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Zechariah Sees a Religious Leader

Then he showed me Joshua the head religious leader standing before the angel of the Lord. And Satan was standing at his right side to blame him. The Lord said to Satan, “May the Lord’s Word be sharp against you, Satan! May the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem speak sharp words against you! Is not this a burning stick saved from the fire?” Now Joshua was dressed in dirty clothes and standing in front of the angel. The angel said to those who were standing in front of him, “Take off his dirty clothes.” And he said to him, “See, I have taken your sin away from you, and will dress you in beautiful clothes.” Then I said, “Let them put a clean covering on his head.” So they put a clean covering on his head and dressed him in clothes, while the angel of the Lord was standing by.

The angel of the Lord told Joshua in strong words, “The Lord of All says, ‘If you will walk in My ways and do My work, then you will rule My house and everything around it. And I will give you a place among these who are standing here. Now listen, Joshua the head religious leader, and your friends who are sitting in front of you are men who show a part of the good things to come in the future. See, I am going to bring My Servant the Branch. See the stone that I have set in front of Joshua. There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will cut writings on it,’ says the Lord of All. ‘And I will take away the sin of that land in one day. 10 In that day,’ says the Lord of All, ‘every one of you will ask his neighbor to come sit under his vine and under his fig tree.’”

Clean Garments for the High Priest

Then he showed me Joshua(A) the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan[a](B) standing at his right side to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you,(C) Satan! The Lord, who has chosen(D) Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick(E) snatched from the fire?”(F)

Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.”

Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin,(G) and I will put fine garments(H) on you.”

Then I said, “Put a clean turban(I) on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by.

The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements,(J) then you will govern my house(K) and have charge(L) of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.(M)

“‘Listen, High Priest(N) Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic(O) of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.(P) See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua!(Q) There are seven eyes[b](R) on that one stone,(S) and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin(T) of this land in a single day.

10 “‘In that day each of you will invite your neighbor to sit(U) under your vine and fig tree,(V)’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 3:1 Hebrew satan means adversary.
  2. Zechariah 3:9 Or facets