Zechariah 8
1 Again the word of the LORD of Hosts came to me, saying:
Laselifika ilizwi leNkosi yamabandla lisithi:
2 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I am jealous for Zion with great zeal; I am jealous for her with great fervor.”
Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Ngilobukhwele ngeZiyoni ngobukhwele obukhulu, yebo, ngilobukhwele ngayo ngokuvutha okukhulu.
3 This is what the LORD says: “I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of Hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.”
Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngibuyele eZiyoni, njalo ngizahlala phakathi kweJerusalema; njalo iJerusalema izakuthiwa ngumuzi weqiniso, lentaba yeNkosi yamabandla, intaba engcwele.
4 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Old men and old women will again sit along the streets of Jerusalem, each with a staff in hand because of great age.
Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Kusezakuhlala amaxhegu lezalukazi ezitaladeni zeJerusalema, ngulowo lalowo elodondolo esandleni sakhe ngenxa yobunengi bezinsuku.
5 And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing there.”
Lezitalada zomuzi zizagcwala abafana lamankazana bedlala ezitaladeni zawo.
6 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “If this is impossible in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be impossible in My eyes?” declares the LORD of Hosts.
Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Uba kumangalisa emehlweni ensali yalababantu ngalezozinsuku, kungamangalisa lemehlweni ami yini? itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
7 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west.
Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Khangela, ngizasindisa abantu bami elizweni lempumalanga, lelizweni lokutshona kwelanga;
8 I will bring them back to dwell in Jerusalem, where they will be My people, and I will be their faithful and righteous God.”
ngibalethe, bahlale phakathi kweJerusalema; njalo bazakuba ngabantu bami, lami ngibe nguNkulunkulu wabo, ngeqiniso langokulunga.
9 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Let your hands be strong, you who now hear these words spoken by the prophets who were present when the foundations were laid to rebuild the temple, the house of the LORD of Hosts.
Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Izandla zenu kaziqine, lina elizwayo ngalezinsuku amazwi la ngomlomo wabaprofethi, ababekhona mhla isisekelo sendlu yeNkosi yamabandla sibekwa, ukuze ithempeli lakhiwe.
10 For before those days neither man nor beast received wages, nor was there safety from the enemy for anyone who came or went, for I had turned every man against his neighbor.
Ngoba ngaphambi kwalezonsuku kwakungelaholo lomuntu, kwakungekho iholo lenyamazana; futhi kungekho ukuthula kulowo owayephuma kumbe owayengena ngenxa yenhlupheko; ngoba ngathuma wonke umuntu ngulowo emelene lomakhelwane wakhe.
11 But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as I did in the past,” declares the LORD of Hosts.
Kodwa khathesi kangiyikuba kunsali yalababantu njengensukwini zakuqala, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
12 “For the seed will be prosperous, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will yield its produce, and the skies will give their dew. To the remnant of this people I will give all these things as an inheritance.
Ngoba inhlanyelo izaphumelela, ivini lithele izithelo zalo, lomhlabathi uphe isivuno sawo, lamazulu aphe amazolo awo; njalo ngizakwenza insali yalababantu ukuthi idle ilifa lazo zonke lezizinto.
13 As you have been a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid; let your hands be strong.”
Kuzakuthi-ke njengoba laliyisiqalekiso phakathi kwabezizwe, wena ndlu kaJuda, lawe ndlu kaIsrayeli, ngokunjalo ngizalisindisa, libe yisibusiso. Lingesabi, izandla zenu kaziqine.
14 For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Just as I resolved to bring disaster upon you when your fathers provoked Me to anger, and I did not relent,” says the LORD of Hosts,
Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Njengoba nganginakane ukwenza okubi kini, lapho oyihlo bengithukuthelisa, itsho iNkosi yamabandla, njalo kangizisolanga;
15 “so now I have resolved to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid.
ngokunjalo ngibuye ngacabanga kulezinsuku ukwenza okuhle kuyo iJerusalema lakuyo indlu kaJuda; lingesabi.
16 These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another, render true and sound judgments in your gates,
Lezi yizinto elizazenza: Khulumani iqiniso, ngulowo lalowo kumakhelwane wakhe; yehlulelani iqiniso lesahlulelo sokuthula emasangweni enu.
17 do not plot evil in your hearts against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely, for I hate all these things,” declares the LORD.
Lingacabangi ububi enhliziyweni yenu ngulowo lalowo emelene lomakhelwane; lingathandi isifungo samanga; ngoba zonke lezizinto yilezo engizizondayo, itsho iNkosi.
18 Then the word of the LORD of Hosts came to me, saying,
Ilizwi leNkosi yamabandla laselifika kimi, lisithi:
19 “This is what the LORD of Hosts says: The fasts of the fourth, the fifth, the seventh, and the tenth months will become times of joy and gladness, cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore you are to love both truth and peace.”
Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Ukuzila ukudla kwenyanga yesine, lokuzila ukudla kweyesihlanu, lokuzila ukudla kweyesikhombisa, lokuzila ukudla kweyetshumi, kuzakuba yintokozo, lokuthaba, lezikhathi ezimisiweyo zezinjabulo kuyo indlu yakoJuda. Ngakho thandani iqiniso lokuthula.
20 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Peoples will yet come—the residents of many cities—
Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Kusezakwenzeka ukuthi kufike abantu labahlali bemizi eminengi.
21 and the residents of one city will go to another, saying: ‘Let us go at once to plead before the LORD and to seek the LORD of Hosts. I myself am going.’
Labahlali bomunye umuzi bazakuya komunye, besithi: Kasihambeni ngokuphangisa ukuyancenga phambi kweNkosi, lokudinga iNkosi yamabandla; lami ngizahamba.
22 And many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the LORD of Hosts in Jerusalem and to plead before the LORD.”
Yebo, kuzakuza abantu abanengi lezizwe ezilamandla ukuzadinga iNkosi yamabandla eJerusalema, lokuncenga phambi kweNkosi.
23 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue will tightly grasp the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”
Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Ngalezonsuku kuzakuthi abambe amadoda alitshumi ezindimini zonke zezizwe, yebo abambe umphetho wesembatho somuntu ongumJuda, athi: Sizahamba lani; ngoba sizwile ukuthi uNkulunkulu ulani.
