Zechariah 3

And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

1Then he showed me Joshua. Joshua was the high priest, the leader of the priests. Joshua stood in front of the angel of the LORD. Satan stood at Joshua's right side. He was there to accuse Joshua of doing wrong.

2And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

2The LORD said to Satan, "The LORD says no to you, Satan! The LORD has chosen Jerusalem, and he says no to you! Isn't this man like a burning stick pulled out of a fire?"

Note"A brand plucked out of the fire" means a burning stick that someone grabbed out of a fire before it burned up.

3Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.

3Joshua was wearing dirty, filthy clothes as he stood there in front of the angel.

4And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.

4The angel spoke to the ones standing near him. He said, "Take those dirty clothes off him." Then he said to Joshua, "Look. I have taken your sin away from you. I will dress you in fine, clean clothes."

5And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.

5Then I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head. They dressed him in the new clothes. The angel of the LORD stood right there.

NoteA "mitre" is a turban. It is a long strip of cloth wrapped around the head. The high priest wore one.

6And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying,

6Then the angel of the LORD gave Joshua this message. He said:

7Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.

7"This is what the LORD who leads heaven's armies says. If you live the way I tell you, and do the work I give you, then you will be in charge of my house, the temple. You will take care of its courtyards. And I will let you come and go among these ones standing here.

8Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.

8Listen now, Joshua, you high priest. And listen, you friends who sit with you. You men are a sign of something that is coming. Look! I am going to bring my servant. His name is the Branch.

NoteThe old words "men wondered at" do not mean people stared at them. It means these men are a sign that points to something God is going to do.

9For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

9Look at the stone I have set in front of Joshua. That one stone has seven eyes on it. I will carve writing into it, says the LORD who leads heaven's armies. And I will take away the sin of this land in one single day.

10In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.

10On that day, says the LORD who leads heaven's armies, each of you will invite your neighbor over. You will sit together under your own grapevine and fig tree."