Zekaria 3

1 Le ŋutega bubu me la, Yehowa ɖe Yosua, nunɔlagã la fiam, wònɔ tsitre ɖe Yehowa ƒe dɔla la gbɔ, evɔ Satana hã nɔ afi ma nɔ tsitre ɖe mawudɔla la ƒe nuɖusime nɔ Yosua nu tsom.

Then [Yahweh] showed me Joshua, the Supreme Priest, [who was] standing in front of the angel that Yahweh had sent. And Satan was standing at Joshua’s right side, [ready] to accuse him.

2 Yehowa gblɔ na Satana be, “Yehowa ka mo na wò, Satana! Yehowa, ame si tia Yerusalem la ka mo na wò! Ɖe ame sia mele abe dzoti bibi si woɖe le dzo me la ene oa?”

But Yahweh said to Satan, “Satan, I am rebuking you! I [am the one] who has chosen Jerusalem [to be my special city, and I] am rebuking you! This [man, Joshua], [has been brought back from Babylonia]; he is surely [like] [MET, RHQ] a burning stick that has been snatched from a fire.”

3 Azɔ Yosua le awu ƒoɖiwo me le tsitre ɖe mawudɔla la gbɔ.

Joshua was wearing filthy clothes while he was standing in front of the angel.

4 Mawudɔla la gblɔ na ame siwo nɔ tsitre ɖe afi ma la be, “Miɖe awu ƒoɖi sia le eŋuti.” Etrɔ ɖe Yosua gbɔ gblɔ nɛ be, “Kpɔ ɖa, meɖe wò nu vɔ̃wo ɖa, eye azɔ la, mele awu yeye nyui siawo dom na wò.”

The angel said to those [other angels] who were standing in front of him, “Take off his filthy clothes!” [After they did that, ] the angel said to Joshua, “Look! I have taken away [the guilt of] your sins, and I will put beautiful clothes on you.”

5 Tete megblɔ be, “Mitsɔ tablanu dzadzɛ bla ta nɛ.” Ale wotsɔ tablanu dzadzɛ bla ta nɛ, eye wotsɔ awu do nɛ esi Yehowa ƒe dɔla la nɔ tsitre.

Then I said to them, “Put a clean turban on his head!” So they put a clean turban on his head and put [new] on him, while the angel sent by Yahweh was standing there.

6 Yehowa ƒe dɔla la de se sia na Yosua,

Then the angel said [this] to Joshua:

7 “Ale Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la gblɔe nye esi: ‘Ne àzɔ le nye mɔwo dzi, alé nye ɖoɖowo me ɖe asi la, ekema maɖo wò nye gbedoxɔ nu, ànye nye aƒedzikpɔla, eye mana nɔƒe wò ɖe ame siwo le tsitre ɖe afi sia la dome.

“The Commander of the armies of angels says that if you do what I want you to do [IDM], and obey my instructions, you will (be in charge of/have authority over) [what is done in] my temple and its courtyard. And I will allow you to speak at any time to the angels who are standing near to me.

8 “‘Miɖo to, O nunɔlagã Yosua kple wò kpeɖeŋutɔ siwo nɔ anyi ɖe ŋgɔwò, ame siwo nye nu siwo ava va eme la ƒe dzesi. Meyi makplɔ nye dɔla Atilɔ la vɛ.

Joshua, [you are] the Supreme Priest, and your (associates/fellow priests) are sitting in front of you. They symbolize/represent things that will happen in the future. [Some day] I am going to bring someone who will work for me, someone who will be called the Branch.

9 Kpɔ kpe si metsɔ ɖo Yosua ŋkume la ɖa! Ŋku adre li na kpe ɖeka sia. Maŋlɔ nu ɖe kpe la dzi, eye maɖe anyigba sia ƒe nu vɔ̃ ɖa le ŋkeke ɖeka me,’ Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ lae gblɔe.

Look at the stone that I have put in front of Joshua. There are seven sides on the stone. I will engrave a message on that stone, and in one day I will remove the guilt of [all the people of] this country.

10 “‘Gbe ma gbe la, mia dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe akpe ehavi be wòava nɔ eƒe wainka kple gboti te.’ Yehowa Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ lae gblɔe.”

At that time, each of you will invite his friends [to come and sit] under his grapevine and under his fig tree. [That is what] the Commander of the armies of angels declares.”