Zechariah 7
1 In the fourth year of the reign of King Darius, on the fourth day of Chislev, the ninth month, the message of the Lord came to Zechariah.
Katika mwaka wa nne wa utawala wa Mfalme Dario, neno la Bwana lilimjia Zekaria siku ya nne ya mwezi wa tisa, mwezi wa Kisleu.
2 The city of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men, to entreat the favor of the Lord,
Watu wa Betheli walikuwa wamemtuma Shareza na Regem-Meleki pamoja na watu wao, kumsihi Bwana
3 and to ask the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts, and the prophets “Should I continue to mourn in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done for many years?”
kwa kuwauliza makuhani wa nyumba ya Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote na manabii, “Je, imempasa kuomboleza na kufunga katika mwezi wa tano, kama ambavyo nimekuwa nikifanya kwa miaka mingi?”
4 Then this message of the Lord of hosts came to me:
Kisha neno la Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote likanijia kusema:
5 Tell all the people of the land and the priests, “When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month, for these seventy years, did you really fast for me?
“Waulize watu wote wa nchi na makuhani, ‘Je, mlipofunga na kuomboleza katika mwezi wa tano na wa saba kwa miaka sabini iliyopita, mlifunga kweli kwa ajili yangu?
6 When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?
Na mlipokuwa mkila na kunywa, je, hamkuwa mnasherehekea kwa ajili ya nafsi zenu?
7 Wasn’t it this which the Lord proclaimed by the earlier prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, and her towns surrounding her and the Negreb and the Shephelah were inhabited?”
Je, haya sio maneno ya Bwana aliyosema kupitia manabii waliotangulia, wakati Yerusalemu pamoja na miji inayoizunguka ilipokuwa katika hali ya utulivu na ya mafanikio, wakati Negebu na Shefala zikiwa zimekaliwa na watu?’”
8 The Lord gave this message to Zechariah:
Neno la Bwana likamjia tena Zekaria:
9 The Lord of hosts says, execute true judgments. Show kindness and mercy to each other.
“Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote: ‘Fanyeni hukumu za haki, onyesheni rehema na huruma ninyi kwa ninyi.
10 Do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the resident foreigner or the poor. Let none of you devise evil against another in your hearts.
Msimwonee mjane wala yatima, mgeni wala maskini. Msiwaziane mabaya mioyoni mwenu ninyi kwa ninyi.’
11 But they refused to listen, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears so they wouldn’t hear.
“Lakini wakakataa kusikiliza, wakanipa kisogo kwa ukaidi na kuziba masikio yao.
12 They made their hearts as hard as stone so they wouldn’t accept the teaching and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his spirit through the earlier prophets. Great was the anger of the Lord of hosts:
Wakaifanya mioyo yao migumu kama jiwe gumu na hawakuisikiliza sheria au maneno ambayo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote aliyatuma kwa njia ya Roho wake kupitia manabii waliotangulia. Kwa hiyo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote alikasirika sana.
13 I called and they would not hear, so they call and I do not hear, says the Lord of hosts.
“‘Wakati nilipoita, hawakusikiliza, kwa hiyo walipoita, sikusikiliza,’ asema Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote.
14 I scattered them by a whirlwind out among nations unknown to them. The land was left desolate behind them, with no one crossing or returning, for they made the pleasant land a desolation.
‘Niliwatawanya kwa upepo wa kisulisuli miongoni mwa mataifa yote, mahali ambapo walikuwa wageni. Nchi ikaachwa ukiwa nyuma yao kiasi kwamba hakuna aliyeweza kuingia au kutoka. Hivi ndivyo walivyoifanya ile nchi iliyokuwa imependeza kuwa ukiwa.’”
