New Century Version NCV
Good News Translation GNT
1 Then the angel who was talking with me returned and woke me up as if I had been asleep.
1
The angel who had been speaking to me came again and roused me as if I had been sleeping.
2 He asked me, "What do you see?" I said, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top. And there are seven lamps and also seven places for wicks.
2
"What do you see?" he asked. "A lampstand made of gold," I answered. "At the top is a bowl for the oil. On the lampstand are seven lamps, each one with places for seven wicks.
3 There are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on the left."
3
There are two olive trees beside the lampstand, one on each side of it."
4 I asked the angel who talked with me, "Sir, what are these?"
4
Then I asked the angel, "What do these things stand for, sir?"
5 The angel said, "Don't you know what they are?" "No, sir," I said.
5
"Don't you know?" he asked me. "No, I don't, sir," I replied.
6 Then he told me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'You will not succeed by your own strength or power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord All-Powerful.
6
The angel told me to give Zerubbabel this message from the Lord: "You will succeed, not by military might or by your own strength, but by my spirit.
7 "Who are you, big mountain? In front of Zerubbabel you will become flat land, and he will bring out the topmost stone, shouting, 'It's beautiful! It's beautiful!'"
7
Obstacles as great as mountains will disappear before you. You will rebuild the Temple, and as you put the last stone in place, the people will shout, "Beautiful, beautiful!' "
8 Then the Lord spoke his word to me again, saying,
8
Another message came to me from the Lord.
9 "Zerubbabel has laid the foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it. Then you will know that the Lord All-Powerful has sent me to you.
9
He said, "Zerubbabel has laid the foundation of the Temple, and he will finish the building. When this happens, my people will know that it is I who sent you to them.
10 "The people should not think that small beginnings are unimportant. They will be happy when they see Zerubbabel with tools, building the Temple. "(These are the seven eyes of the Lord, which look back and forth across the earth.)"
10
a) They are disappointed because so little progress is being made. But they will see Zerubbabel continuing to build the Temple, and they will be glad." b) The angel said to me, "The seven lamps are the seven eyes of the Lord, which see all over the earth."
11 Then I asked the angel, "What are the two olive trees on the right and left of the lampstand?"
11
Then I asked him, "What do the two olive trees on either side of the lampstand mean?
12 I also asked him, "What are the two olive branches beside the two gold pipes, from which the olive oil flows to the lamps?"
12
And what is the meaning of the two olive branches beside the two gold pipes from which the olive oil pours?"
13 He answered, "Don't you know what they are?" "No, sir," I said.
13
He asked me, "Don't you know?" "No, I don't, sir," I answered.
14 So he said, "They are symbols of the two who have been appointed to serve the Lord of all the earth."
14
Then he said, "These are the two men whom God has chosen and anointed to serve him, the Lord of the whole earth."
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.