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.
Awo olwatuuka mu mwaka ogwokuna ogw’obufuzi bwa kabaka Daliyo, ekigambo kya Mukama ne kijjira Zekkaliya, ku lunaku olwokuna olw’omwezi ogw’omwenda oguyitibwa Kisuleevu.
2 The people of Bethel sent Sharezer and Regem Melech and their men to entreat the LORD’s favour,
Abayudaaya mu Beseri baali batumye Salezeeri omukungu wa kabaka ne Legemumereki n’abantu baabwe mu Yerusaalemi okwogerako ne bakabona babegayiririre eri Mukama,
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?”
n’okusaba bakabona b’omu nnyumba ya Mukama ow’Eggye ne bannabbi nti, “Nkaabe era nsiibe mu mwezi ogwokutaano nga bwe mbadde nkola okumala emyaka gino gyonna?”
4 Then the word of the LORD of Hosts came to me, saying,
Awo ekigambo kya Mukama ow’Eggye ne kinzijira nga kigamba nti,
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?
“Gamba abantu bonna abali mu nsi, ne bakabona nti, ‘Bwe mwasiiba ne mukungubaga mu mwezi ogwokutaano ne mu gw’omusanvu mu myaka gino ensanvu, mwali musiibira nze?
6 When you eat and when you drink, don’t you eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves?
Era bwe mulya ne munywa, muba temulya ku lwammwe era n’okunywa ku lwammwe?
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?’”
Bino si bye bigambo Mukama bye yalangirira mu bannabbi ab’edda, Yerusaalemi bwe kyali kikyalimu abantu era nga kikyakulaakulana, nga n’ebibuga byakyo bikyetoolodde, nga ne mu bukiikaddyo ne mu bitundu eby’ensenyi mukyalimu abantu?’”
8 The LORD’s word came to Zechariah, saying,
Ekigambo kya Mukama ne kijjira Zekkaliya nate nti,
9 “Thus has the LORD of Hosts spoken, saying, ‘Execute true judgement, and show kindness and compassion every man to his brother.
“Bw’ati bw’ayogera Mukama ow’Eggye nti, ‘Musalenga emisango egy’ensonga, mukwatirweganenga ekisa n’okusaasiragananga buli muntu eri muganda we.
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.’
Temutulugunyanga bannamwandu, n’abatalina bakitaabwe, n’abatambuze wadde abaavu, era tewateekwa kubaawo muntu n’omu ku mmwe alowooza mu mutima gwe okukola obulabe ku muganda we!’
11 But they refused to listen, and turned their backs, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear.
“Naye baagaana okuwuliriza ne bakakanyaza emitima gyabwe ne baziba n’amatu gaabwe baleme okuwulira.
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.
Ne bakakanyaza emitima gyabwe ng’ejjinja, ne batawuliriza mateeka wadde ebigambo Mukama ow’Eggye bye yaweereza n’Omwoyo we mu mukono gwa bannabbi ab’edda. Mukama ow’Eggye kyeyava abanyiigira ennyo.
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;
“‘Bwe nabakoowoola ne batafaayo, nange ne ŋŋaana okufaayo nga bankowodde,’ bw’ayogera Mukama ow’Eggye.
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.”
Era nabasaasaanya n’omuyaga ogukunta mu mawanga ge baali batamanyi. Ensi gye baaleka n’ebeera matongo nga tewali agibeeramu, ensi ennungi esanyusa, kyeyava efuuka eddungu.”
