The Golden Lampstand
Zechariah 4
The angel shows Zacharias a vision of an all-gold lampstand with seven lamps and two olive trees standing beside it, and explains that the temple will be finished not by might or by power but by the Lord's Spirit. Zorobabel's hands, which laid the foundation of the house, will also complete it, and the two olive trees are identified as the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of all the earth.
About these editions
The Septuagint (LXX) in Greek, with Charles Thomson’s 1808 and Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 English translations, set beside the King James Version and the Jewish Masoretic text (JPS 1917) where they align, so you can compare the Greek and the Hebrew. All public domain; choose which to show with the controls above.
Thomson 1808Septuagint
Brenton 1851Septuagint
Greek · BrentonSeptuagint
KJV 1769Masoretic
JPS 1917Masoretic
1
ThomsonTHEN the angel who talked with me turned and roused me, as when a man is roused from his sleep,
BrentonAnd the angel that talked with me returned, and awakened me, as when a man is awakened out of his sleep.
GreekΚαὶ ἐπέστρεψεν ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ λαλῶν ἐν ἐμοὶ, καὶ ἐξήγειρέ με ὃν τρόπον ὅταν ἐξεγερθῇ ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ὕπνου αὐτοῦ.
KJVAnd the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep,
JPSAnd the angel that spoke with me returned, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep.
2
Thomsonand said to me, What dost thou see? And I said, I have looked, and lo! a candlestick all of gold with the lamp-dish on the top of it; and seven lamps on the top of it; and seven pipes for the seven lamps on the top of it;
BrentonAnd he said to me, What seest thou? And I said, I have seen, and behold a candlestick all of gold, and its bowl upon it, and seven lamps upon it, and seven oil funnels to the lamps upon it:
GreekΚαὶ εἶπε πρὸς μὲ, τί σὺ βλέπεις; καὶ εἶπα, ἑώρακα, καὶ ἰδοὺ λυχνία χρυσῆ ὅλη, καὶ τὸ λαμπάδιον ἐπάνω αὐτῆς, καὶ ἑπτὰ λύχνοι ἐπάνω αὐτῆς, καὶ ἑπτὰ ἐπαρυστρίδες τοῖς λύχνοις τοῖς ἐπάνω αὐτῆς,
KJVAnd said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:
JPSAnd he said unto me: ‘What seest thou?’ And I said: ‘I have seen, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon; there are seven pipes, yea, seven, to the lamps, which are upon the top thereof;
3
Thomsonand two olive trees over it, one on the right of its lamp-dish and the other on its left.
Brentonand two olive-trees above it, one on the right of the bowl, and one on the left.
Greekκαὶ δύο ἐλαῖαι ἐπάνω αὐτῆς, μία ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ λαμπαδίου αὐτῆς, καὶ μία ἐξ εὐωνύμων.
KJVAnd two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
JPSand two olive-trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.’
4
ThomsonThen I inquired and spoke to the angel who was talking with me, and said, What are these, lord?
BrentonAnd I inquired, and spoke to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these things, my lord?
GreekΚαὶ ἐπηρώτησα, καὶ εἶπα πρὸς τὸν ἄγγελον τὸν λαλοῦντα ἐν ἐμοὶ, λέγων, τί ἐστι ταῦτα κύριε;
KJVSo I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
JPSAnd I answered and spoke to the angel that spoke with me, saying: ‘What are these, my lord?’
5
ThomsonAnd the angel who was talking with me, answered and said to me, Dost thou not know what these are? When I said, No, lord.
BrentonAnd the angel that talked with me answered, and spoke to me, saying, Knowest thou not what these things are? And I said, No, my lord.
GreekΚαὶ ἀπεκρίθη ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ λαλῶν ἐν ἐμοὶ, καὶ εἶπε πρὸς μὲ, λέγων, οὐ γινώσκεις τί ἐστι ταῦτα; καὶ εἶπα, οὐχὶ κύριε.
KJVThen the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
JPSThen the angel that spoke with me answered and said unto me: ‘Knowest thou not what these are?’ And I said: ‘No, my lord.’
6
ThomsonThen he answered and said to me, This is the word of the Lord to Zorobabel, saying: Not by mighty power nor by strength, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord Almighty.
BrentonAnd he answered and spoke to me, saying, This is the word of the Lord to Zorobabel, saying, Not by mighty power, nor by strength, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord Almighty.
GreekΚαὶ ἀπεκρίθη, καὶ εἶπε πρὸς μὲ, λέγων, οὗτος ὁ λόγος Κυρίου πρὸς Ζοροβάβελ, λέγων, Οὐκ ἐν δυνάμει μεγάλῃ, οὐδὲ ἐν ἰσχύϊ, ἀλλὰ ἐν πνεύματί μου, λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ.
KJVThen he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
JPSThen he answered and spoke unto me, saying: ‘This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying: Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
7
ThomsonWho art thou, to complete this great mountain before Zorobabel! I will indeed bring out the stone of the inheritance, an equality of favour, a free gift of it.
BrentonWho art thou, the great mountain before Zorobabel, that thou shouldest prosper? whereas I will bring out the stone of the inheritance, the grace of it the equal of my grace.
GreekΤίς εἶ σὺ τὸ ὄρος τὸ μέγα τὸ πρὸ προσώπου Ζοροβάβελ τοῦ κατορθῶσαι; καὶ ἐξοίσω τὸν λίθον τῆς κληρονομίας, ἰσότητα χάριτος χάριτα αὐτῆς.
KJVWho art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
JPSWho art thou, O great mountain before Zerubbabel? thou shalt become a plain; and he shall bring forth the top stone with shoutings of Grace, grace, unto it.’
8
ThomsonThen a word of the Lord came to me saying,
BrentonAnd the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
GreekΚαὶ ἐγένετο λόγος Κυρίου πρὸς μὲ, λέγων,
KJVMoreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
JPSMoreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:
9
ThomsonThe hands of Zorobabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands shall finish it: and thou shalt know, (for the Lord Almighty hath sent me to thee,
BrentonThe hands of Zorobabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands shall finish it: and thou shalt know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to thee.
Greekαἱ χεῖρες Ζοροβάβελ ἐθεμελίωσαν τὸν οἶκον τοῦτον, καὶ αἱ χεῖρες αὐτοῦ ἐπιτελέσουσιν αὐτόν· καὶ ἐπιγνώσῃ διότι Κύριος παντοκράτωρ ἐξαπέσταλκέ με πρὸς σέ.
KJVThe hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.
JPS’The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.
10
Thomsonsince a certain person hath despised these as insignificant days), that those seven eyes will be gladdened when they shall see the plumb-line in the hand of Zorobabel; they are the eyes which survey the whole earth.
BrentonFor who has despised the small days? surely they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet of tin in the hand of Zorobabel: these are the seven eyes that look upon all the earth.
GreekΔιότι τίς ἐξουδένωσεν εἰς ἡμέρας μικράς; καὶ χαροῦνται, καὶ ὄψονται τὸν λίθον τὸν κασσιτέρινον ἐν χειρὶ Ζοροβάβελ· ἑπτὰ οὗτοι ὀφθαλμοί εἰσιν οἱ ἐπιβλέποντες ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν.
KJVFor who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
JPSFor who hath despised the day of small things? even they shall see with joy the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel, even these seven, which are the eyes of the LORD, that run to and fro through the whole earth.’
11
ThomsonThen I answered and said to him, What are those two olive trees which are on the right and left of the candlestick?
BrentonAnd I answered, and said to him, What are these two olive-trees, which are on the right and left hand of the candlestick?
GreekΚαὶ ἀπεκρίθην, καὶ εἶπα πρὸς αὐτὸν, τί αἱ δύο ἐλαῖαι αὗται, αἱ ἐκ δεξιῶν τῆς λυχνίας καὶ ἐξ εὐωνύμων;
KJVThen answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?
JPSThen answered I, and said unto him: ‘What are these two olive-trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?’
12
ThomsonAnd I inquired a second time and said to him, What are those two branches of the olive trees which are in the handles of those two funnels of gold, which are pouring into and supplying the golden pipes?
BrentonAnd I asked the second time, and said to him, What are the two branches of the olive-trees that are by the side of the two golden pipes that pour into and communicate with the golden oil funnels?
GreekΚαὶ ἐπηρώτησα ἐκ δευτέρου, καὶ εἶπα πρὸς αὐτὸν, τί οἱ δύο κλάδοι τῶν ἐλαιῶν οἱ ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ τῶν δύο μυξωτήρων τῶν χρυσῶν τῶν ἐπιχεόντων, καὶ ἐπαναγόντων τὰς ἐπαρυστρίδας τὰς χρυσᾶς;
KJVAnd I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
JPSAnd I answered the second time, and said unto him: ‘What are these two olive branches, which are beside the two golden spouts, that empty the golden oil out of themselves?’
13
ThomsonAnd he said to me, Dost thou not know what these are? And when I said, No, lord,
BrentonAnd he said to me, Knowest thou not what these are? and I said, No, my lord.
GreekΚαὶ εἶπε πρὸς μὲ, οὐκ οἶδας τί ἐστι ταῦτα; καὶ εἶπα, οὐχὶ κύριε.
KJVAnd he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
JPSAnd he answered me and said: ‘Knowest thou not what these are?’ And I said: ‘No, my lord.’
14
Thomsonthen he said to me, These are the two anointed sons. They stand before the Lord of the whole earth.
BrentonAnd he said, These are the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.
GreekΚαὶ εἶπεν, οὗτοι οἱ δύο υἱοὶ τῆς πιότητος παρεστήκασι Κυρίῳ πάσης τῆς γῆς.
KJVThen said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth.
JPSThen said he: ‘These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.’