldeans their former enemies.
  2. Zechariah 5:3 That is, useth any injury toward his neighbor.
  3. Zechariah 5:3 Meaning, wheresoever he be in the world.
  4. Zechariah 5:3 He that transgresseth the first table, and serveth not God aright but abuseth God’s Name.
  5. Zechariah 5:6 Which was a measure in dry things, containing about ten pottels.
  6. Zechariah 5:6 That is, all the wickedness of the ungodly is in God’s sight, which he keepeth in a measure, and can shut it or open it at his pleasure.
  7. Zechariah 5:7 To cover the measure.
  8. Zechariah 5:7 Which representeth iniquity, as in the next verse.
  9. Zechariah 5:8 Signifying, that Satan should not have such power against the Jews to tempt them, as he had in time past, but that God would shut up iniquity in a measure as in a prison.
  10. Zechariah 5:9 Which declared that God would execute his judgment by the means of the weak and infirm means.
  11. Zechariah 5:11 To remove the iniquity and affliction that came for the same from Judah, to place it forever in Babylon.

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