Zekaria 8
1 Neno la Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote likanijia tena.
And the word of Yahweh of hosts came, saying:
2 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote: “Nina wivu sana kwa ajili ya Sayuni, ninawaka wivu kwa ajili yake.”
Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, I am jealous for Zion with a great jealousy, —Yea, with great wrath, am I jealous for her.
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.”
Thus, saith Yahweh, I have returned unto Zion, and will make my habitation in the midst of Jerusalem, —and Jerusalem, shall be called, The city of fidelity, and the mountain of Yahweh of hosts, The mountain of holiness.
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.
Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, Yet shall old men and old women sit in the broadways of Jerusalem, —Yea, each one with his staff in his hand for multitude of days:
5 Barabara za mji zitajaa wavulana na wasichana wanaocheza humo.”
And, the broadways of the city, shall be full of boys and girls, —playing in the broadways thereof.
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.
Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, Because it will be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people, in those days, In mine own eyes also, shall it be marvellous? Demandeth Yahweh of hosts.
7 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote: “Nitawaokoa watu wangu kutoka nchi za mashariki na magharibi.
Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, Behold me! saving my people out of the land of the dawn, —and out of the land of the going in of the sun;
8 Nitawarudisha waje kuishi Yerusalemu, watakuwa watu wangu nami nitakuwa mwaminifu na wa haki kwao kama Mungu wao.”
And I will bring them in, and they shall have their habitation in the midst of Jerusalem, —and shall become my people, and, I, will become their God, In faithfulness 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.
Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, Let your hands be strong, ye who are hearing, in these days, these words, —from the mouth of the prophets who, on the day the house of Yahweh of hosts, was founded, [foretold] that, the temple, should be built: —
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.
That, before those days, hire for man, could not be obtained, and, hire for beast, was there none, —and, neither to him who went out nor to him who came in, was there success by reason of the danger, Yea I let all men loose, each one against his neighbour.
11 Lakini sasa sitawatendea mabaki ya watu hawa kama nilivyowatenda zamani,” asema Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote.
But, now, not as in the former days, am I to this remnant of the people, —Declareth Yahweh of hosts;
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, the seed, shall be secure—the vine, shall yield her fruit, and the land, yield her increase, and the heavens, yield their dew, —and I will cause this remnant of the people to inherit all these things.
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 shall come to pass that—Just as ye had become a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, So, will I save you, and ye shall become a blessing, —Do not fear, 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, thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, Just as I planned to bring calamity upon you, when your fathers provoked me, saith Yahweh of hosts, —and I relented not,
15 “hivyo sasa nimeazimia kufanya mema tena kwa Yerusalemu na Yuda. Msiogope.
So, have I again planned, in these days, to do good unto Jerusalem, and unto the house of Judah, —Do not 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 ye shall do: Speak ye the truth, every man with his neighbour, truth and the sentence of peace, pronounce ye in your gates;
17 usipange mabaya dhidi ya jirani yako, wala msipende kuapa kwa uongo. Nayachukia yote haya,” asema Bwana.
And let, no man, devise, the injury of his neighbour, in your heart, and the oath of falsehood, do not love, —for, all these, are things which I hate, declareth Yahweh.
18 Neno la Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote likanijia tena.
And the word of Yahweh of hosts came unto 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.”
Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts—The fast of the fourth, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the eleventh, shall become to the house of Judah a gladness and a rejoicing, and pleasant appointed meetings, —But, truth and peace, see that ye love.
20 Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote: “Mataifa mengi na wakazi wa miji mingi watakuja,
Thus, saith Yahweh of hoses, —It shall yet be that there shall come in peoples, and the inhabitants of many cities;
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 inhabitants of one city, shall go, unto them of another, saying, Let us be going on to pacify the face of Yahweh, and to seek Yahweh of hosts, —I also, will go!
22 Pia watu wa kabila nyingi na mataifa yenye nguvu yatakuja Yerusalemu kumtafuta Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote na kumsihi.”
So shall enter many peoples, and strong nations, to seek Yahweh of hosts in Jerusalem, —and to pacify the face of Yahweh.
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.’”
Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, In those days, [it shall be] that ten men out of all the tongues of the nations, shall take hold, —yea take hold of the skirt of every one that is a Jew, saying—We will go with you! For we have heard [that], God, is with you.
