Zacarías 7
1 Y aconteció en el año cuarto del rey Darío, que vino Palabra del SEÑOR a Zacarías, a los cuatro del mes noveno, que es Quisleu;
When Darius had been the emperor for almost four years, on December 7, Yahweh gave me [another] message.
2 cuando fue enviado a la Casa de Dios, Sarezer, con Regem-melec y sus hombres, a implorar el favor del SEÑOR,
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 y a preguntar a los sacerdotes que estaban en la casa del SEÑOR de los ejércitos, y a los profetas, diciendo: ¿Lloraremos en el mes quinto? ¿Haremos abstinencia como hemos hecho ya algunos años?
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 Vino, pues, a mí palabra del SEÑOR de los ejércitos, diciendo:
Then the Commander of the armies of angels gave me a message.
5 Habla a todo el pueblo del país, y a los sacerdotes, diciendo: Cuando ayunasteis y llorasteis en el quinto y en el séptimo mes estos setenta años, ¿habéis ayunado para mí?
[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 Y cuando coméis y bebéis, ¿no coméis y bebéis para vosotros?
And when they ate and drank, it was really [RHQ] to [benefit] themselves.
7 ¿No son éstas las palabras que publicó el SEÑOR por mano de los profetas primeros, cuando Jerusalén estaba habitada y quieta, y sus ciudades en sus alrededores, y el mediodía y la campiña se habitaban?
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 Y vino palabra del SEÑOR a Zacarías, diciendo:
Yahweh gave another message to me, saying
9 Así habló el SEÑOR de los ejércitos, diciendo: Juzgad juicio verdadero, y haced misericordia y piedad cada cual con su hermano;
“[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 no agraviéis a la viuda, ni al huérfano, ni al extranjero, ni al pobre; ni ninguno piense mal en su corazón contra su hermano.
Do not (oppress/treat cruelly) widows or orphans or foreigners or poor people. Do not even think about doing evil to anyone else.’”
11 Pero no quisieron escuchar, antes dieron hombro rebelado, y agravaron sus oídos para no oír;
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 y pusieron su corazón como diamante, para no oír la ley ni las palabras que el SEÑOR de los ejércitos enviaba por su Espíritu, por mano de los profetas primeros; fue, por tanto, hecho gran castigo por el SEÑOR de los ejércitos.
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 Y aconteció que como él clamó, y no escucharon, así ellos clamaron, y yo no escuché, dice el SEÑOR de los ejércitos;
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 antes los esparcí con torbellino por todos los gentiles que ellos no conocían, y la tierra fue desolada tras ellos, sin quedar quien fuese ni viniese; pues tornaron en asolamiento el país deseable.
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).”
