Zechariah 1
1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, Yahweh’s word came to the prophet Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying,
Ngenyanga yesificaminwembili, ngomnyaka wesibili kaDariyusi, kwafika ilizwi leNkosi kuZekhariya, indodana kaBerekiya, indodana kaIdo umprofethi, lisithi:
2 “Yahweh was very displeased with your fathers.
INkosi yabathukuthelela oyihlo ngentukuthelo.
3 Therefore tell them, Yahweh of Armies says: ‘Return to me,’ says Yahweh of Armies, ‘and I will return to you,’ says Yahweh of Armies.
Ngakho wothi kubo: Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Phendukelani kimi, itsho iNkosi yamabandla, lami ngizaphendukela kini, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
4 Don’t you be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying: Yahweh of Armies says, ‘Return now from your evil ways and from your evil doings;’ but they didn’t hear nor listen to me, says Yahweh.
Lingabi njengaboyihlo, abaprofethi bakuqala abamemeza kubo, besithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Ake liphenduke ezindleleni zenu ezimbi lezenzweni zenu ezimbi; kodwa kabezwanga, kabangilalelanga, itsho iNkosi.
5 Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?
Oyihlo, bangaphi? Labaprofethi, baphila laphakade yini?
6 But my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, didn’t they overtake your fathers? “Then they repented and said, ‘Just as Yahweh of Armies determined to do to us, according to our ways and according to our practices, so he has dealt with us.’”
Kodwa amazwi ami lezimiso zami, engakulaya izinceku zami abaprofethi, kakubaficanga oyihlo yini? Basebephenduka bathi: Njengalokhu iNkosi yamabandla yayinakana ukukukwenza kithi, njengokwezindlela zethu lanjengokwezenzo zethu, ngokunjalo yenze kithi.
7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, Yahweh’s word came to the prophet Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying,
Ngosuku lwamatshumi amabili lane lwenyanga yetshumi lanye, okuyinyanga uShebati, ngomnyaka wesibili kaDariyusi, lafika ilizwi leNkosi kuZekhariya, indodana kaBerekiya, indodana kaIdo umprofethi, lisithi:
8 “I had a vision in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in a ravine; and behind him there were red, brown, and white horses.
Ngabona ebusuku, khangela-ke umuntu owayegade ibhiza elibomvu, njalo wayemi phakathi kwezihlahla zamamiteli eziseliweni, lemva kwakhe kwakulamabhiza abomvu, alibhidi, lamhlophe.
9 Then I asked, ‘My lord, what are these?’” The angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what these are.”
Ngasengisithi: Bayini laba, nkosi yami? Ingilosi eyayikhuluma lami yasisithi kimi: Mina ngizakutshengisa ukuthi laba bayini.
10 The man who stood among the myrtle trees answered, “They are the ones Yahweh has sent to go back and forth through the earth.”
Umuntu owayemi phakathi kwezihlahla zamamiteli wasephendula wathi: Laba yibo iNkosi ebathumileyo ukuhamba besiya le lale emhlabeni.
11 They reported to Yahweh’s angel who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, “We have walked back and forth through the earth, and behold, all the earth is at rest and in peace.”
Basebephendula ingilosi yeNkosi eyayimi phakathi kwezihlahla zamamiteli, bathi: Sihambile, saya le lale emhlabeni, khangela-ke, wonke umhlaba uhlezi uthule.
12 Then Yahweh’s angel replied, “O Yahweh of Armies, how long will you not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which you have had indignation these seventy years?”
Ingilosi yeNkosi yasiphendula yathi: Nkosi yamabandla, koze kube nini wena ungabi lesihawu phezu kweJerusalema laphezu kwemizi yakoJuda, osuyithukuthelele okweminyaka le engamatshumi ayisikhombisa?
13 Yahweh answered the angel who talked with me with kind and comforting words.
INkosi yasiphendula ingilosi eyayikhuluma lami ngamazwi amahle, amazwi aduduzayo.
14 So the angel who talked with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, ‘Yahweh of Armies says: “I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.
Ngakho ingilosi eyayikhuluma lami yathi kimi: Memeza, usithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Ngilobukhwele ngeJerusalema langeZiyoni ngobukhwele obukhulu.
15 I am very angry with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, but they added to the calamity.”
Njalo ngiyathukuthela ngentukuthelo enkulu ngezizwe ezonwabileyo; ngoba mina ngizondile kancinyane, kodwa zona zancedisa ngasebubini.
16 Therefore Yahweh says: “I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy. My house shall be built in it,” says Yahweh of Armies, “and a line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.”’
Ngalokho, itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngibuyele eJerusalema ngilezihawu; indlu yami izakwakhiwa kuyo, itsho iNkosi yamabandla, lentambo yokulinganisa izakwelulwa phezu kweJerusalema.
17 “Proclaim further, saying, ‘Yahweh of Armies says: “My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and Yahweh will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem.”’”
Phinda umemeze, usithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Imizi yami isezasatshalaliswa ngokuhle; njalo iNkosi isezaduduza iZiyoni, isezayikhetha iJerusalema.
18 I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, four horns.
Ngasengiphakamisa amehlo ami, ngabona, khangela-ke, impondo ezine.
19 I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these?” He answered me, “These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
Ngasengisithi kuyo ingilosi eyayikhuluma lami: Kuyini lokhu? Yasisithi kimi: Lezi zimpondo ezihlakaze uJuda, uIsrayeli, leJerusalema.
20 Yahweh showed me four craftsmen.
INkosi yasingitshengisa ingcitshi ezine.
21 Then I asked, “What are these coming to do?” He said, “These are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man lifted up his head; but these have come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations that lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.”
Ngasengisithi: Lezi zizekwenzani? Yasikhuluma isithi: Lezi zimpondo ezihlakaze uJuda, kwaze kwangabi lomuntu ophakamisa ikhanda lakhe; kodwa lezi zize ukuzethusa, ukulahla izimpondo zabezizwe, ezaphakamisa uphondo lumelene lelizwe lakoJuda ukulihlakaza.
