Zakarias 1

1 I den ottende Maaned i Darius's andet Regeringsaar kom HERRENS Ord til Profeten Zakarias, en Søn af Berekja, en Søn af Iddo, saaledes:

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 HERREN var fuld af Harme imod eders Fædre.

'The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.

3 Men sig til dem: Saa siger Hærskarers HERRE: Vend om til mig, lyder det fra Hærskarers HERRE, saa vil jeg vende om til eder, siger Hærskarers HERRE.

Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts: Return unto Me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.

4 Vær ikke som eders Fædre, til hvem de tidligere Profeter talte saaledes: Saa siger Hærskarers HERRE: Vend om fra eders onde Veje og onde Gerninger! Men de hørte ikke og ænsede mig ikke, lyder det fra HERREN.

Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying: Thus saith the LORD of hosts: Return ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings; but they did not hear, nor attend unto Me, saith the LORD.

5 Eders Fædre, hvor er de? Og Profeterne, lever de evigt?

Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?

6 Men mine Ord og Bud, som jeg overgav mine Tjenere Profeterne, naaede de ikke eders Fædre, saa de maatte vende om og sige: »Som Hærskarers HERRE havde sat sig for at gøre imod os for vore Vejes og Gerningers Skyld, saaledes gjorde han.«

But My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? so that they turned and said: Like as the LORD of hosts purposed to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath He dealt with us.'

7 Paa den fire og tyvende Dag i den ellevte Maaned, det er Sjebat Maaned, i Darius's andet Regeringsaar kom HERRENS Ord til Profeten Zakarias, en Søn af Berekja, en Søn af Iddo, saaledes:

Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, 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 Jeg skuede i Nat, og se, en Mand paa en rød Hest holdt mellem Bjergene ved den dybe Kløft, og bag ham var der røde, mørke, hvide og brogede Heste.

I saw in the 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 there were horses, red, sorrel, and white.

9 Jeg spurgte: »Hvad betyder de, Herre?« Og Engelen, som talte med mig, sagde: »Jeg vil vise dig, hvad de betyder.«

Then said I: 'O my lord, what are these?' And the angel that spoke with me said unto me: 'I will show thee what these are.'

10 Saa tog Manden, som holdt mellem Bjergene, til Orde og sagde: »Det er dem, HERREN udsender, for at de skal drage Jorden rundt.«

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 Og de tog til Orde og sagde til HERRENS Engel, som stod mellem Bjergene: »Vi drog Jorden rundt, og se, hele Jorden er rolig og stille.«

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 HERRENS Engel tog da til Orde og sagde: »Hærskarers HERRE! Hvor længe varer det, før du forbarmer dig over Jerusalem og Judas Byer, som du nu har været vred paa i halvfjerdsindstyve Aar?«

Then the angel of the LORD spoke and said: 'O LORD of hosts, how long wilt Thou not have compassion on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which Thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?

13 Og til Svar gav HERREN Engelen, som talte med mig, gode og trøstende Ord.

And the LORD answered the angel that spoke with me with good words, even comforting words —

14 Engelen, som talte med mig, sagde saa til mig: Tal og sig: Saa siger Hærskarers HERRE: Jeg er fuld af Nidkærhed for Jerusalem og Zion

so the angel that spoke with me said unto me: 'Proclaim thou, saying: Thus saith the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy;

15 og af Harme mod de trygge Hedninger, fordi de hjalp til at gøre Ulykken stor, da min Vrede kun var lille.

and I am very sore displeased with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, and they helped for evil.

16 Derfor, saa siger HERREN: Jeg vender mig til Jerusalem og forbarmer mig over det; mit Hus skal opbygges der, lyder det fra Hærskarers HERRE, og der skal udspændes Maalesnor over Jerusalem.

Therefore thus saith the LORD: I return to Jerusalem with compassions: My house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth over Jerusalem.

17 Tal videre: Saa siger Hærskarers HERRE: Mine Byer skal atter strømme med Velsignelse, og HERREN vil atter trøste Zion og udvælge Jerusalem.

Again, proclaim, saying: Thus saith the LORD of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.'

18 Derpaa løftede jeg mine Øjne og skuede, og se, der var fire Horn.

And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.

19 Jeg spurgte Engelen, som talte med mig: »Hvad betyder de?« Han svarede: »Det er de Horn, som har spredt Juda, Israel og Jerusalem.«

And I said unto the angel that spoke with me: 'What are these?' And he said unto me: 'These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.'

20 Saa lod HERREN mig se fire Smede.

And the LORD showed me four craftsmen.

21 Jeg spurgte: »Hvad kommer de for?« Og han svarede: »Hine er de Horn, som spredte Juda, saa det ikke kunde løfte sit Hoved; og nu kommer disse for at hvæsse Økser til at slaa Hornene til Jorden paa de Hedninger, som løftede deres Horn mod Judas Land for at sprede det.«

Then said I: 'What come these to do?' And he spoke, saying: 'These — the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head — these then are come to frighten them, to cast down the horns of the nations, which lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.'