The Sickle and the Ephah
Zechariah 5
Zacharias sees a great flying sickle, which the angel identifies as a curse going out over the whole land against thieves and false swearers, entering their houses to consume them. He then sees a measure with a woman named Wickedness sealed inside it by a weight of lead, and two winged women carry the measure away to be set up in the land of Babylon.
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 I turned and lifted up mine eyes and looked, and lo! a flying sickle.
BrentonAnd I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked and behold a flying sickle.
GreekΚαὶ ἐπέστρεψα, καὶ ᾖρα τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου, καὶ ἴδον, καὶ ἰδοὺ δρέπανον πετόμενον.
KJVThen I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll.
JPSThen again I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and behold a flying scroll.
2
ThomsonAnd he said to me, What dost thou see? And I said, I see a flying sickle twenty cubits long and ten cubits broad.
BrentonAnd he said to me, What seest thou? And I said, I see a flying sickle, of the length of twenty cubits, and of the breadth of ten cubits.
GreekΚαὶ εἶπε πρὸς μὲ, τί σὺ βλέπεις; καὶ εἶπα, ἐγὼ ὁρῶ δρέπανον πετόμενον μήκους πήχεων εἴκοσι, καὶ πλάτους πήχεων δέκα.
KJVAnd he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.
JPSAnd he said unto me: ‘What seest thou?’ And I answered: ‘I see a flying scroll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.’
3
ThomsonWhereupon he said to me, This is the curse which is going forth over the face of the whole earth. Since every thief on the one hand is to be punished with death, and every false swearer on the other hand is to be punished;
BrentonAnd he said to me, This is the curse that goes forth over the face of the whole earth: for every thief shall be punished with death on this side, and every false swearer shall be punished on that side.
GreekΚαὶ εἶπε πρὸς μὲ, Αὕτη ἡ ἀρὰ ἡ ἐκπορευομένη ἐπὶ πρόσωπον πάσης τῆς γῆς· διότι πᾶς ὁ κλέπτης ἐκ τούτου ἕως θανάτου ἐκδικηθήσεται, καὶ πᾶς ὁ ἐπίορκος ἐκ τούτου ἐκδικηθήσεται.
KJVThen said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it.
JPSThen said he unto me: ‘This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole land; for every one that stealeth shall be swept away on the one side like it; and every one that sweareth shall be swept away on the other side like it.
4
Thomsontherefore I will bring it forth, saith the Lord Almighty. And it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him who sweareth by My name to a falsehood; and it shall lodge in his house, and destroy it together with the timber and the stones thereof.
BrentonAnd I will bring it forth, saith the Lord Almighty, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that swears falsely by my name: and it shall rest in the midst of his house, and shall consume it, and the timber of it, and the stones of it.
GreekΚαὶ ἐξοίσω αὐτὸ, λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ κλέπτου, καὶ εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ ὀμνύοντος τῷ ὀνόματί μου ἐπὶ ψεύδει, καὶ καταλύσει ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ, καὶ συντελέσει αὐτὸν, καὶ τὰ ξύλα αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοὺς λίθους αὐτοῦ.
KJVI 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 sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.
JPSI cause it to go forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by My name; and it shall abide in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.’
5
ThomsonThen the angel who was talking with me went out and said to me, Look up with thine eyes and see this which is going out.
BrentonAnd the angel that talked with me went forth, and said to me, Lift up thine eyes, and see this that goes forth.
GreekΚαὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ λαλῶν ἐν ἐμοὶ, καὶ εἶπε πρὸς μὲ, ἀνάβλεψον τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς σου, καὶ ἴδε τὸ ἐκπορευόμενον τοῦτο.
KJVThen 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.
JPSThen the angel that spoke with me went forth, and said unto me: ‘Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.’
6
ThomsonAnd I said, What is it? And he said, This is the measure which is going forth. Then he said, This is the iniquity of them in all this land.
BrentonAnd I said, What is it? And he said, This is the measure that goes forth. And he said, This is their iniquity in all the earth.
GreekΚαὶ εἶπα, τί ἐστι; καὶ εἶπε, τοῦτο τὸ μέτρον τὸ ἐκπορευόμενον· καὶ εἶπεν, αὕτη ἡ ἀδικία αὐτῶν ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ.
KJVAnd I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth.
JPSAnd I said: ‘What is it?’ And he said: ‘This is the measure that goeth forth.’ He said moreover: ‘This is their eye in all the land—
7
ThomsonThen lo! a talent of lead was brought out; and behold! a woman was seated in the midst of the measure.
BrentonAnd behold a talent of lead lifted up: and behold a woman sat in the midst of the measure.
GreekΚαὶ ἰδοὺ τάλαντον μολίβδου ἐξαιρόμενον· καὶ ἰδοὺ γυνὴ μία ἐκάθητο ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ μέτρου.
KJVAnd, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.
JPSand, behold, there was lifted up a round piece of lead—and this is a woman sitting in the midst of the measure.’
8
ThomsonAnd he said, This is the iniquity. Then he threw her down into the measure and he threw the mass of lead on her mouth.
BrentonAnd he said, This is iniquity. And he cast it into the midst of the measure, and cast the weight of lead on the mouth of it.
GreekΚαὶ εἶπεν, αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἀνομία· καὶ ἔῤῥιψεν αὐτὴν εἰς μέσον τοῦ μέτρου, καὶ ἔῤῥιψε τὸν λίθον τοῦ μολίβδου εἰς τὸ στόμα αὐτῆς.
KJVAnd he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.
JPSAnd he said: ‘This is Wickedness.’ And he cast her down into the midst of the measure, and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.
9
ThomsonAnd I lifted up mine eyes and looked, and lo! two women came out, and there was a wind by their wings. Now they had the wings of a stork. And when they had lifted up the measure between heaven and earth,
BrentonAnd I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, two women coming forth, and the wind was in their wings; and they had stork's wings: and they lifted up the measure between the earth and the sky.
GreekΚαὶ ᾖρα τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου, καὶ ἴδον, καὶ ἰδοὺ δύο γυναῖκες ἐκπορευόμεναι, καὶ πνεῦμα ἐν ταῖς πτέρυξιν αὐτῶν, καὶ αὗται εἶχον πτέρυγας ἔποπος· καὶ ἀνέλαβον τὸ μέτρον ἀναμέσον τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἀναμέσον τοῦ οὐρανοῦ.
KJVThen lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two 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.
JPSThen lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there came forth two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork; and they lifted up the measure between the earth and the heaven.
10
ThomsonI said to the angel who was talking with me, Whither are they carrying the measure?
BrentonAnd I said to the angel that spoke with me, Whither do these carry away the measure?
GreekΚαὶ εἶπα πρὸς τὸν ἄγγελον τὸν λαλοῦντα ἐν ἐμοὶ, ποῦ αὗται ἀποφέρουσι τὸ μέτρον;
KJVThen said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?
JPSThen said I to the angel that spoke with me: ‘Whither do these bear the measure?’
11
ThomsonAnd he said to me, To build a house for it in the land of Babylon and make preparation that they may place it there on its base.
BrentonAnd he said to me, To build it a house in the land of Babylon, and to prepare a place for it; and they shall set it there on its own base.
GreekΚαὶ εἶπε πρὸς μὲ, οἰκοδομῆσαι αὐτῷ οἰκίαν ἐν γῇ Βαβυλῶνος, καὶ ἑτοιμάσαι, καὶ θήσουσιν αὐτὸ ἐκεῖ ἐπὶ τὴν ἑτοιμασίαν αὐτοῦ.
KJVAnd he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.
JPSAnd he said unto me: ‘To build her a house in the land of Shinar; and when it is prepared, she shall be set there in her own place.