Fourth Vision: High Priest and Branch

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

Now Joshua was dressed with filthy[c] clothes(E) as he stood before the angel.(F) So the angel of the Lord[d] spoke to those[e] standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes!” Then he said to him, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you,(G) and I will clothe you with festive robes.”

Then I said, “Let them put a clean turban(H) on his head.” So a clean turban was placed on his head, and they clothed him in garments while the angel of the Lord was standing nearby.

Then the angel of the Lord charged Joshua, “This is what the Lord of Armies says: If you walk in my ways and keep my mandates, you will both rule my house and take care of my courts; I will also grant you access among these who are standing here.

“Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your colleagues sitting before you; indeed, these men are a sign that I am about to bring my servant, the Branch.(I) Notice the stone(J) I have set before Joshua; on that one stone are seven eyes.(K) I will engrave an inscription on it”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies—“and I will take away the iniquity of this land in a single day. 10 On that day, each of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and fig tree.”(L) This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.

Footnotes

  1. 3:1 Or the accuser
  2. 3:2 Syr reads The Angel of the Lord
  3. 3:3 Probably stained with human excrement
  4. 3:4 Lit he
  5. 3:4 = the angels

Fourth night vision

Then the Lord showed me the high priest Joshua, standing before the messenger from the Lord,
        and the Adversary[a] was standing by his right side to accuse him.
And the Lord said to the Adversary:
        “The Lord rebukes you, Adversary.
    The Lord, the one choosing Jerusalem, rebukes you.
        Is this one not a log snatched from the fire?”
Joshua was wearing filthy clothes and standing before the messenger.
    He responded to those standing before him,
        “Take off his filthy clothes.”
And he said to Joshua,
    “Look, I have removed your guilt from you.
        Put on priestly robes.”
    He[b] said, “Put a clean turban upon his head.”
        So they put the clean turban upon his head,
            and they dressed him in garments while the Lord’s messenger stood by.
Then the Lord’s messenger admonished Joshua:
    “The Lord of heavenly forces proclaims:
        If you will walk in my paths,
            if you will keep my charge,
            then you will lead my house and guard my courts,
            and I will allow you to walk among those standing here.
Now listen, High Priest Joshua,
    you and your companions sitting before you—
            for these men are a sign—
        look, I am about to bring my servant, Branch.
        See this stone that I have put before Joshua.
        Upon one stone, there are seven facets.
            I am about to engrave an inscription on it,
            says the Lord of heavenly forces.
        I will remove the guilt of that land in one day.
10     On that day, says the Lord of heavenly forces,
        everyone will invite their neighbors to sit beneath their vines and the fig trees.”

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 3:1 Heb hassatan; cf Job 1:6
  2. Zechariah 3:5 Or I