< Zechariah 7 >

1 In the fourth year of King Darius, the LORD’s word came to Zechariah in 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 The people of Bethel sent Sharezer and Regem Melech and their men to entreat the LORD’s favour,
Andũ a Betheli nĩmatũmĩte Sharezeru na Regemu-Meleku hamwe na andũ ao magathaithe Jehova
3 and to speak to the priests of the house of the LORD of Hosts and to the prophets, saying, “Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so 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 “Speak to all the people of the land and to the priests, saying, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month for these seventy years, did you at all fast to me, really to me?
“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 When you eat and when you drink, don’t you eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves?
Na rĩrĩa mwarĩĩaga na mũkanyua-rĩ, githĩ mũtiarĩĩaga ndĩa ĩyo nĩ ũndũ wa inyuĩ ene?
7 Aren’t these the words which the LORD proclaimed by the former prophets when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and its cities around her, and the South and the lowland 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 The LORD’s word came to Zechariah, saying,
Ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova nĩyakinyĩire Zekaria o rĩngĩ akĩĩrwo atĩrĩ:
9 “Thus has the LORD of Hosts spoken, saying, ‘Execute true judgement, and show kindness and compassion every man to his brother.
“Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga ũũ: ‘Tuagai ciira na kĩhooto; iguanagĩrai tha na mũcaayanagĩre mũndũ na ũrĩa ũngĩ.
10 Don’t oppress the widow, the fatherless, the foreigner, nor the poor; and let none of you devise evil against his brother in your heart.’
Mũtikanahinyĩrĩrie mũtumia wa ndigwa kana mwana wa ngoriai, kana mũndũ wa kũngĩ, kana mũthĩĩni. Mũtikaneciiranĩrie ũũru ngoro-inĩ cianyu.’
11 But they refused to listen, and turned their backs, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear.
“No nĩmaregire kũigua; makĩngʼathia, na makĩhũgũka na magĩthinga matũ mao.
12 Yes, they made their hearts as hard as flint, lest they might hear the law and the words which the LORD of Hosts had sent by his Spirit by the former prophets. Therefore great wrath 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 It has come to pass that, as he called and they refused to listen, so they will call and I will not listen,” said the LORD of Hosts;
“Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ, ‘Rĩrĩa ndeetanire, matiathikĩrĩirie; nĩ ũndũ ũcio rĩrĩa nao maanjĩtire, ndiamathikĩrĩirie.
14 “but I will scatter them with a whirlwind amongst all the nations which they have not known. Thus the land was desolate after them, so that no man passed through nor returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate.”
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.’”

< Zechariah 7 >