Zechariah 12
1 [This is] a message from Yahweh concerning Israel. Yahweh is the one who stretched out the sky, who created the earth, and who (gave life to humans/caused humans to be alive). This is what he says:
Umthwalo welizwi leNkosi ngoIsrayeli, itsho INkosi, eyelula amazulu, yabeka isisekelo somhlaba, yadala umoya womuntu ngaphakathi kwakhe:
2 “I will soon cause Jerusalem to be [like] [MET] a cup full [of very strong alcoholic drink], and the people of other nations who drink it will stagger around. And they will come and attack Jerusalem and [the other towns in] Judah.
Khangela, ngizakwenza iJerusalema ibe yinkezo yokudengezelisa kubo bonke abantu abazingelezeleyo; yebo, izakuba laphezu kukaJuda ekuvinjezelweni kumelene leJerusalema.
3 At that time, [the armies of] all the nations will gather to attack Jerusalem, but I will cause [the leaders of] Judah to be [like] [SIM] a very heavy rock, and all who [try to] lift it will be badly injured.
Kuzakuthi-ke ngalolosuku ngenze iJerusalema ibe yilitshe elingumthwalo kubo bonke abantu; bonke abazithwalisa ngalo bazaqunywa lokuqunywa; labo bonke abantu bomhlaba bazabuthana bemelene layo.
4 At that time I will cause every [one of their enemies’] horses to panic, and their riders to become crazy. I [IDM] will protect the people of Judah, but I will cause all their enemies’ horses to become blind.
Ngalolosuku, itsho iNkosi, ngizatshaya lonke ibhiza ngokudideka, lomgadi walo ngobuhlanya, ngivule amehlo ami phezu kwendlu kaJuda, ngitshaye lonke ibhiza lezizwe ngobuphofu.
5 Then the leaders of Judah will say to themselves, ‘The people in Jerusalem are strong because the Commander of the armies of angels is their God.’
Khona ababusi bakoJuda bazakutsho enhliziyweni yabo: Abahlali beJerusalema bangamandla ami eNkosini yamabandla uNkulunkulu wabo.
6 At that time I will enable the leaders of Judah to be like [SIM] a pan containing hot coals [that is put] in a woodpile [to set it on fire], or like [SIM] a burning torch [that is put] in a [field of] ripe grain [to set it on fire]. The leaders of Judah [and their army] will destroy the people of the surrounding nations in all directions. But [the people of] Jerusalem will remain safe.
Ngalolosuku ngizakwenza ababusi bakoJuda babe njengembawula yomlilo phakathi kwezigodo, lanjengesihlanti somlilo esithungweni; njalo bazaqeda ngakwesokunene langakwesokhohlo bonke abantu inhlangothi zonke; iJerusalema-ke izahlalwa futhi endaweni yayo eJerusalema.
7 And [I], Yahweh, will protect the tents of [the soldiers in other places in] Judah before [I rescue the people of Jerusalem], in order that the leaders of Jerusalem [DOU] will not be honored more than [the people in other places in] Judah [are honored].
Futhi iNkosi izasindisa amathente akoJuda kuqala, ukuze udumo lwendlu kaDavida lodumo lwabakhileyo beJerusalema lungazikhulisi lumelene loJuda.
8 At that time, I will protect [MET] the people of Jerusalem. When that happens, even the weakest people in Jerusalem will be [strong] like [King] David [was]. And the descendants [MTY] of David will [rule the people] like I [would], as though an angel sent from [me], Yahweh, was their leader.
Ngalolosuku iNkosi izavikela abakhileyo beJerusalema; lalowo obuthakathaka phakathi kwabo ngalolosuku abe njengoDavida; lendlu kaDavida ibe njengoNkulunkulu, njengengilosi yeNkosi phambi kwabo.
9 At that time, I will prepare to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem.”
Kuzakuthi-ke ngalolosuku ngidinge ukuchitha zonke izizwe eziza ukumelana leJerusalema.
10 “I, [Yahweh, ] will cause the descendants [MTY] of [King] David to act very kindly and mercifully. They will look at me, [the one] who has been stabbed, and they will cry bitterly, like people cry for a firstborn son [who has died] [DOU].
Njalo ngizathululela phezu kwendlu kaDavida laphezu kwabahlali beJerusalema umoya womusa lowokuncenga, njalo bazangikhangela mina abamgwazayo, bamlilele, njengokulilela indodana eyodwa, abe lobuhlungu ngayo, njengobuhlungu ngezibulo.
11 At that time, many people in Jerusalem will be crying bitterly, like people cried [when King Josiah was killed in the battle] at Hadad-Rimmon on the Megiddo Plain.
Ngalolosuku kuzakuba kukhulu ukulila eJerusalema, njengokulila kukaHadadirimoni esigodini seMegidoni.
12 Many people in Judah will cry, each family by themselves: the male descendants of David by themselves, and their wives by themselves, the male descendants of [David’s son] Nathan by themselves, and their wives by themselves,
Futhi ilizwe lizalila, usapho ngosapho lulodwa, usapho lwendlu kaDavida lulodwa, labafazi babo bebodwa; usapho lwendlu kaNathani lulodwa, labafazi babo bebodwa;
13 the male descendants [MTY] of Levi by themselves, and their wives by themselves, the male descendants of [Levi’s grandson] Shimei by themselves, and their wives by themselves,
usapho lwendlu kaLevi lulodwa, labafazi babo bebodwa; usapho lukaShimeyi lulodwa, labafazi babo bebodwa;
14 and all the other members [of the kings’ clans and the priests’ clans] by themselves, and their wives by themselves.”
zonke izinsapho eziseleyo, usapho ngosapho lulodwa, labafazi babo bebodwa.
