< Zechariah 7 >
1 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Chislev.
Na rĩrĩ, mwaka-inĩ wa ĩna wa ũthamaki wa Dario, ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova nĩyakinyĩire Zekaria, mũthenya wa kana wa mweri wa kenda, na nĩguo mweri wa Kiselevu.
2 Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech, along with their men, to plead before the LORD
Andũ a Betheli nĩmatũmĩte Sharezeru na Regemu-Meleku hamwe na andũ ao magathaithe Jehova
3 by asking the priests of the house of the LORD of Hosts, as well as the prophets, “Should I weep and fast in the fifth month, as I have done these many years?”
na kũũria athĩnjĩri-Ngai a nyũmba ya Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe na anabii atĩrĩ, “Nĩnjagĩrĩirwo nĩ gũcakaya na kwĩhinga kũrĩa irio mweri wa gatano, ta ũrĩa njĩkĩte mĩaka mĩingĩ?”
4 Then the word of the LORD of Hosts came to me, saying,
Ningĩ ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe nĩyanginyĩrire akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ,
5 “Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for these seventy years, was it really for Me that you fasted?
“Ũria andũ othe a bũrũri o na athĩnjĩri-Ngai atĩrĩ, ‘Rĩrĩa mwehingaga kũrĩa irio mũgĩcakayaga mweri-inĩ wa gatano na wa mũgwanja ihinda rĩa mĩaka mĩrongo mũgwanja-rĩ, ti-itherũ mwehingaga kũrĩa irio nĩ ũndũ wakwa?
6 And when you were eating and drinking, were you not doing so simply for yourselves?
Na rĩrĩa mwarĩĩaga na mũkanyua-rĩ, githĩ mũtiarĩĩaga ndĩa ĩyo nĩ ũndũ wa inyuĩ ene?
7 Are these not the words that the LORD proclaimed through the earlier prophets, when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were populous and prosperous, and the Negev and the foothills were inhabited?’”
Githĩ ici ticio ciugo cia Jehova iria cianĩrĩirwo igereire harĩ anabii a tene, rĩrĩa Jerusalemu na matũũra marĩa maarĩthiũrũrũkĩirie maarĩ na ũhurũko na makaagaacĩra, nakuo Negevu na hũgũrũrũ-inĩ cia irĩma cia mwena wa ithũĩro nĩ gwatũũragwo nĩ andũ?’”
8 Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying,
Ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova nĩyakinyĩire Zekaria o rĩngĩ akĩĩrwo atĩrĩ:
9 “This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Administer true justice. Show loving devotion and compassion to one another.
“Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga ũũ: ‘Tuagai ciira na kĩhooto; iguanagĩrai tha na mũcaayanagĩre mũndũ na ũrĩa ũngĩ.
10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. And do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.’
Mũtikanahinyĩrĩrie mũtumia wa ndigwa kana mwana wa ngoriai, kana mũndũ wa kũngĩ, kana mũthĩĩni. Mũtikaneciiranĩrie ũũru ngoro-inĩ cianyu.’
11 But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing.
“No nĩmaregire kũigua; makĩngʼathia, na makĩhũgũka na magĩthinga matũ mao.
12 They made their hearts like flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD of Hosts had sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of Hosts.
Nao makĩũmia ngoro ciao o ta ihiga rĩa nyaigĩ, na matingĩathikĩrĩirie watho kana ndũmĩrĩri ĩrĩa Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe aamatũmĩire na Roho wake, aarĩtie na tũnua twa anabii a tene. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe akĩrakara mũno.
13 And just as I had called and they would not listen, so when they called I would not listen, says the LORD of Hosts.
“Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ, ‘Rĩrĩa ndeetanire, matiathikĩrĩirie; nĩ ũndũ ũcio rĩrĩa nao maanjĩtire, ndiamathikĩrĩirie.
14 But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known, and the land was left desolate behind them so that no one could come or go. Thus they turned the pleasant land into a desolation.”
Nĩndamaharaganirie na kĩhuhũkanio kĩnene ndũrĩrĩ-inĩ ciothe, magĩtũũra kuo marĩ ageni. Bũrũri wao watigirwo ũkirĩte ihooru, na nĩ ũndũ ũcio gũkĩaga mũndũ ũngĩũtuĩkania kana acooke kuo. Ũguo nĩguo maatũmire bũrũri ũcio mwega ũkire ihooru.’”