Zaccaria 7
1 E avvenne che il quarto anno del re Dario la parola dell’Eterno fu rivolta a Zaccaria, il quarto giorno del nono mese, cioè di Chisleu.
When Darius had been the emperor for almost four years, on December 7, Yahweh gave me [another] message.
2 Quelli di Bethel avean mandato Saretser e Reghem-melec con la loro gente per implorare il favore dell’Eterno,
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 e per parlare ai sacerdoti della casa dell’Eterno degli eserciti e ai profeti, in questo modo: “Dobbiam noi continuare a piangere il quinto mese e a fare astinenza come abbiam fatto per tanti anni?”
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 E la parola dell’Eterno mi fu rivolta in questi termini:
Then the Commander of the armies of angels gave me a message.
5 “Parla a tutto il popolo del paese e ai sacerdoti, e di’: Quando avete digiunato e fatto cordoglio il quinto e il settimo mese durante questi settant’anni, avete voi digiunato per me, proprio per me?
[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 E quando mangiate e quando bevete, non siete voi che mangiate, voi che bevete?
And when they ate and drank, it was really [RHQ] to [benefit] themselves.
7 Non dovreste voi dare ascolto alle parole che l’Eterno degli eserciti ha proclamate per mezzo dei profeti di prima, quando Gerusalemme era abitata e tranquilla, con le sue città all’intorno, ed eran pure abitati il mezzogiorno e la pianura?”
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 E la parola dell’Eterno fu rivolta a Zaccaria, in questi termini:
Yahweh gave another message to me, saying
9 “Così parlava l’Eterno degli eserciti: Fate giustizia fedelmente, e mostrate l’uno per l’altro bontà e compassione;
“[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 e non opprimete la vedova né l’orfano, lo straniero né il povero; e nessuno di voi macchini del male contro il fratello nel suo cuore.
Do not (oppress/treat cruelly) widows or orphans or foreigners or poor people. Do not even think about doing evil to anyone else.’”
11 Ma essi rifiutarono di fare attenzione, opposero una spalla ribelle, e si tapparono gli orecchi per non udire.
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 Resero il loro cuore duro come il diamante, per non ascoltare la legge e le parole che l’Eterno degli eserciti mandava loro per mezzo del suo spirito, per mezzo dei profeti di prima; perciò ci fu grande indignazione da parte dell’Eterno degli eserciti.
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 E avvenne che siccome egli chiamava, e quelli non davano ascolto, così quelli chiameranno, e io non darò ascolto, dice l’Eterno degli eserciti;
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 e li disperderò tra tutte le nazioni ch’essi non hanno mai conosciute, e il paese rimarrà desolato dietro a loro, senza più nessuno che vi passi o vi ritorni. D’un paese delizioso essi han fatto una desolazione”.
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).”
