The Lord Calls His People to Return to Him
1 In the eighth month of the second year that Darius was emperor of Persia, the Lord gave this message to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah and grandson of Iddo. 2 The Lord Almighty told Zechariah to say to the people, “I, the Lord, was very angry with your ancestors, 3 but now I say to you, ‘Return to me, and I will return to you. 4 Do not be like your ancestors. Long ago the prophets gave them my message, telling them not to live evil, sinful lives any longer. But they would not listen to me or obey me. 5 Your ancestors and those prophets are no longer alive. 6 Through my servants the prophets I gave your ancestors commands and warnings, but they disregarded them and suffered the consequences. Then they repented and acknowledged that I, the Lord Almighty, had punished them as they deserved and as I had determined to do.’”
The Prophet's Vision of the Horses
7 In the second year that Darius was emperor, on the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month (the month of Shebat), the Lord gave me a message in a vision at night. 8 I saw someone riding a red horse. He had stopped among some myrtle trees in a valley, and behind him were other horses—red, dappled, and white. 9 I asked him, “Sir, what do these horses mean?”
He answered, “I will show you what they mean. 10 The Lord sent them to go and inspect the earth.”
11 They reported to the angel: “We have been all over the world and have found that the whole world lies helpless and subdued.”
12 Then the angel said, “Almighty Lord, you have been angry with Jerusalem and the cities of Judah for seventy years now. How much longer will it be before you show them mercy?”
13 The Lord answered the angel with comforting words, 14 and the angel told me to proclaim what the Lord Almighty had said: “I have a deep love and concern for Jerusalem, my holy city, 15 and I am very angry with the nations that enjoy quiet and peace. For while I was holding back my anger against my people, those nations made the sufferings of my people worse. 16 So I have come back to Jerusalem to show mercy to the city. My Temple will be restored, and the city will be rebuilt.”
17 The angel also told me to proclaim: “The Lord Almighty says that his cities will be prosperous again and that he will once again help Jerusalem and claim the city as his own.”
The Vision of the Horns
18 In another vision I saw four ox horns. 19 I asked the angel that had been speaking to me, “What do these horns mean?”
He answered, “They stand for the world powers that have scattered the people of Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
20 Then the Lord showed me four workers with hammers. 21 I asked, “What have they come to do?”
He answered, “They have come to terrify and overthrow the nations that completely crushed the land of Judah and scattered its people.”
Shandukilani kuna Yahwe
1 Kwakati mu mwedzi we buzhanakadzi we gole le bubili la Dariyasi, dama la Yahwe likazha ku Nlebesambeli Zakhariya nkololo wa Bherekiya, Bherekiya ali nkololo wa Ido liti,
2 “Yahwe bakabe bakagwadzila moyo bobatategulu benyu kwazo. 3 Ndizo ngwenu ubadwe uti Yahwe Masimbawose bakati, ‘Shandukilani kundili,’ kojalo Yahwe Masimbawose, ‘ngono namibo ndowoshandukila kumuli,’ Yahwe Masimbawose baleba. 4 Musidwe mufanana na bobatategulu benyu ibo bakati balebesambeli beti Yahwe Masimbawose bakati, ‘Shandukilani bubi gwenyu ne zila dzenyu dzakabipa,’ koga ibo bakasinditeedze kene kundibhulutana, koleba Yahwe. 5 Bangayi sakuno bobatategulu benyu? Apa ne balebesambeli banotjilila tjatjose kene? 6 Koga matama angu ne milayo yangu yandakapa balanda bangu balebesambeli apa azwizokulila bobatategulu benyu kene? Apa abazodwapo bakashandukila matjinyo abo kene beti, ‘Yahwe Masimbawose batiloba shamu yakalingisana ne zwiyito zwedu zwatakathama koga sekwa bakabe bakazwimisila thama.’ ”
Zibiso ngekwe bataswi be mbizi
7 Mu zhuba le bumakumi mabili ana manna le mwedzi we bugumi lina nng'ompela mwedzi we Shebati, mu gole le bubili le mbuso wa Dariyasi dama la Yahwe lakazha kuna Nlebesambeli Zakhariya nkololo wa Bherekiya, Bherekiya ali nkololo wa Ido liti,
8 “Mu busiku, ndakabe ne mbono. Bonani ndakabona nlume akatatha mbizi shaba, wakabe ali mile pakati kwe nshangule mu gorokoro ngono shule kukwe kwakabe kuna mbizi shaba ne thukwa ne tjena. 9 Ngono abhuzwa nditi, ‘Zwini izwezwi She wangu?’ Ngono ntumwa we kudzimu wakabe elebeleka nami kashandula eti, ‘Ndowokulakidza kuti zwini izwezwi.’ 10 Nlume wakabe ali mile pakati kwe nshangule kadabila eti, ‘Aba ndibo bakatumwa ndi Yahwe kuyendayenda beshola shango.’
Dabilo ye ntumwa we kudzimu
11 “Ngono ipapo bakadabila ntumwa we kudzimu wa Yahwe wakabe ali mile pakati kwe nshangule beti, ‘Tayenda yenda mu shango, ngono bonani tawana shango yose ili gele nge kunyalala.’ 12 Ntumwa we kudzimu wa Yahwe kalebeleka eti, ‘Imwi Yahwe Masimbawose, kowotola tjibaka tjingapani kuti muhwile ngoni Jerusalema ne mizi ye Juda kene? Iyo yamakagwadzila moyo kwe makole ali makumi ali kutenda (70) kene?’
Dabilo ya Yahwe
13 “Ngono Yahwe bakashandula ntumwa we kudzimu wakabe elebeleka nami nge matama mabuya, matama e nyaladzo. 14 Ipapo ntumwa we kudzimu wakabe elebeleka nami kabe eti kundili, ‘Lebeleka uti Yahwe Masimbawose bakati: Ndobinda kwazo ngekwe Jerusalema ne ngekwe Ziyoni. 15 Gwadzamoyo kwangu kukulukulu kumu zwitjaba zwigele zwakaliga makumbo, ngobe ndakabe ndakagwadza moyo kutukununu koga bakapandusa mbipo. 16 Ndizo ke, Yahwe bakati, Ndakashandukila ku Jerusalema nge ngoni, Ng'umba yangu inomusiwa mu Jerusalema. Nsungo unolizanya unowotambunudziwa mu Jerusalema,’ ” koleba Yahwe. 17 Lebeleka kakale uti Yahwe Masimbawose bakati: “Mizi mikulu yangu inowotebukana kakale nge kubhudilila, Yahwe banowohwila ngoni Ziyoni kakale ngono banowozwishaluligwa Jerusalema.”
Mbono ye manyanga manna ne bathuli be butale banna
18 Ndakati ndimilidza mesho abona manyanga manna. 19 Ngono ndakabhuzwa ntumwa wakabe elebeleka nami nditi, “Ini ikoku?” Ngono kandishandula eti, “Iyawa manyanga ndiwo akapaladza Juda ne Iziraela ne Jerusalema.” 20 Ipapo Yahwe bakandilakidza bathuli be butale bali banna. 21 Ngono ndikabhuzwa ati, “Ibaba bazha bewoshingani?” Kandishandula eti, “Iyawa manyanga akapaladza Juda, kuti ndizo kusale kusina ndodwa ne nthu unomusa nsholo, balume ibaba bazha kuwobatjisa ne kulobesa manyanga e zwitjaba zwakabe zwamukila shango ye Juda ne kuipaladza.”