UZekhariya 1
1 Ngenyanga yesificaminwembili, ngomnyaka wesibili kaDariyusi, kwafika ilizwi leNkosi kuZekhariya, indodana kaBerekiya, indodana kaIdo umprofethi, lisithi:
In the eighth month, in the second year of Daryavesh, the word of Jehovah came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying,
2 INkosi yabathukuthelela oyihlo ngentukuthelo.
"Jehovah was very displeased with your fathers.
3 Ngakho wothi kubo: Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Phendukelani kimi, itsho iNkosi yamabandla, lami ngizaphendukela kini, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
Therefore tell them: Thus says Jehovah of hosts: 'Return to me,' says Jehovah of hosts, 'and I will return to you,' says Jehovah of hosts.
4 Lingabi njengaboyihlo, abaprofethi bakuqala abamemeza kubo, besithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Ake liphenduke ezindleleni zenu ezimbi lezenzweni zenu ezimbi; kodwa kabezwanga, kabangilalelanga, itsho iNkosi.
Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying: Thus says Jehovah of hosts, 'Return now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings;' but they did not hear, nor listen to me, says Jehovah.
5 Oyihlo, bangaphi? Labaprofethi, baphila laphakade yini?
Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?
6 Kodwa amazwi ami lezimiso zami, engakulaya izinceku zami abaprofethi, kakubaficanga oyihlo yini? Basebephenduka bathi: Njengalokhu iNkosi yamabandla yayinakana ukukukwenza kithi, njengokwezindlela zethu lanjengokwezenzo zethu, ngokunjalo yenze kithi.
But my words and my statutes, which I commanded by my Spirit to my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, 'Just as Jehovah of hosts determined to do to us, according to our ways, and according to our practices, so he has dealt with us.'"
7 Ngosuku lwamatshumi amabili lane lwenyanga yetshumi lanye, okuyinyanga uShebati, ngomnyaka wesibili kaDariyusi, lafika ilizwi leNkosi kuZekhariya, indodana kaBerekiya, indodana kaIdo umprofethi, lisithi:
On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Daryavesh, the word of Jehovah came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying,
8 Ngabona ebusuku, khangela-ke umuntu owayegade ibhiza elibomvu, njalo wayemi phakathi kwezihlahla zamamiteli eziseliweni, lemva kwakhe kwakulamabhiza abomvu, alibhidi, lamhlophe.
"I had a vision in the night, and look, a man riding on a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in a ravine; and behind him there were red, brown, and white horses.
9 Ngasengisithi: Bayini laba, nkosi yami? Ingilosi eyayikhuluma lami yasisithi kimi: Mina ngizakutshengisa ukuthi laba bayini.
Then I asked, 'My lord, what are these?'" The angel who talked with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."
10 Umuntu owayemi phakathi kwezihlahla zamamiteli wasephendula wathi: Laba yibo iNkosi ebathumileyo ukuhamba besiya le lale emhlabeni.
The man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said to me, "They are the ones Jehovah has sent to go back and forth through the earth."
11 Basebephendula ingilosi yeNkosi eyayimi phakathi kwezihlahla zamamiteli, bathi: Sihambile, saya le lale emhlabeni, khangela-ke, wonke umhlaba uhlezi uthule.
They reported to the angel of Jehovah who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, "We have walked back and forth through the earth, and look, all the earth is at rest and in peace."
12 Ingilosi yeNkosi yasiphendula yathi: Nkosi yamabandla, koze kube nini wena ungabi lesihawu phezu kweJerusalema laphezu kwemizi yakoJuda, osuyithukuthelele okweminyaka le engamatshumi ayisikhombisa?
Then the angel of Jehovah replied, "Jehovah of hosts, how long will you not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which you have had indignation these seventy years?"
13 INkosi yasiphendula ingilosi eyayikhuluma lami ngamazwi amahle, amazwi aduduzayo.
Jehovah answered the angel who talked with me with kind and comforting words.
14 Ngakho ingilosi eyayikhuluma lami yathi kimi: Memeza, usithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Ngilobukhwele ngeJerusalema langeZiyoni ngobukhwele obukhulu.
So the angel who talked with me said to me, "Proclaim, saying, 'Thus says Jehovah of hosts: "I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.
15 Njalo ngiyathukuthela ngentukuthelo enkulu ngezizwe ezonwabileyo; ngoba mina ngizondile kancinyane, kodwa zona zancedisa ngasebubini.
I am very angry with the nations that are at ease; for I was but only a little angry, but they added to the calamity."
16 Ngalokho, itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngibuyele eJerusalema ngilezihawu; indlu yami izakwakhiwa kuyo, itsho iNkosi yamabandla, lentambo yokulinganisa izakwelulwa phezu kweJerusalema.
Therefore thus says Jehovah: "I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy. My house will be built in it," says Jehovah of hosts, "and a line shall be stretched forth over Jerusalem."'
17 Phinda umemeze, usithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Imizi yami isezasatshalaliswa ngokuhle; njalo iNkosi isezaduduza iZiyoni, isezayikhetha iJerusalema.
"Proclaim further, saying, 'Thus says Jehovah of hosts: "My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and Jehovah will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem."'"
18 Ngasengiphakamisa amehlo ami, ngabona, khangela-ke, impondo ezine.
I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and look, four horns.
19 Ngasengisithi kuyo ingilosi eyayikhuluma lami: Kuyini lokhu? Yasisithi kimi: Lezi zimpondo ezihlakaze uJuda, uIsrayeli, leJerusalema.
I asked the angel who talked with me, "What are these?" He answered me, "These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem."
20 INkosi yasingitshengisa ingcitshi ezine.
Jehovah showed me four craftsmen.
21 Ngasengisithi: Lezi zizekwenzani? Yasikhuluma isithi: Lezi zimpondo ezihlakaze uJuda, kwaze kwangabi lomuntu ophakamisa ikhanda lakhe; kodwa lezi zize ukuzethusa, ukulahla izimpondo zabezizwe, ezaphakamisa uphondo lumelene lelizwe lakoJuda ukulihlakaza.
Then I asked, "What are these coming to do?" He said, "These are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man lifted up his head; but these have come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations, which lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it."
