Zekaraya 1
1 Nʼọnwa nke asatọ, nʼafọ nke abụọ nke ọchịchị eze Daraiọs, okwu Onyenwe anyị ruru Zekaraya nwa Berekaya, nwa Ido, bụ onye amụma ntị, na-asị,
The Lord sent a message to Zechariah the prophet, son of Berekiah, son of Iddo, in the eighth month of the second year of king Darius' reign, saying:
2 “Onyenwe anyị were oke iwe megide nna unu ha.
The Lord was very angry with your forefathers.
3 Nʼihi ya, gwa ha, ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile, na-ekwu. ‘Lọghachikwutenụ m,’ otu a ka Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile kwupụtara, ‘Mụ onwe m kwa ga-alọghachikwute unu.’ Ọ bụ ihe Onyenwe anyị Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile, na-ekwu.
So tell the people this: Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty.
4 Unu adịla ka ndị nna unu ha, ndị amụma mbụ kpọrọ oku si, Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile kwupụtara: ‘Sitenụ nʼụzọ ọjọọ unu na ajọ omume unu chigharịa’ ma ha achọghị ịnụ maọbụ gee m ntị, otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwupụtara.
You must not be like your forefathers. They were told by previous prophets: Give up your evil ways, and the evil things you do. But they would not listen or pay any attention to me, says the Lord.
5 Olee ebe ka nna nna unu ha nọ ugbu a? Ndị amụma ahụ, ha na-adị ndụ ruo mgbe ebighị ebi?
Where are your forefathers now? And the prophets, did they live forever?
6 Ọ bụ na okwu m na iwu bụ nke m nyere ụmụ ohu m ndị amụma, ọ bụ na ha emezughị nʼebe ndị nna nna unu ha nọ? “Mgbe ahụ, ha chegharịrị ma kwuo, ‘Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile, emesola anyị mmeso dịka ụzọ anyị na omume anyị si dị. O mekwara ya dịka o si zube na ọ ga-eme ya.’”
But didn't all my instructions and warnings that I ordered my servants the prophets to communicate, didn't all that I said happen to your forefathers? So they repented and said, “What the Lord Almighty planned to do to us was what we deserved because of our ways and our actions. He did what he said he would.”
7 Nʼụbọchị nke iri abụọ na anọ, nke ọnwa iri na otu, bụ ọnwa Shebat, nʼafọ abụọ nke ọchịchị eze Daraiọs, okwu Onyenwe anyị ruru Zekaraya onye amụma, bụ nwa Berekaya, nwa Ido ntị, na-asị:
The Lord sent a message to Zechariah the prophet, son of Berekiah, son of Iddo, on the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month (the month of Shebat) of the second year of king Darius' reign:
8 Nʼabalị ahụ, ahụrụ m nʼọhụ, otu nwoke na-agba ịnyịnya na-acha ọbara ọbara. O guzokwa nʼetiti osisi mietul, nke dị nʼebe miri emi nke mgbawa dị nʼala. Nʼazụ ya, ọtụtụ ịnyịnya na-acha ọbara ọbara, ndị na-acha ka ahịhịa kpọrọ nkụ, na ndị na-acha ọcha dịkwa.
During the night I saw a man sitting on a red horse that stood among some myrtle trees in a narrow valley. Behind him were red, brown, and white horses with their riders.
9 Ajụrụ m, “Nna m ukwu, gịnị bụ ihe ndị a?” Mmụọ ozi ahụ nke na-agwa m okwu sịrị m, “Aga m egosi gị ihe ha bụ.”
I asked him, “My lord, what are these?” The angel I was talking to replied, “I will show you.”
10 Mgbe ahụ onye ahụ guzo nʼetiti osisi mietul ndị ahụ sịrị, “Ndị a bụ ndị Onyenwe anyị zitere ka ha jegharịa nʼụwa niile.”
The man who was there among the myrtle trees said, “These are the ones the Lord has sent out to patrol the earth.”
11 Ha sịrị mmụọ ozi nke Onyenwe anyị nke na-eguzo nʼetiti osisi mietul ahụ, “Anyị ejegharịala nʼụwa niile, ma lee anyị chọpụtara na ụwa niile nọ nʼudo, dịkwa jụụ.”
The riders reported to the angel of the Lord who was among the myrtle trees, “We have been patrolling the earth and saw that the whole earth has been pacified.”
12 Mgbe ahụ, mmụọ ozi nke Onyenwe anyị sịrị, “Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile, ọ bụ ruo ole mgbe ka ị ga-anọgide hapụ imere Jerusalem na obodo niile nke Juda ebere, bụ obodo ị na-eweso iwe iri afọ asaa ndị a gara aga?”
Then the angel of the Lord said, “Lord Almighty, how long will it be before you have mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah which you have been angry with for the past seventy years?”
13 Mgbe ahụ, Onyenwe anyị gwara mmụọ ozi ahụ guzo na-agwa m okwu, okwu nkasiobi na okwu ọma dị iche iche.
So the Lord replied to the angel I was talking to with kind and comforting words.
14 Mgbe ahụ, mmụọ ozi ahụ nọ na-agwa m okwu gwara m sị, “Kwusaa ozi a, otu a ka Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile kwuru sị, ‘Ekworo m dị ukwuu nʼebe Jerusalem na Zayọn nọ,
Then the angel I was talking with told me, This is what you are to announce. The Lord Almighty says this: I am jealously protective of Jerusalem and Mount Zion,
15 ma iwe m dị ukwuu megide ndị mba niile ahụ onwe ha juru afọ. Nʼihi na mgbe iwe m dị nta, ha nyere aka ime ka ahụhụ ahụ karịa njọ.’
and I am extremely angry with the arrogant nations who think they are secure. I was only a little angry with my people, but they made the punishment far worse.
16 “Nʼihi ya, ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị kwuru, ‘Aga m eji obi ebere lọghachi na Jerusalem. Nʼebe ahụ kwa ka a ga-ewugharị ụlọnsọ ukwuu m. A ga-esetikwa eriri e ji atụ ihe nʼelu Jerusalem.’ Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile kwubiri.
Therefore this is what the Lord says: I have returned to be merciful to Jerusalem. My Temple shall be rebuilt there, as well as the city, declares the Lord Almighty.
17 “Kwusaakwa ọzọ, otu a ka Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile kwuru. ‘Ọganihu ga-adịkwa nʼobodo m niile ọzọ. Onyenwe anyị ga-akasị Zayọn obi ọzọ, ma họpụtakwa Jerusalem.’”
Announce this as well, says the Lord Almighty: Prosperity will flood out of my cities. I the Lord will comfort Zion, and Jerusalem will be my chosen city.
18 Mgbe ahụ, eweliri m anya m abụọ elu hụ mpi anọ.
Then I looked and saw four animal horns.
19 Ajụrụ m mmụọ ozi ahụ na-agwa m okwu sị, “Gịnị ka ihe ndị a bụ?” Ọ sịrị m, “Ndị a bụ mpi ndị ahụ chụsasịrị Juda, na Izrel, na Jerusalem.”
“What are these?” I asked the angel I was talking to. “These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem,” he replied.
20 Mgbe ahụ, Onyenwe anyị gosiri m ndị ọkpụ ụzụ anọ.
Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen.
21 Asịrị m, “Gịnị ka ndị na-abịa ime?” Ọ zaghachiri m, “Ndị a bụ mpi anọ ndị ahụ chụsasịrị Juda, ime ka onye ọbụla ghara inwe ike iwelite isi ya. Ma ndị a abịala imenye ha ụjọ, na ịtụda mpi mba niile, bụ ndị ahụ buliri mpi ha imegide ala Juda, na ịchụsa ndị ya.”
“What are these men coming to do?” I asked. The angel replied, “The four horns—these nations—scattered Judah, humbling the people so that they could not lift up their heads. These craftsmen have to come to terrify these nations, and to destroy them—those who used their power against the land of Judah, scattering the people.”
