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, hath a word of Jehovah been unto Zechariah, son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, the prophet, saying:
2 INkosi yabathukuthelela oyihlo ngentukuthelo.
'Jehovah was wroth against your fathers — wrath!
3 Ngakho wothi kubo: Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Phendukelani kimi, itsho iNkosi yamabandla, lami ngizaphendukela kini, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
And thou hast said unto them, Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, turn back unto Me, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, And I turn back unto you, said 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.
Ye shall not be as your fathers, To whom the former prophets called, saying: Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, Turn back I pray you, From your evil ways and from your evil doings, And they did not hearken, Nor attend to Me — an affirmation of Jehovah.
5 Oyihlo, bangaphi? Labaprofethi, baphila laphakade yini?
Your fathers — where [are] they? And the prophets — to the age do they live?
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.
Only, My words, and My statutes, That I commanded My servants the prophets, Have they not overtaken your fathers, And they turn back and say: As Jehovah of Hosts designed to do to us, According to our ways, and according to our doings, So He hath done to 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 and fourth day of the eleventh month, (it [is] the month of Sebat, ) in the second year of Darius, hath a word of Jehovah been unto Zechariah, son of Berechiah, 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 have seen by night, and lo, one riding on a red horse, and he is standing between the myrtles that [are] in the shade, and behind him [are] horses, red, bay, and white.
9 Ngasengisithi: Bayini laba, nkosi yami? Ingilosi eyayikhuluma lami yasisithi kimi: Mina ngizakutshengisa ukuthi laba bayini.
And I say, 'What [are] these, my lord?' And the messenger who is speaking with me saith unto me, 'I — I do shew thee what these [are].'
10 Umuntu owayemi phakathi kwezihlahla zamamiteli wasephendula wathi: Laba yibo iNkosi ebathumileyo ukuhamba besiya le lale emhlabeni.
And the one who is standing between the myrtles doth answer and say, 'These [are] they whom Jehovah hath sent to walk up and down in the land.'
11 Basebephendula ingilosi yeNkosi eyayimi phakathi kwezihlahla zamamiteli, bathi: Sihambile, saya le lale emhlabeni, khangela-ke, wonke umhlaba uhlezi uthule.
And they answer the messenger of Jehovah who is standing between the myrtles, and say, 'We have walked up and down in the land, and lo, all the land is sitting still, and 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 messenger of Jehovah answereth and saith, 'Jehovah of Hosts! till when dost Thou not pity Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, that Thou hast abhorred these seventy years?'
13 INkosi yasiphendula ingilosi eyayikhuluma lami ngamazwi amahle, amazwi aduduzayo.
And Jehovah answereth the messenger, who is speaking with me, good words, comfortable words.
14 Ngakho ingilosi eyayikhuluma lami yathi kimi: Memeza, usithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Ngilobukhwele ngeJerusalema langeZiyoni ngobukhwele obukhulu.
And the messenger who is speaking with me, saith unto me, 'Call, saying: Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: I have been zealous for Jerusalem, and for Zion [with] great zeal.
15 Njalo ngiyathukuthela ngentukuthelo enkulu ngezizwe ezonwabileyo; ngoba mina ngizondile kancinyane, kodwa zona zancedisa ngasebubini.
And [with] great wrath I am wroth against the nations who are at ease, For I was a little wroth, and they assisted — for evil.
16 Ngalokho, itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngibuyele eJerusalema ngilezihawu; indlu yami izakwakhiwa kuyo, itsho iNkosi yamabandla, lentambo yokulinganisa izakwelulwa phezu kweJerusalema.
Therefore, thus said Jehovah: I have turned to Jerusalem with mercies, My house is built in it, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, And a line is stretched over Jerusalem.
17 Phinda umemeze, usithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Imizi yami isezasatshalaliswa ngokuhle; njalo iNkosi isezaduduza iZiyoni, isezayikhetha iJerusalema.
Again call, saying: Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, Again do my cities overflow from good, And Jehovah hath again comforted Zion, And He hath fixed again on Jerusalem.'
18 Ngasengiphakamisa amehlo ami, ngabona, khangela-ke, impondo ezine.
And I lift up mine eyes, and look, and lo, four horns.
19 Ngasengisithi kuyo ingilosi eyayikhuluma lami: Kuyini lokhu? Yasisithi kimi: Lezi zimpondo ezihlakaze uJuda, uIsrayeli, leJerusalema.
And I say unto the messenger who is speaking with me, 'What [are] these?' And he saith unto me, 'These [are] the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.'
20 INkosi yasingitshengisa ingcitshi ezine.
And Jehovah doth shew me four artisans.
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 say, 'What [are] these coming in to do?' And He speaketh, saying: 'These [are] the horns that have scattered Judah, so that no one hath lifted up his head, and these come in to trouble them, to cast down the horns of the nations who are lifting up a horn against the land of Judah — to scatter it.'
