Yahwe banogadzabgwe kululwamisa Jerusalema
1 Ngono dama la Yahwe Masimbawose lakazha kundili liti, 2 “Yahwe Masimbawose bakati, ‘Ndobinda kukulu kwazo ngekwe Ziyoni, ngono kubinda kwangu kuzhele bushongola bukulu kwazo.’ 3 Ndizo Yahwe bakati, ‘Ndowobgwilila ku Ziyoni, ndowogala pakati kwe Jerusalema, ngono Jerusalema inowodang'wa nzi nkulu we malebeswa, dombo la Yahwe Masimbawose, dombo lakayengemala.’ 4 Yahwe Masimbawose bakati, ‘Sholo tjena dze bathuntana ne dze bakadzikulu dzowogala mu dzizila dze Jerusalema kakale, mmwe ne mmwe akabhata ludozo nge luboko gugwe kuyendidzana nge mazhuba e butjilo gugwe. 5 Zila dze nzi nkulu dzowozhala balisana ne baanadana bezana mudzili.’
6 “Yahwe Masimbawose bakati, ‘Apa malimbelimbe e bathu ibaba be misi iyeyi bangati ikoku kwakasima, apa nami nditi kwakasima kene?’
Kojalo Yahwe Masimbawose.7 “Yahwe Masimbawose banolebeleka bakati, ‘Bonani, ndowosunungula bathu bangu mu shango ye kunobhuda zhuba ne shango ye kunomila zhuba, 8 ndibabuza kuti bawobaka mu Jerusalema. Banowobe bathu bangu, imi ndowobe Ndzimu wabo nge malebeswa ne ndulamo.’
9 “Yahwe Masimbawose banolebeleka bakati, ‘Longani mafupa mu nyama, imwi mu misi iyeyi magala muhwa matama iyahwa anodwa mu milomo ye balebesambeli, kudwa tjose mukuteyiwa kwe ng'umba ya Yahwe Masimbawose, kuti kubakiwe Ng'umba ye Ndzimu. 10 Ngoti misi yakati isathu yaswika kwakabe kusina ndipo ye nthu kene ng'ombe. Kwakabe kusina ungabhuda kanothama mishingo iye ngoti bakabe betja zwita zwabo, ngoti ndakabe ndigwisanya bathu bose. 11 Koga ngwenu andingatjathamile malimbelimbe e bathu ibaba sekwa ndakabathamila mu mazhuba ekutanga,
koleba Yahwe Masimbawose.12 “ ‘Ngoti ndowodzwala mbewu ye kunyalala, nzhambi unowozwala mitjelo yawo ngono na pasi kowodusa zwizwalo zwako, zhuzhugwi kowowisa khawa ngono ndowothama kuti malimbelimbe e bathu ibaba awane zwithu zose izwezwi. 13 Kutanga makabe muli bhiso ku zwitjaba imwi Bajuta namwi Baiziraela, ngono ngwenu ndowomusungunula kuti ndizo mube makombolelo. Musitje, longani mafupa mu nyama!’
14 “Ngobe Yahwe Masimbawose bakati, ‘Sekwa ndakabe ndazwimisila kumuthama tjakabipa, ngoti bobatategulu benyu bakabe banditanga kuti ndizhigwe nge bushongola, andizobgwilila shule,’
kojalo Yahwe Masimbawose.15 “ ‘Ndizoke na ngwenu kakale ndazwimisila kuti ndithamile Jerusalema ne Bajuda bubuya mu mazhuba iyawa, musitje. 16 Zwamakafanila thama ndiyezwi: Lebelanani malebeswa, ku mabazhe enyu sumikilisani nge lebeswa kakale mugadzane nge kunyalala. 17 Musilukilane makwanga. Bengani tuna kwe manyepkhwa ngoti ndobenga zwithu izwezwi zose,’
koleba Yahwe.”18 Ngono dama la Yahwe Masimbawose lakazha kundili liti, 19 “Yahwe Masimbawose banolebeleka beti, ‘Kuzwinyima zojiwa kwe mwedzi we bunna ne kuzwinyima zojiwa kwe mwedzi we bushanu ne kwe mwedzi we butendeka ne kwe mwedzi we bugumi kowobe zwibaka zwe shatho ne mizano ye kupembela mu Bajuta, ndizo idani malebeswa ne kunyalala.’
20 “Yahwe Masimbawose bakati, ‘Kutjowozha bathu ibo bagali be mizi minjinji, 21 bagali be nzi mmwe banowoyenda ku mmwe nzi beti, “Izhani tjinyolotjo tinokumbila mahwilongoni kuna Yahwe ne kushaka Yahwe Masimbawose. Naswibo toyenda.” ’ 22 Kowozha njudzi ne zwitjaba zwikulu kuwoshaka Yahwe Masimbawose mu Jerusalema ne kukumbila mahwilongoni muna Yahwe. 23 Yahwe Masimbawose bakati, ‘Mu mazhuba iyawo balume bali gumi be ndimi dzose dze zwitjaba banowobhata Njuta nng'ompela beti, “Ngatiyendeni namwi ngoti tahwa kuti Ndzimu unamwi.” ’ ”
The Lord's Promises to Zion
1 The Lord All-Powerful said to me:
2 I love Zion so much that her enemies make me angry. 3 I will return to Jerusalem and live there on Mount Zion. Then Jerusalem will be known as my faithful city, and Zion will be known as my holy mountain.
4 Very old people with walking sticks will once again sit around in Jerusalem, 5 while boys and girls play in the streets. 6 This may seem impossible for my people who are left, but it isn't impossible for me, the Lord All-Powerful. 7 I will save those who were taken to lands in the east and the west, 8 and I will bring them to live in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God, faithful to bring about justice.
9 I am the Lord All-Powerful! So don't give up. Think about the message my prophets spoke when the foundation of my temple was laid. 10 Before that time, neither people nor animals were rewarded for their work, and no one was safe anywhere, because I had turned them against each other.
11 My people, only a few of you are left, and I promise not to punish you as I did before. 12 Instead, I will make sure that your crops are planted in peace and your vineyards are fruitful, that your fields are fertile, and the dew falls from the sky. 13 People of Judah and Israel, you have been a curse to the nations, but I will save you and make you a blessing to them. So don't be afraid or lose courage.
14 When your ancestors made me angry, I decided to punish you with disasters, and I didn't hold back. 15 Now you no longer need to be afraid. I have decided to treat Jerusalem and Judah with kindness. 16 But you must be truthful with each other, and in court you must give fair decisions that lead to peace. 17 Don't ever plan evil things against others or tell lies under oath. I, the Lord, hate such things.
A Time of Celebration
18 The Lord All-Powerful told me to say:
19 People of Judah, I, the Lord, demand that whenever you go without food as a way of worshiping me, it should become a time of celebration. No matter if it's the fourth month, the fifth month, the seventh month, or the tenth month, you should have a joyful festival. So love truth and live at peace.
20 I tell you that people will come here from cities everywhere. 21 Those of one town will go to another and say, “We're going to ask the Lord All-Powerful to treat us with kindness. Come and join us.”
22 Many people from strong nations will come to Jerusalem to worship me and to ask me to treat them with kindness. 23 When this happens, ten people from nations with different languages will grab a Jew by his clothes and say, “Let us go with you. We've heard that God is on your side.” I, the Lord All-Powerful, have spoken!