Zakarias 1

1 I den ottende Måned i Darius's andet Regeringsår kom HERRENs Ord til Profeten Zakarias, en Søn af Berekja, en Søn af Iddo, således:

In the eighth month, in the second year of [the reign of] Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zacharias, the son of Barachias, the son of Addo, the prophet, saying,

2 HERREN var fuld af Harme imod eders Fædre.

The Lord has been very angry with your fathers.

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

And you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord Almighty: Turn to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will turn to you, says the Lord of hosts.

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

And be you not as your fathers, whom the prophets before charged, saying, Thus says the Lord Almighty: Turn you from your evil ways, and from your evil practices: but they listened not, and attended not to listen to me, says the Lord.

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

Where are your fathers, and the prophets? Will they live for ever?

6 Men mine Ord og Bud, som jeg overgav mine Tjenere Profeterne, nåede de ikke eders Fædre, så de måtte vende om og sige: "Som Hærskarers HERRE havde sat sig for at gøre imod os for vore Vejes og Gerningers Skyld, således gjorde han."

But do you receive my words and mine ordinances, all that I command by my Spirit to my servants the prophets, who lived in the days of your fathers; and they answered and said, As the Lord Almighty determined to do to us, according to our ways, and according to our practices, so has he done to us.

7 På den fire og tyvende dag i den ellevte Måned, det er Sjebat Måned, i Darius's andet Regeringsår kom HERRENs Ord til Profeten Zakarias, en Søn af Berekja, en Søn af Iddo, således:

On the twenty-fourth [day] in the eleventh month, this is the month Sabat, in the second year of [the reign of] Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zacharias, the son of Barachias, the son of Addo, the prophet, saying,

8 Jeg skuede i Nat, og se, en Mand på en rød Hest holdt mellem Bjergene ved den dybe Kløft, og bag ham var der røde, mørke, hvide og brogede Heste.

I saw by night, and behold a man mounted on a red horse, and he stood between the shady mountains; and behind him were red horses, and grey, and piebald, and white.

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

And I said, What are these, [my] lord? And the angel spoke with me said to me, I will show you what these [things] are.

10 Så 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 between the mountains answered, and said to me, These are [they] whom the Lord has sent forth to go round 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 between the mountains, and said, We have gone round all the earth, and, behold, all the earth is inhabited, 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 på i halvfjerdsindstyve År?"

Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord Almighty, how long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem, and the cities of Juda, which you has disregarded these seventy years?

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

And the Lord Almighty answered the angel that spoke with me good words and consolatory sayings.

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

And the angel that spoke with me said to me, Cry out and say, Thus says the Lord Almighty; I have been jealous for Jerusalem and Sion with 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 angry with the heathen that combine to attack [her]: forasmuch as I indeed was a little angry, but they combined to attack [her] for evil.

16 Derfor, så 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 Målesnor over Jerusalem.

Therefore thus says the Lord: I will return to Jerusalem with compassion; and my house shall be rebuilt in her, says the Lord Almighty, and a measuring line shall yet be stretched out over Jerusalem.

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

And the angel that spoke with me said to me, Cry yet, and say, Thus says the Lord Almighty; Yet shall cities be spread abroad through prosperity; and the Lord shall yet have mercy upon Sion, and shall choose Jerusalem.

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

And I lifted up mine eyes and looked, 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 to the angel that spoke with me, What are these things, [my] lord? And he said to me, These are the horns that have scattered Juda, and Israel, and Jerusalem.

20 Så lod HERREN mig se fire Smede.

And the Lord showed me four artificers.

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

And I said, What are these coming to do? And he said, These are the horns that scattered Juda, and they broke Israel in pieces, and none of them lifted up his head: and these are come forth to sharpen them for their hands, [even] the four horns, the nations that lifted up the horn against the land of the Lord to scatter it.