The prophets
The Vision of the Epha Basket with Wickedness
Zechariah receives a vision of an ephah basket. The angel lifts the lead cover and reveals a woman representing wickedness, then throws her back into the basket. Next, two women with stork wings appear and carry the basket to the land of Shinar, where a house is to be built for it.
Zechariah 5,5-11
5Then the angel who was speaking with me came forward and said, "Look up and see what this is that is going out."
וַיֵּצֵ֕א הַמַּלְאָ֖ךְ הַדֹּבֵ֣ר בִּ֑י וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י שָׂ֣א נָ֤א עֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ וּרְאֵ֔ה מָ֖ה הַיּוֹצֵ֥את הַזֹּֽאת׃
6I asked, "What is it?" He answered, "It is a measuring basket going out." And he added, "This is their iniquity in all the land."
וָאֹמַ֖ר מַה־הִ֑יא וַיֹּ֗אמֶר זֹ֤את הָֽאֵיפָה֙ הַיּוֹצֵ֔את וַיֹּ֕אמֶר זֹ֥את עֵינָ֖ם בְּכָל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
7Then the lead cover was lifted, and there sat a woman inside the basket.
וְהִנֵּ֛ה כִּכַּ֥ר עֹפֶ֖רֶת נִשֵּׂ֑את וְזֹאת֙ אִשָּׁ֣ה אַחַ֔ת יוֹשֶׁ֖בֶת בְּת֥וֹךְ הָאֵיפָֽה׃
8He said, "This is Wickedness," and he pushed her back into the basket and slammed the lead cover down over its mouth.
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ זֹ֣את הָרִשְׁעָ֔ה וַיַּשְׁלֵ֥ךְ אֹתָ֖הּ אֶל־תּ֣וֹךְ הָֽאֵיפָ֑ה וַיַּשְׁלֵ֛ךְ אֶת־אֶ֥בֶן הָעֹפֶ֖רֶת אֶל־פִּֽיהָ׃ ס
9Then I looked up, and there before me were two women coming, with the wind in their wings. Their wings were like those of a stork, and they lifted the basket and carried it between earth and sky.
וָאֶשָּׂ֨א עֵינַ֜י וָאֵ֗רֶא וְהִנֵּה֩ שְׁתַּ֨יִם נָשִׁ֤ים יֽוֹצְאוֹת֙ וְר֣וּחַ בְּכַנְפֵיהֶ֔ם וְלָהֵ֥נָּה כְנָפַ֖יִם כְּכַנְפֵ֣י הַחֲסִידָ֑ה וַתִּשֶּׂ֙אנָה֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֵיפָ֔ה בֵּ֥ין הָאָ֖רֶץ וּבֵ֥ין הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃
10"Where are they taking the basket?" I asked the angel who was speaking with me.
וָאֹמַ֕ר אֶל־הַמַּלְאָ֖ךְ הַדֹּבֵ֣ר בִּ֑י אָ֛נָה הֵ֥מָּה מֽוֹלִכ֖וֹת אֶת־הָאֵיפָֽה׃
11He answered, "To build a house for it in the land of Shinar.[^1] When the house is ready, the basket will be set there on its pedestal."
[^1]: Shinar: the ancient name for the region of Babylonia (see Genesis 11:2).
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י לִבְנֽוֹת־לָ֥הֿ בַ֖יִת בְּאֶ֣רֶץ שִׁנְעָ֑ר וְהוּכַ֛ן וְהֻנִּ֥יחָה שָּׁ֖ם עַל־מְכֻנָתָֽהּ׃ ס