Zacharia 7
1 In het vierde jaar van koning Darius, op de vierde dag van de negende maand, de maand Kislew, werd het woord van Jahweh tot Zakarias gericht.
When Darius had been the emperor for almost four years, on December 7, Yahweh gave me [another] message.
2 Betel had toen Saréser en Régem-Mélek met zijn mannen afgevaardigd, om Jahweh gunstig te stemmen,
The people of Bethel [city] sent two men, Sharezer and Regem-Melech, along with some other men, [to the temple of Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of angels, ] to request that Yahweh bless them.
3 en om aan de priesters van het huis van Jahweh der heirscharen en aan de profeten te vragen: Moet ik in de vijfde maand blijven treuren en vasten, zoals ik dat al zoveel jaren gedaan heb?
They also asked the priests at Yahweh’s temple and the prophets [this question]: “For many years, during the fifth month [and during the seventh month of each year], we have mourned and (fasted/abstained from eating food). Should we [continue to do that]?”
4 Toen werd het woord van Jahweh der heirscharen tot mij gericht.
Then the Commander of the armies of angels gave me a message.
5 Spreek tot al het gewone volk en de priesters: Wanneer gij nu al zeventig jaar lang in de vijfde en zevende maand hebt gevast en getreurd, hebt ge dan soms om Mij gevast?
[He said], “Tell [RHQ] the priests and all the [other] people of Judah that during the past 70 years, when they mourned and fasted during the fifth and seventh months [of each year], it was not really [RHQ] me, [Yahweh], whom they were [honoring].
6 Als gij eet en drinkt, eet en drinkt ge toch ook voor uzelf!
And when they ate and drank, it was really [RHQ] to [benefit] themselves.
7 Heeft Jahweh u dat ook niet door de vroegere profeten verkondigd, toen Jerusalem nog bewoond en welvarend was, en de steden om haar heen met de Négeb en Sjefela nog waren bevolkt?
That is certainly [RHQ] what I continually told the former prophets to proclaim [to the people], when Jerusalem and the nearby towns were prosperous and filled with people, and people [also] lived in the desert area to the south and in the foothills [to the west].”
8 En het woord van Jahweh werd tot Zakarias gericht.
Yahweh gave another message to me, saying
9 Zo heeft Jahweh der heirscharen gesproken: "Velt rechtvaardige vonnissen, en bewijst elkander liefde en barmhartigheid;
“[Tell the people that] this is what the Commander of the armies of angels says: ‘Do what is just/right, and act kindly and mercifully toward each other.
10 verdrukt weduwe noch wees, vreemdeling noch arme; beraamt elkanders ongeluk niet!"
Do not (oppress/treat cruelly) widows or orphans or foreigners or poor people. Do not even think about doing evil to anyone else.’”
11 Maar ze wilden er geen gehoor aan geven; ze waren halsstarrig en verstopten hun oren, om niet te horen;
But the people refused to pay attention [to what Yahweh said]. They turned their backs [to him], and put their hands over their ears in order to not hear [what he said].
12 Ze maakten een diamant van hun hart, om niet te luisteren naar de vermaning en de bedreigingen, die de geest van Jahweh der heirscharen door zijn vroegere profeten hun gaf. Toen barstte de heftige gramschap van Jahweh der heirscharen los:
They were very stubborn [IDM], and they would not listen to the laws [that God gave to Moses] or the messages that the Commander of the armies of angels told his Spirit to give to the prophets who were now dead. So the Commander of the armies of angels was very angry.
13 "Zoals Ik riep, en zij niet hoorden, zo zullen zij roepen en Ik niet horen, spreekt Jahweh der heirscharen;
The Commander of the armies of angels says, “When I called/spoke [to the people], they would not listen. So when they called/prayed [to me], I did not listen.
14 Ik zal ze verstrooien onder de volken, die ze niet kennen, en het land zal achter hen worden verwoest, zodat niemand er heengaat of terugkeert!" Zo hebben zij van het heerlijke land een steppe gemaakt.
And I caused them to be scattered among many nations, where they were strangers. [It was as though] [MET] a whirlwind [picked them up and carried them away from their country]. The country/land that they [were forced to] leave was ruined, with the result that no one could [live there or even] travel through it. [It was previously] a delightful land, but they caused it to become (desolate/like a desert).”
