Zekaria 8
1 Neno la Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote likanijia tena.
And the word of the Lord of armies came to me, saying,
2 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote: “Nina wivu sana kwa ajili ya Sayuni, ninawaka wivu kwa ajili yake.”
These are the words of the Lord of armies: I am angry about the fate of Zion, I am angry about her with great wrath.
3 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: “Nitarudi Sayuni na kufanya makao Yerusalemu. Kisha Yerusalemu utaitwa mji wa kweli, mlima wa Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote utaitwa Mlima Mtakatifu.”
This is what the Lord has said: I have come back to Zion, and will make my living-place in Jerusalem: and Jerusalem will be named The town of good faith; and the mountain of the Lord of armies The holy mountain.
4 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote: “Kwa mara nyingine tena wazee wanaume kwa wanawake walioshiba umri wataketi katika barabara za Yerusalemu, kila mmoja akiwa na mkongojo wake mkononi kwa sababu ya umri wake.
This is what the Lord of armies has said: There will again be old men and old women seated in the open spaces of Jerusalem, every man with his stick in his hand because he is so old.
5 Barabara za mji zitajaa wavulana na wasichana wanaocheza humo.”
And the open spaces of the town will be full of boys and girls playing in its open spaces.
6 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote: “Mambo haya yanaweza kuonekana ya ajabu kwa mabaki ya watu wakati huo, lakini yaweza kuwa ya ajabu kwangu?” asema Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote.
This is what the Lord of armies has said: If this is a wonder to the rest of this people, is it a wonder to me? says the Lord of armies.
7 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote: “Nitawaokoa watu wangu kutoka nchi za mashariki na magharibi.
This is what the Lord of armies has said: See, I will be the saviour of my people from the east country, and from the west country;
8 Nitawarudisha waje kuishi Yerusalemu, watakuwa watu wangu nami nitakuwa mwaminifu na wa haki kwao kama Mungu wao.”
And I will make them come and be living in Jerusalem and they will be to me a people and I will be to them a God, in good faith and in righteousness.
9 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote: “Ninyi ambao sasa mnasikia maneno haya yanayozungumzwa na manabii ambao walikuwepo wakati wa kuwekwa kwa msingi wa nyumba ya Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, mikono yenu na iwe na nguvu ili Hekalu liweze kujengwa.
This is what the Lord of armies has said: Let your hands be strong, you who are now hearing these words from the mouths of the prophets, that is to say, in the days when the base of the house of the Lord of armies has been put in place for the building of the house, that is the Temple.
10 Kabla ya wakati huo, hapakuwepo na ujira kwa mtu wala mnyama. Hakuna mtu aliyeweza kufanya shughuli yake kwa usalama kwa sababu ya adui yake, kwa kuwa nilikuwa nimemfanya kila mtu adui wa jirani yake.
For before those days there was no payment for a man's work, or for the use of a beast, and there was no peace for him who went out or him who came in, because of the attacker: for I had every man turned against his neighbour.
11 Lakini sasa sitawatendea mabaki ya watu hawa kama nilivyowatenda zamani,” asema Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote.
But now I will not be to the rest of this people as I was in the past, says the Lord of armies.
12 “Mbegu itakua vizuri, mzabibu utazaa matunda yake, ardhi itatoa mazao yake, na mbingu zitadondosha umande wake. Vitu hivi vyote nitawapa mabaki ya watu kama urithi wao.
For I will let the seed of peace be planted; the vine will give her fruit and the land will give her increase and the heavens will give their dew; and I will give to the rest of this people all these things for their heritage.
13 Jinsi mlivyokuwa kitu cha laana katikati ya mataifa, ee Yuda na Israeli, ndivyo nitakavyowaokoa, nanyi mtakuwa baraka. Msiogope, bali iacheni mikono yenu iwe na nguvu.”
And it will come about that, as you were a curse among the nations, O children of Judah and children of Israel, so I will give you salvation and you will be a blessing: have no fear and let your hands be strong.
14 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote: “Kama nilivyokuwa nimekusudia kuleta maangamizi juu yenu, wakati baba zenu waliponikasirisha na sikuonyesha huruma,” asema Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote,
For this is what the Lord of armies has said: As it was my purpose to do evil to you when your fathers made me angry, says the Lord of armies, and my purpose was not changed:
15 “hivyo sasa nimeazimia kufanya mema tena kwa Yerusalemu na Yuda. Msiogope.
So in these days it is again my purpose to do good to Jerusalem and to the children of Judah: have no fear.
16 Haya ndiyo mtakayoyafanya: Semeni kweli kila mtu kwa mwenzake, na mtoe hukumu ya kweli na haki kwenye mahakama zenu,
These are the things which you are to do: Let every man say what is true to his neighbour; and let your judging give peace in your towns.
17 usipange mabaya dhidi ya jirani yako, wala msipende kuapa kwa uongo. Nayachukia yote haya,” asema Bwana.
Let no one have any evil thought in his heart against his neighbour; and have no love for false oaths: for all these things are hated by me, says the Lord.
18 Neno la Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote likanijia tena.
And the word of the Lord of armies came to me, saying,
19 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote: “Saumu za miezi ya nne, tano, saba na kumi itakuwa sikukuu za furaha na za shangwe kwa Yuda. Kwa hiyo uipende kweli na amani.”
This is what the Lord of armies has said: The times of going without food in the fourth month and in the fifth and the seventh and the tenth months, will be for the people of Judah times of joy and happy meetings; so be lovers of good faith and of peace.
20 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote: “Mataifa mengi na wakazi wa miji mingi watakuja,
This is what the Lord of armies has said: It will again come about that when peoples and those living in great towns come,
21 na wenyeji wa mji mmoja watakwenda kwenye mji mwingine na kusema, ‘Twende mara moja na tukamsihi Bwana, na kumtafuta Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote. Mimi mwenyewe ninakwenda.’
And the people of one town go to another and say, Let us certainly go with a request for grace from the Lord, and to give worship to the Lord of armies, then I will go with you.
22 Pia watu wa kabila nyingi na mataifa yenye nguvu yatakuja Yerusalemu kumtafuta Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote na kumsihi.”
And great peoples and strong nations will come to give worship to the Lord of armies in Jerusalem and to make requests for grace from the Lord.
23 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote: “Katika siku hizo watu kumi kutoka lugha zote na mataifa, watangʼangʼania upindo wa joho la Myahudi mmoja na kusema, ‘Twende pamoja nawe kwa sababu tumesikia kwamba Mungu yu pamoja nawe.’”
This is what the Lord of armies has said: In those days, ten men from all the languages of the nations will put out their hands and take a grip of the skirt of him who is a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for it has come to our ears that God is with you.
