Daily Bread

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.”