Zekaria 3

1 Ningĩ akĩnyonia Joshua, mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai ũrĩa mũnene, arũgamĩte mbere ya mũraika wa Jehova, nake Shaitani arũgamĩte mwena wake wa ũrĩo nĩguo amũcuuke.

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 Nake Jehova akĩĩra Shaitani atĩrĩ, “Jehova arogũkũũma, wee Shaitani! Jehova ũrĩa ũthuurĩte Jerusalemu arogũkũũma wee! Githĩ mũndũ ũyũ ti gĩcinga gĩtharĩtwo kuuma mwaki-inĩ?”

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 Na rĩrĩ, Joshua eehumbĩte nguo irĩ gĩko hĩndĩ ĩyo aarũgamĩte mbere ya mũraika.

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

4 Mũraika ũcio akĩĩra arĩa maarũngiĩ mbere yake atĩrĩ, “Mũrutei nguo icio ciake irĩ na gĩko.” Agĩcooka akĩĩra Joshua atĩrĩ, “Atĩrĩrĩ, nĩnjeheretie mehia maku, na nĩngũkũhumba nguo cia goro.”

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 Ngĩcooka ngiuga atĩrĩ, “Muohei kĩremba gĩtheru mũtwe.” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio makĩmuoha kĩremba gĩtheru mũtwe, na makĩmũhumba nguo, mũraika wa Jehova arũgamĩte o hau.

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 Mũraika wa Jehova agĩatha Joshua, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ,

Then the angel said [this] to Joshua:

7 “Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga ũũ, ‘Ũngĩrũmĩrĩra mĩthiĩre yakwa na ũmenyagĩrĩre maũndũ marĩa nyendaga mekwo, nĩũgaathaga nyũmba yakwa, o na ũtuĩke mũrũgamĩrĩri wa nja ciayo, na ngwĩtĩkĩrie ũtuĩke ũmwe wa andũ aya marũngiĩ haha.

“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 “‘Ta thikĩrĩria, wee Joshua, mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai ũrĩa mũnene, hamwe na athiritũ aku aya maikarĩte thĩ mbere yaku, o acio kĩmenyithia kĩa maũndũ marĩa magooka: Nĩngarehe ndungata yakwa, o we Rũhonge.’

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 Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga ũũ, ‘Atĩrĩrĩ, nĩnjigĩte ihiga mbere ya Joshua! Ihiga rĩu rĩrĩ na maitho mũgwanja, na nĩngakurura maandĩko igũrũ warĩo, na njeherie mehia ma bũrũri ũyũ na mũthenya ũmwe.

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 “‘Mũthenya ũcio-rĩ, o mũndũ wanyu nĩageeta mũndũ wa itũũra rĩake maikare rungu rwa mũtĩ wake wa mũthabibũ na wa mũkũyũ,’” ũguo nĩguo Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga.

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.”