< Zekaria 1 >

1 Katika mwezi wa nane mwaka wa pili wa kutawala kwake Dario, neno la Yahwe lilimjia nabii Zekaria, mwana wa Berekia mwana wa Ido, kusema,
In the eighth month, in the second year of Daryavesh, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying,
2 “Yawhe alikuwa na hasira sana juu ya baba zenu!
"The LORD was very displeased with your fathers.
3 Wambie, 'Yahwe wa majeshi asema hivi: Nirudieni! - nami nitawarudia ninyi, asema Yahwe wa majeshi.
Therefore tell them: Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Return to me,' says the LORD of hosts, 'and I will return to you,' says the LORD of hosts.
4 Msiwe kama baba zenu ambao hapo zamani manabii waliwambia, wakisema, “Yahwe wa majeshi asema hivi: Geukeni kutoka katika njia zenu za mbaya na matendo yenu mabaya!” Lakini hawakuweza kusikia wala kunijari - asema Yahwe.'
Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying: Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Return now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings;' but they did not hear, nor listen to me, says the LORD.
5 Wako wapi baba zenu? Na manabii, je wapo hapa daima?
Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?
6 Lakini maneno yangu na maagizo niliyowaamru watumishi wangu manabii, je hayakuwapata baba zenu? Hivyo walitubu na kusema, 'Kama vile Yahwe wa majeshi alivyokusudia kututenda kwa kadili zinavyostahili njia na matendo yetu, ndivyo alivyotutenda.”
But my words and my statutes, which I commanded by my Spirit to my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, 'Just as the LORD of hosts determined to do to us, according to our ways, and according to our practices, so he has dealt with us.'"
7 Katika siku ya ishirini na nne ya mwezi wa kumi na moja, ndiyo mwezi wa Shebati, mwaka wa pili wa utawala wa Dario, neno la Yahwe lilimjia nabii Zekaria mwana wa Berekia mwana wa Ido, akasema,
On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Daryavesh, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying,
8 “niliona wakati wa usiku, na tazama! mtu alikuwa amepanda farasi mwekundu, naye alikuwa kati ya miti ya mihadasi iliyoko bondeni; na nyuma yake kulikuwa na farasi mwekundu, farasi wa kijivu, na farasi mweupe.”
"I had a vision in the night, and look, a man riding on a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in a ravine; and behind him there were red, brown, and white horses.
9 Nikauliza, “Bwana, hivi ni vitu gani?” Malaika aliyesema nami akaniambia, “Nitakueleza vitu hivi ni nini.”
Then I asked, 'My lord, what are these?'" The angel who talked with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."
10 Kisha mtu aliyesimama kati ya miti ya mihadasi akajibu na kusema, “Hawa ndiyo Yahwe aliowatuma kuzunguka katika dunia yote.”
The man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said to me, "They are the ones the LORD has sent to go back and forth through the earth."
11 Wakamjibu malaika wa Yahwe aliyekuwa amesimama kati ya miti ya mihadasi na kumwambia, “Tumekuwa tukizunguka duniani pote; tazama, dunia yote imekaa na kutulia.”
They reported to the angel of the LORD who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, "We have walked back and forth through the earth, and look, all the earth is at rest and in peace."
12 Ndipo malaika wa Yahwe alipojibu na kusema, “Yahwe wa majeshi, hata lini usiuhurumie Yerusalemu na miji ya Yuda ambayo imeteswa na kudhurumiwa miaka hii sabini?”
Then the angel of the LORD replied, "O LORD of hosts, how long will you not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which you have had indignation these seventy years?"
13 Yahwe akamjibu malaika aliyekuwa amesema nami, kwa maneno mazuri, maneno ya faraja.
The LORD answered the angel who talked with me with kind and comforting words.
14 Hivyo malaika aliyekuwa anaongea nami akaniambia, “Ita kwa sauti na useme 'Yahwe wa majeshi asema: Nina wivu kwa ajili ya Yerusalemu yaani Sayuni kwa uchungu mkubwa!
So the angel who talked with me said to me, "Proclaim, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts: "I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.
15 Nami nina hasira juu ya mataifa yaliyo na utulivu. Kwa maana nilikasirika kidogo tu, lakini wao wakasababisha madhara mabaya.
I am very angry with the nations that are at ease; for I was but only a little angry, but they added to the calamity."
16 Kwa hiyo Yahwe wa majeshi asema hivi: Nimeirudia Yerusalema kwa huruma. Hivyo nyumba yangu itajengwa ndani yake - asema Yahwe wa majeshi. Kipimo kitanyoshwa juu ya Yerusalemu!
Therefore thus says the LORD: "I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy. My house will be built in it," says the LORD of hosts, "and a line shall be stretched forth over Jerusalem."'
17 Ita tena, ukisema, 'Yahwe wa majeshi asema hivi: Miji yangu kwa mara nyingine itajawa na uzuri, na Yahwe ataifariji tena Sayuni, na kuichagua Yerusalemu kwa mara nyingine tena.”
"Proclaim further, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts: "My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem."'"
18 Kisha nikainua macho na kuona pembe nne!
I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and look, four horns.
19 Nikaongea na malaika aliyesema nami, “Hivi ni vitu gani? Akanijibu “hizi ni pembe zilisosababisha kutawanyika kwa Yuda, Israeli, na Yerusalemu.”
I asked the angel who talked with me, "What are these?" He answered me, "These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem."
20 Kisha Yahwe akanionesha mafundi stadi wanne.
The LORD showed me four craftsmen.
21 Nikasema, “Watu hawa wanakuja kufanya nini?” Akajibu na kusema, “Hizi ni pembe zililoitawanya Yuda na hakuna mtu angeweza kuinua kichwa chake. Lakini watu hawa wanakuja kuziondoa, kutupa chini pembe za mataifa yaliyoinua nguvu zao kinyume cha nchi ya Yuda na kuisambaza.”
Then I asked, "What are these coming to do?" He said, "These are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man lifted up his head; but these have come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations, which lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it."

< Zekaria 1 >