1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, 2 The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers. 3 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. 4 Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD. 5 Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever? 6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.
7 ¶ Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, 8 I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white. 9 Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be . 10 And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth. 11 And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.
12 ¶ Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years? 13 And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words. 14 So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. 15 And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction. 16 Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem. 17 Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.
18 ¶ Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns. 19 And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. 20 And the LORD shewed me four carpenters. 21 Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.
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.”