1. And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked and behold a flying sickle.
2. And 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.
3. And 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.
4. And 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.
5. And the angel that talked with me went forth, and said to me, Lift up thine eyes, and see this that goes forth.
6. And 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.
7. And behold a talent of lead lifted up: and behold [Heb. and Gr. one woman; See verse 9] a woman sat in the midst of the measure.
8. And 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.
9. And 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.
10. And I said to the angel that spoke with me, Whither do these carry away the measure?
11. And 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 [Gr. preparation] base.