Zekaria 7
1 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.
When Darius had been the emperor for almost four years, on December 7, Yahweh gave me [another] message.
2 Andũ a Betheli nĩmatũmĩte Sharezeru na Regemu-Meleku hamwe na andũ ao magathaithe Jehova
The people of Bethel [city] sent two men, Sharezer and Regem-Melech, along with some other men, [to the temple of Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of angels, ] to request that Yahweh bless them.
3 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?”
They also asked the priests at Yahweh’s temple and the prophets [this question]: “For many years, during the fifth month [and during the seventh month of each year], we have mourned and (fasted/abstained from eating food). Should we [continue to do that]?”
4 Ningĩ ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe nĩyanginyĩrire akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ,
Then the Commander of the armies of angels gave me a message.
5 “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?
[He said], “Tell [RHQ] the priests and all the [other] people of Judah that during the past 70 years, when they mourned and fasted during the fifth and seventh months [of each year], it was not really [RHQ] me, [Yahweh], whom they were [honoring].
6 Na rĩrĩa mwarĩĩaga na mũkanyua-rĩ, githĩ mũtiarĩĩaga ndĩa ĩyo nĩ ũndũ wa inyuĩ ene?
And when they ate and drank, it was really [RHQ] to [benefit] themselves.
7 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?’”
That is certainly [RHQ] what I continually told the former prophets to proclaim [to the people], when Jerusalem and the nearby towns were prosperous and filled with people, and people [also] lived in the desert area to the south and in the foothills [to the west].”
8 Ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova nĩyakinyĩire Zekaria o rĩngĩ akĩĩrwo atĩrĩ:
Yahweh gave another message to me, saying
9 “Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga ũũ: ‘Tuagai ciira na kĩhooto; iguanagĩrai tha na mũcaayanagĩre mũndũ na ũrĩa ũngĩ.
“[Tell the people that] this is what the Commander of the armies of angels says: ‘Do what is just/right, and act kindly and mercifully toward each other.
10 Mũtikanahinyĩrĩrie mũtumia wa ndigwa kana mwana wa ngoriai, kana mũndũ wa kũngĩ, kana mũthĩĩni. Mũtikaneciiranĩrie ũũru ngoro-inĩ cianyu.’
Do not (oppress/treat cruelly) widows or orphans or foreigners or poor people. Do not even think about doing evil to anyone else.’”
11 “No nĩmaregire kũigua; makĩngʼathia, na makĩhũgũka na magĩthinga matũ mao.
But the people refused to pay attention [to what Yahweh said]. They turned their backs [to him], and put their hands over their ears in order to not hear [what he said].
12 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.
They were very stubborn [IDM], and they would not listen to the laws [that God gave to Moses] or the messages that the Commander of the armies of angels told his Spirit to give to the prophets who were now dead. So the Commander of the armies of angels was very angry.
13 “Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ, ‘Rĩrĩa ndeetanire, matiathikĩrĩirie; nĩ ũndũ ũcio rĩrĩa nao maanjĩtire, ndiamathikĩrĩirie.
The Commander of the armies of angels says, “When I called/spoke [to the people], they would not listen. So when they called/prayed [to me], I did not listen.
14 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.’”
And I caused them to be scattered among many nations, where they were strangers. [It was as though] [MET] a whirlwind [picked them up and carried them away from their country]. The country/land that they [were forced to] leave was ruined, with the result that no one could [live there or even] travel through it. [It was previously] a delightful land, but they caused it to become (desolate/like a desert).”
