Zechariah 3

Expanded Bible

The Vision of the High Priest

3 Then he showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing in front of the ·Lord’s angel [angel of the Lord; 1:11]. And ·Satan [or the Accuser/Adversary; Job 1–2; 1 Chr. 21:1] was standing by Joshua’s [Hag. 1:1] right ·side [hand] to accuse him. ² The Lord said to ·Satan [or the Accuser/Adversary], “The Lord ·says no to [rebuke] you, ·Satan [Adversary; Accuser]! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem ·says no to [rebukes] you! ·This man was [^LIsn’t this man…?] like a burning stick ·pulled [snatched] from the fire.”

³ Joshua was wearing ·dirty [filthy] clothes and was standing in front of the ·angel [messenger]. ⁴ The ·angel [messenger] said to those standing in front of him, “Take off those ·dirty [filthy] clothes.”

Then ·the angel [^Lhe] said to Joshua, “Look, I have taken away your ·sin [iniquity] from you, and I am giving you beautiful, ·fine clothes [festal robes; fine vestments].”

⁵ Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and dressed him while the ·Lord’s angel [angel of the Lord; 1:11] stood there.

⁶ Then the ·Lord’s angel [angel of the Lord; 1:11] ·said [spoke solemnly; gave this charge] to Joshua, ⁷ “This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts] says: ‘If you ·do as I tell you [walk in my ways] and ·serve me [carefully keep my requirements], you will be in charge of my ·Temple [^Lhouse] and my courtyards. And I will let you be with ·these angels [^Lthese] who are standing here.

⁸ “‘Listen, Joshua, the high priest, and your ·friends [colleagues; associates] who are sitting in front of you. They are ·symbols [a sign] of what will happen. [^LLook; ^TBehold] I am going to bring my servant, the Branch [^Cthe Messiah; Ps. 132:17; Is. 11:1; 42:1; Jer. 23:5; 33:15]. ⁹ Look, I put this stone in front of Joshua, a stone with seven ·sides [^Leyes]. I will ·carve a message [engrave an inscription] on it,’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts]. ‘And in one day I will ·take away the sin [remove the iniquity] of this land.’

¹⁰ “The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts] says, ‘In that day, each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your own grapevine and under your own fig tree [^Csymbols of security and prosperity; Is. 36:16; Mic. 4:4].’”