Beha’alotekha

Beha'alotekha Posted On Jan 1, 1980 | Haftarah Reading
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This translation was taken from the JPS Tanakh

Zechariah 2:14 – 4:7

14 Shout for joy, Fair Zion! For lo, I come; and I will dwell in your midst–declares the Lord. 15 In that day many nations will attach themselves to the Lord and become His people, and He will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that I was sent to you by the Lord of Hosts. 16 The Lord will take Judah to Himself as His portion in the Holy Land, and He will choose Jerusalem once more.

17 Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord!
For He is roused from His holy habitation.

Chapter 3
1 He further showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord, and the Accuser standing at his right to accuse him. 2 But [the angel of] the Lord said to the Accuser, “The Lord rebuke you, O Accuser; may the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! For this is a brand plucked from the fire.” 3 Now Joshua was clothed in filthy garments when he stood before the angel. 4 The latter spoke up and said to his attendants, “Take the filthy garments off him!” And he said to him, “See, I have removed your guilt from you, and you shall be clothed in [priestly] robes.” 5 Then he gave the order, “Let a pure diadem be placed on his head.” And they placed the pure diadem on his head and clothed him in [priestly] garments, as the angel of the Lord stood by.

6 And the angel of the Lord charged Joshua as follows: 7 “Thus said the Lord of Hosts: If you walk in My paths and keep My charge, you in turn will rule My House and guard My courts, and I will permit you to move about among these attendants. 8 Hearken well, O High Priest Joshua, you and your fellow priests sitting before you! For those men are a sign that I am going to bring My servant the Branch. 9 For mark well this stone which I place before Joshua, a single stone with seven eyes. I will execute its engraving–declares the Lord of Hosts–and I will remove that country’s guilt in a single day. 10 In that day–declares the Lord of Hosts–you will be inviting each other to the shade of vines and fig trees.”

Chapter 4
1 The angel who talked with me came back and woke me as a man is wakened from sleep. 2 He said to me, “What do you see?” And I answered, “I see a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl above it. The lamps on it are seven in number, and the lamps above it have seven pipes; 3 and by it are two olive trees, one on the right of the bowl and one on its left.” 4 I, in turn, asked the angel who talked with me, “What do those things mean, my lord?” 5 “Do you not know what those things mean?” asked the angel who talked with me; and I said, “No, my lord.” 6 Then he explained to me as follows:

“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit–said the Lord of Hosts. 7 Whoever you are, O great mountain in the path of Zerubbabel, turn into level ground! For he shall produce that excellent stone; it shall be greeted with shouts of ‘Beautiful! Beautiful!'”


Taken from Tanakh, The Holy Scriptures, (Philadelphia, Jerusalem: Jewish Publication Society) 1985.
Used by permission of The Jewish Publication Society. Copyright © 1962, 1992
Third Edition by the Jewish Publication Society.
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