Zekaria 1
1 Na rĩrĩ, mweri wa ĩnana wa mwaka wa keerĩ wa ũthamaki wa Dario, ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova nĩyakinyĩire mũnabii Zekaria, mũrũ wa Berekia, mũrũ wa Ido, akĩĩrwo atĩrĩ:
[I am] Zechariah, a prophet, the son of Berekiah and grandson of Iddo. When Darius [had been the emperor of Persia] for almost two years, during November [of that year], Yahweh gave me this message:
2 “Jehova nĩarakaririo mũno nĩ maithe manyu ma tene.
“I was very angry with your ancestors.
3 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ĩra andũ atĩrĩ, Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga ũũ: ‘Njookererai, nĩguo Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga, na niĩ nĩngũmũcookerera,’ ũguo nĩguo Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga.
So tell this to the people: [I, ] the Commander of the armies of angels, say, ‘Return to me, and [if you do that], I will [help] you again.
4 Mũtikahaane ta maithe manyu ma tene arĩa maahunjagĩrio nĩ anabii a tene, makeerwo atĩrĩ: Ũũ nĩguo Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga: ‘Garũrũkai mũtige mĩthiĩre yanyu mĩũru o na mĩtugo yanyu mĩũru.’ No makĩaga kũnjigua kana kũrũmbũiya uuge wakwa, nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
Do not be like your ancestors. [Other] prophets, who have now died, [continually] proclaimed to your ancestors that they should stop doing the evil things that they were continually doing. But they refused to pay attention to what I said.
5 Maithe manyu ma tene makĩrĩ kũ rĩu? Nao anabii-rĩ, nĩmatũũraga nginya tene?
Your ancestors [have died and are now in their graves] [RHQ]. And the prophets did not [RHQ] live forever, [either].
6 No rĩrĩ, githĩ ndũmĩrĩri yakwa na irĩra ciakwa cia kũrũmĩrĩrwo, iria ndaathĩte ndungata ciakwa cia anabii itiahingĩirio maithe manyu ma tene? “Hĩndĩ ĩyo makĩĩrira makiuga atĩrĩ, ‘Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe atwĩkĩte kũringana na ũrĩa mĩthiĩre na mĩtugo iitũ ĩtariĩ, o ta ũrĩa aatuĩte nĩegwĩka.’”
But I punished [IDM] [the people for disobeying] the commands and the decrees which I commanded my servants the prophets [to tell to the people]. Then they (repented/turned away from their evil behavior) and said, ‘The Commander of the armies of angels has done to us what we deserved for our evil behavior, just like he said that he would do.’”
7 Mũthenya wa mĩrongo ĩĩrĩ na ĩna wa mweri wa ikũmi na ũmwe, mweri ũcio wa Shebati, mwaka-inĩ wa keerĩ wa ũthamaki wa Dario, ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova nĩyakinyĩire mũnabii Zekaria, mũrũ wa Berekia, mũrũ wa Ido.
[Three months later], on February 15, Yahweh gave [another] message to me.
8 Nĩndonire kĩoneki ũtukũ, na rĩrĩ, mbere yakwa ngĩona mũndũ wahaicĩte mbarathi ndune! Mũndũ ũcio aarũgamĩte mĩtĩ-inĩ ya mĩhandathi yarĩ handũ mũkuru-inĩ. Thuutha wake nĩ haarĩ mbarathi ĩmwe ndune, na ingĩ cia gĩĩtĩĩri na ingĩ njerũ.
During the night [I had a vision. In the vision] I saw an [angel] who was on a red horse. He was in a narrow valley among some myrtle trees. Behind him were [angels on] red, brown, and white horses.
9 Na niĩ ngĩũria atĩrĩ, “Mwathi wakwa, ici nacio nĩ cia kĩ?” Mũraika ũcio waaragia na niĩ akĩnjookeria atĩrĩ, “Nĩngũkwĩra nĩ cia kĩ.”
I asked the angel who had been talking to me, “Sir, who are those [angels on the horses]?” He replied, “I will show you who they are.”
10 Nake mũndũ ũcio warũngiĩ mĩtĩ-inĩ ya mĩhandathi akĩndaarĩria akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, “Aya nĩo Jehova atũmĩte mathiĩ thĩ yothe.”
Then the [angel] who had been under the myrtle trees explained. [He said, ] “They are the [angels] whom Yahweh sent [to (patrol/see what is happening in)] the [entire] world.”
11 Nao magĩcookia ũhoro kũrĩ mũraika wa Jehova, ũrĩa warũngiĩ mĩtĩ-inĩ ya mĩhandathi, makĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Nĩtũthiĩte thĩ yothe na tũkoona atĩ thĩ nĩĩhooreire na ĩrĩ na thayũ.”
Then those angels reported to the angel who was [there] among the myrtle trees, “We have traveled throughout the world, and we have found out that [the army of the emperor of Persia has conquered nations] throughout the world, [and that] those nations are now (helpless/unable to resist his army).”
12 Ningĩ mũraika ũcio wa Jehova akĩũria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ nginya rĩ, Wee Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe, ũkwaga kũiguĩra Jerusalemu na matũũra ma Juda tha, marĩa ũkoretwo ũrakarĩire mĩaka mĩrongo mũgwanja?”
Then the angel asked, “Commander of the armies of angels, how long will you continue to not be merciful to Jerusalem and the [other] towns in Judah? You have been angry with them for 70 years!”
13 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Jehova agĩkĩarĩria mũraika ũcio twaragia nake na ciugo njega na cia kũhoorerania.
[So] Yahweh spoke kindly to the angel who had talked to me, saying things that comforted/encouraged him.
14 Nake mũraika ũcio wanjaragĩria akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, “Anĩrĩra ndũmĩrĩri ĩno: Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩnjiguaga ũiru nĩ ũndũ wa Jerusalemu na Zayuni,
Then the angel who had been talking with me said to me, “Proclaim this [to the people of Jerusalem]: The Commander of the armies of angels says that he is very concerned about [the people who live on] Zion [Hill] and [in the other parts of] Jerusalem.
15 no rĩrĩ, nĩndakarĩtio mũno nĩ ndũrĩrĩ iria ciĩiguaga irĩ ngitĩre. Ndaarakarĩire andũ akwa o hanini, no ndũrĩrĩ icio igĩkĩrĩrĩria kũmanyamaria.’
But he is very angry with the nations that are [proud and feel] safe. He was only a little bit angry [with the people of Judah], but [he is very angry with the surrounding nations because] they caused [the people of Judah to experience] complete disaster.
16 “Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, Jehova ekuuga ũũ: ‘Nĩngacooka itũũra rĩa Jerusalemu ndĩrĩiguĩre tha, nayo nyũmba yakwa yakwo kuo rĩngĩ. Naruo rũrigi rũa gũthima nĩrũgatambũrũkio Jerusalemu,’ ũguo nĩguo Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga.
Therefore, this is what he says: ‘I will again be merciful to [the people of] Jerusalem, and they will rebuild my temple. Men will measure [all the land in] the city [before they start rebuilding the houses].’
17 “Ningĩ ũthiĩ na mbere na kwanĩrĩra uuge atĩrĩ: Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga ũũ, ‘Matũũra makwa nĩmakaiyũrĩrĩra ũgaacĩru rĩngĩ, nake Jehova nĩakahooreria Zayuni rĩngĩ na ethuurĩre Jerusalemu.’”
The Commander of the armies of angels [also] said this: ‘Tell the people that [the people in] my towns [in Judah] will soon be very prosperous again, and I will encourage [the people of] Jerusalem, and their city will again be my chosen [city].’”
18 Ningĩ ngĩtiira maitho, na rĩrĩ, mbere yakwa ngĩona hĩa inya!
Then I looked up, and I saw in front of me four [animal] horns.
19 Ngĩũria mũraika ũcio wanjaragĩria atĩrĩ, “Ici nacio nĩ cia kĩ?” Nake akĩnjookeria atĩrĩ, “Ici nĩcio hĩa iria ciaharaganirie Juda, na Isiraeli, na Jerusalemu.”
I asked the angel who had been speaking to me, “What are those [horns]?” He replied, “Those horns [represent the armies that] forced [the people of] Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah and Israel to go [to other countries].”
20 Nake Jehova agĩcooka akĩnyonia mabundi mana.
Then Yahweh showed me four (craftsmen/men who make things from metal).
21 Na niĩ ngĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Aya-rĩ, marooka gwĩka atĩa?” Nake akĩnjookeria atĩrĩ, “Ici nĩcio hĩa iria ciaharaganirie Juda nĩguo gũtigacooke kuoneka mũndũ ũkwĩhaanda, no mabundi maya, mokĩte kũmamakia na magũithie hĩa icio cia ndũrĩrĩ, iria ciambararirie hĩa ciao igĩũkĩrĩra bũrũri wa Juda, nĩguo andũ akuo maharaganio.”
I asked, “What are those men coming to do?” He replied, “[The armies represented by] those horns caused [the people of] Judah to be scattered, with the result that they suffered greatly. But the craftsmen have come to cause those who attacked [IDM] Judah to be terrified and crushed.”
