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,
[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 “Onyenwe anyị were oke iwe megide nna unu ha.
“I was very angry with your ancestors.
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 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 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.
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 Olee ebe ka nna nna unu ha nọ ugbu a? Ndị amụma ahụ, ha na-adị ndụ ruo mgbe ebighị ebi?
Your ancestors [have died and are now in their graves] [RHQ]. And the prophets did not [RHQ] live forever, [either].
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 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 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:
[Three months later], on February 15, Yahweh gave [another] message to me.
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 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 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 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 Mgbe ahụ onye ahụ guzo nʼetiti osisi mietul ndị ahụ sịrị, “Ndị a bụ ndị Onyenwe anyị zitere ka ha jegharịa nʼụwa niile.”
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 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.”
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 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 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 Mgbe ahụ, Onyenwe anyị gwara mmụọ ozi ahụ guzo na-agwa m okwu, okwu nkasiobi na okwu ọma dị iche iche.
[So] Yahweh spoke kindly to the angel who had talked to me, saying things that comforted/encouraged him.
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 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 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.’
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 “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 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 “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.’”
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 Mgbe ahụ, eweliri m anya m abụọ elu hụ mpi anọ.
Then I looked up, and I saw in front of me 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.”
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 Mgbe ahụ, Onyenwe anyị gosiri m ndị ọkpụ ụzụ anọ.
Then Yahweh showed me four (craftsmen/men who make things from metal).
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.”
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.”
