Zekaraya 7
1 Nʼafọ nke anọ nke ọchịchị eze Daraiọs, okwu nke Onyenwe anyị ruru Zekaraya ntị nʼụbọchị nke anọ, nʼọnwa nke itoolu, nke bụ ọnwa Kislev.
In the fourth year of the reign of King Darius, on the fourth day of Chislev, the ninth month, the message of the Lord came to Zechariah.
2 Nʼoge a, ndị bi nʼobodo Betel ezitela Shareza, na Regem Melek, ha na ndị ọzọ ka ha bịa rịọọ Onyenwe anyị arịrịọ,
The city of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men, to entreat the favor of the Lord,
3 ka ọ jụkwaa ndị nchụaja nọ nʼụlọnsọ ukwu nke Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile, na ndị amụma, sị, “Ọ bụ m ruo ụjụ, bukwaa ọnụ nʼọnwa nke ise, dịka m si eme kemgbe ọtụtụ afọ ndị a gara aga?”
and to ask the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts, and the prophets “Should I continue to mourn in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done for many years?”
4 Mgbe ahụ, okwu nke Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile ruru m ntị,
Then this message of the Lord of hosts came to me:
5 “Gwanụ ndị nchụaja na ndị niile bi nʼala a, ‘Mgbe unu na-ebu ọnụ nʼọnwa nke ise ọbụla, na nʼọnwa nke asaa ọbụla, iri afọ asaa ndị a niile gara aga, ọ bụ mụ ka unu na-eburu ọnụ?
Tell all the people of the land and the priests, “When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month, for these seventy years, did you really fast for me?
6 Mgbe unu na-eri na-aṅụkwa, ọ bụ na unu anaghị eme ya maka nʼihi onwe unu?
When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?
7 Ihe ndị a ha ọ bụghị okwu niile Onyenwe anyị kpọsara site nʼọnụ ndị amụma mbụ, mgbe Jerusalem na obodo niile dị ya gburugburu nọ nʼudo nwekwa ọganihu, nʼoge ndị mmadụ bi na Negev, ya na ala ndịda ugwu niile?’”
Wasn’t it this which the Lord proclaimed by the earlier prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, and her towns surrounding her and the Negreb and the Shephelah were inhabited?”
8 Mgbe ahụ, okwu nke Onyenwe anyị ruru Zekaraya ntị na-asị,
The Lord gave this message to Zechariah:
9 “Ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile kwuru, ‘Kpeenụ ikpe ziri ezi, meerenụ ibe unu ebere, ma gosikwa ibe unu ọmịiko.
The Lord of hosts says, execute true judgments. Show kindness and mercy to each other.
10 Unu emegbula ụmụ nwanyị di ha nwụrụ maọbụ nwa na-enweghị nne na nna maọbụ ndị ọbịa maọbụ ndị ogbenye. Unu echela echiche ọjọọ nʼobi unu megide ibe unu.’
Do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the resident foreigner or the poor. Let none of you devise evil against another in your hearts.
11 “Ma ha jụrụ ige ntị; ha sitere nʼobiike ha gbakụta m azụ ha, were mkpịsịaka rụchie ntị ha, ka ha ghara ige m ntị.
But they refused to listen, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears so they wouldn’t hear.
12 Ha mere ka obi ha sie ike dịka nkume, jụ ige ntị nʼiwu, na nʼokwu nke Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile sitere na Mmụọ ya zie ndị amụma mbụ ahụ. Nʼihi ya, Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile were oke iwe.
They made their hearts as hard as stone so they wouldn’t accept the teaching and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his spirit through the earlier prophets. Great was the anger of the Lord of hosts:
13 “‘Ebe ọ bụ na mgbe m kpọrọ ha, ha egeghị ntị, agaghị m ege ntị mgbe ha ga-akpọ m,’ Ọ bụ ihe Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile na-ekwu.
I called and they would not hear, so they call and I do not hear, says the Lord of hosts.
14 ‘Eji m oke ifufe gbasasịa ha nʼetiti mba niile, ndị ha na-amaghị. Emere m ka ala ha tọgbọrọ nʼefu, ka mmadụ ọbụla hapụ inwe ike ịpụ maọbụ ịbata nʼime ya. Otu a ka ha si mee ka ala ọma ahụ ghọọ ala tọgbọrọ nʼefu.’”
I scattered them by a whirlwind out among nations unknown to them. The land was left desolate behind them, with no one crossing or returning, for they made the pleasant land a desolation.
