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 Darius, 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 greatly displeased with your fathers.
3 Ngakho wothi kubo: Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Phendukelani kimi, itsho iNkosi yamabandla, lami ngizaphendukela kini, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
Therefore say thou to 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.
Be ye not as your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried, saying, Thus says Jehovah of hosts: Return ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings, but they did not hear, nor hearken 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 my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? And they turned and said, Like as Jehovah of hosts thought to do to us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, 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:
Upon the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, 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 saw in the night, and, behold, a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom. And behind him there were horses, red, sorrel, and white.
9 Ngasengisithi: Bayini laba, nkosi yami? Ingilosi eyayikhuluma lami yasisithi kimi: Mina ngizakutshengisa ukuthi laba bayini.
Then I said, O my lord, what are these? And the agent who talked with me said to me, I will show thee what these are.
10 Umuntu owayemi phakathi kwezihlahla zamamiteli wasephendula wathi: Laba yibo iNkosi ebathumileyo ukuhamba besiya le lale emhlabeni.
And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom Jehovah has sent to walk to and fro through the earth.
11 Basebephendula ingilosi yeNkosi eyayimi phakathi kwezihlahla zamamiteli, bathi: Sihambile, saya le lale emhlabeni, khangela-ke, wonke umhlaba uhlezi uthule.
And they answered the agent of Jehovah who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sits still, and is at rest.
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 agent of Jehovah answered and said, O Jehovah of hosts, how long will thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou have had indignation these seventy years?
13 INkosi yasiphendula ingilosi eyayikhuluma lami ngamazwi amahle, amazwi aduduzayo.
And Jehovah answered the agent who talked with me with good words, comforting words.
14 Ngakho ingilosi eyayikhuluma lami yathi kimi: Memeza, usithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Ngilobukhwele ngeJerusalema langeZiyoni ngobukhwele obukhulu.
So the agent who talked with me said to me, Cry thou, 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.
And I am very greatly displeased with the nations that are at ease. For I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.
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 mercies. My house shall 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.
Cry yet again, saying, Thus says Jehovah of hosts: My cities shall yet overflow with prosperity, and Jehovah shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.
18 Ngasengiphakamisa amehlo ami, ngabona, khangela-ke, impondo ezine.
And I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and, behold, four horns.
19 Ngasengisithi kuyo ingilosi eyayikhuluma lami: Kuyini lokhu? Yasisithi kimi: Lezi zimpondo ezihlakaze uJuda, uIsrayeli, leJerusalema.
And I said to the agent who talked with me, What are these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.
20 INkosi yasingitshengisa ingcitshi ezine.
And Jehovah showed me four smiths.
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 said, What are these coming to do? And he spoke, saying, 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.
