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, came the word of Jehovah unto Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying,
2 INkosi yabathukuthelela oyihlo ngentukuthelo.
Jehovah hath been very wroth with your fathers.
3 Ngakho wothi kubo: Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Phendukelani kimi, itsho iNkosi yamabandla, lami ngizaphendukela kini, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Return unto me, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I will return unto you, saith 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, unto whom the former prophets cried, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings; but they did not hearken nor attend unto me, saith Jehovah.
5 Oyihlo, bangaphi? Labaprofethi, baphila laphakade yini?
Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?
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 unto us, according to our ways and according to our doings, so hath he 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 four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Jehovah unto Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying,
8 Ngabona ebusuku, khangela-ke umuntu owayegade ibhiza elibomvu, njalo wayemi phakathi kwezihlahla zamamiteli eziseliweni, lemva kwakhe kwakulamabhiza abomvu, alibhidi, lamhlophe.
I saw by night, and behold, a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle-trees that were in the low valley; and behind him were red, bay, and white horses.
9 Ngasengisithi: Bayini laba, nkosi yami? Ingilosi eyayikhuluma lami yasisithi kimi: Mina ngizakutshengisa ukuthi laba bayini.
And I said, My lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these are.
10 Umuntu owayemi phakathi kwezihlahla zamamiteli wasephendula wathi: Laba yibo iNkosi ebathumileyo ukuhamba besiya le lale emhlabeni.
And the man that stood among the myrtle-trees answered and said, These are they whom Jehovah hath 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 angel of Jehovah that stood among the myrtle-trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and behold, all the earth sitteth 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?
And the angel of Jehovah answered and said, Jehovah of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these seventy years?
13 INkosi yasiphendula ingilosi eyayikhuluma lami ngamazwi amahle, amazwi aduduzayo.
And Jehovah answered the angel that talked with me good words, comforting words.
14 Ngakho ingilosi eyayikhuluma lami yathi kimi: Memeza, usithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Ngilobukhwele ngeJerusalema langeZiyoni ngobukhwele obukhulu.
And the angel that talked with me said unto me, Cry, saying, Thus saith 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 wroth exceedingly with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little wroth, 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 saith Jehovah: I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith Jehovah of hosts, and the line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.
17 Phinda umemeze, usithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Imizi yami isezasatshalaliswa ngokuhle; njalo iNkosi isezaduduza iZiyoni, isezayikhetha iJerusalema.
Cry further, saying, Thus saith 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 mine 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 unto the angel that talked with me, What are these? And he said to me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.
20 INkosi yasingitshengisa ingcitshi ezine.
And Jehovah shewed 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.
And I said, What come these to do? And he spoke, saying, Those are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man lifted up his head; but these are come to affright them, to cast out the horns of the nations, which lifted up the horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.
