< Zekaria 5 >
1 Nikatazama tena: na hapo mbele yangu kulikuwa na kitabu kilichoruka!
And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked and behold a flying sickle.
2 Akaniuliza, “Unaona nini?” Nikamjibu, “Naona kitabu kinachoruka chenye, urefu wa dhiraa ishirini na upana wa dhiraa kumi.”
And he said to me, What see you? And I said, I see a flying sickle, of the length of twenty cubits, and of the breadth of ten cubits.
3 Akaniambia, “Hii ni laana inayotoka kwenda juu ya nchi yote, kwa kuwa kufuatana na yale yaliyoandikwa katika upande mmoja, kila mwizi atafukuziwa mbali, pia kufuatana na yaliyo upande wa pili, kila aapaye kwa uongo atafukuziwa mbali.
And he said to me, This is the curse that goes forth over the face of the whole earth: for every thief shall be punished with death on this side, and every false swearer shall be punished on that side.
4 Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote asema, ‘Nitaituma hiyo laana, nayo itaingia katika nyumba ya mwizi na nyumba ya huyo aapaye kwa uongo kwa Jina langu. Itabaki katika nyumba yake na kuiharibu, pamoja na mbao zake na mawe yake.’”
And I will bring it forth, says the Lord Almighty, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that swears falsely by my name: and it shall rest in the midst of his house, and shall consume it, and the timber of it, and the stones of it.
5 Kisha yule malaika aliyekuwa akizungumza nami akanijia na kuniambia, “Tazama juu uone ni nini kile kinachojitokeza.”
And the angel that talked with me went forth, and said to me, Lift up your eyes, and see this that goes forth.
6 Nikamuuliza, “Ni kitu gani?” Akanijibu, “Ni kikapu cha kupimia.” Kisha akaongeza kusema, “Huu ni uovu wa watu katika nchi nzima.”
And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the measure that goes forth. And he said, This is their iniquity in all the earth.
7 Kisha kifuniko kilichotengenezwa kwa madini ya risasi kilichokuwa kimefunika kile kikapu, kiliinuliwa na ndani ya kile kikapu alikuwako mwanamke ameketi!
And behold a talent of lead lifted up: and behold a woman sat in the midst of the measure.
8 Akasema, “Huu ni uovu,” tena akamsukumia ndani ya kikapu na kushindilia kifuniko juu ya mdomo wa kikapu.
And he said, This is iniquity. And he cast it into the midst of the measure, and cast the weight of lead on the mouth of it.
9 Kisha nikatazama juu: na pale mbele yangu, walikuwepo wanawake wawili, wakiwa na upepo katika mabawa yao! Walikuwa na mabawa kama ya korongo, nao wakainua kile kikapu na kuruka nacho kati ya mbingu na nchi.
And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, two women coming forth, and the wind was in their wings; and they had stork's wings: and they lifted up the measure between the earth and the sky.
10 Nikamuuliza yule malaika aliyekuwa akizungumza nami, “Wanakipeleka wapi hicho kikapu?”
And I said to the angel that spoke with me, Whither do these carry away the measure?
11 Akanijibu, “Wanakipeleka katika nchi ya Babeli na kujenga nyumba kwa ajili yake. Itakapokuwa tayari, kikapu kitawekwa pale mahali pake.”
And he said to me, To build it a house in the land of Babylon, and to prepare [a place for it]; and they shall set it there on its own base.