Zakaria 7
1 Ary tamin’ ny taona fahefatra nanjakan’ i Dariosa no nahatongavan’ ny tenin’ i Jehovah tamin’ i Zakaria, tamin’ ny andro fahefatra tamin’ ny volana fahasivy (Kisleva izany);
When Darius had been the emperor for almost four years, on December 7, Yahweh gave me [another] message.
2 ary Betela efa naniraka an’ i Serezera sy Regema-meleka sy ny olony hifona amin’ i Jehovah
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 ka hiteny amin’ ny mpisoron’ ny tranon’ i Jehovah, Tompon’ ny maro, sy amin’ ny mpaminany hoe: Hitomany amin’ ny volana fahadimy va aho ka hifady toy ny fanaoko tamin’ ny taon-dasa ela?
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 Dia tonga tamiko ny tenin’ i Jehovah, Tompon’ ny maro, nanao hoe:
Then the Commander of the armies of angels gave me a message.
5 Lazao amin’ ny vahoaka rehetra amin’ ny tany sy amin’ ny mpisorona hoe: Raha nifady hanina sy nitomany tamin’ ny volana fahadimy sy ny fahafito tamin’ izao fito-polo taona izao, ianareo moa nifady ho Ahy va ianareo?
[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 Ary raha mihinana sy misotro ianareo, moa tsy mihinana sy misotro ho an’ ny tenanareo ihany va ianareo?
And when they ate and drank, it was really [RHQ] to [benefit] themselves.
7 Moa tsy tokony ho nihaino ny teny izay nasain’ i Jehovah nantsoin’ ny mpaminany fahiny va ianareo, fony mbola nonenana sy nandry fahizay Jerosalema sy ny zana-bohiny manodidina azy, sady nonenana koa ny tany atsimo sy ny tany lemaka amoron-tsiraka?
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 Ary tonga tamin’ i Zakaria ny tenin’ i Jehovah nanao hoe:
Yahweh gave another message to me, saying
9 Izao no lazain’ i Jehovah, Tompon’ ny maro: Manaova fitsarana marina, ary samia mifampiantra sy mifamindra fo amin’ ny rahalahiny avy;
“[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 ary aza mampahory ny mpitondratena na ny kamboty, na ny vahiny, na ny mahantra; ary aza misy mihevitra ao am-ponareo hanisy ratsy ny rahalahinareo ianareo.
Do not (oppress/treat cruelly) widows or orphans or foreigners or poor people. Do not even think about doing evil to anyone else.’”
11 Nefa tsy nety nihaino ireny, fa nampihemotra ny sorony, ary nataony lalodalovana ny sofiny; mba tsy handre.
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 Eny, nanao ny fony ho mafy, toy ny diamondra Izy, mba tsy hihaino ny lalàna sy ny teny izay nampitondrain’ ny Fanahin’ i Jehovah, Tompon’ ny maro, holazain’ ny mpaminany fahiny, ka dia tonga izay fahatezerana mafy avy tamin’ i Jehovah, Tompon’ ny maro,
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 Koa toy ny niantsoan’ ireny, fa tsy nohenoiny, dia ho toy izany no hiantsoany kosa, fa tsy hohenoiko, hoy Jehovah, Tompon’ ny maro;
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 fa haeliko amin’ ny tafio-drivotra ho any amin’ ny firenena rehetra izay tsy fantany izy. Toy izany no nahalao ny tany tao aoriany, ka tsy nisy olona nandroso na niverina; fa nahatonga ny tany mahafinaritra ho tany lao izy.
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).”
