Zekaria 11
1 Fungua milango yako, ee Lebanoni, ili moto uteketeze mielezi yako!
[You people of] [APO] Lebanon [should] open your gates, [because you will not be able to stop] fire from burning your cedar [trees]!
2 Omboleza, enyi miti ya misonobari, kwani mierezi imeanguka! Kilichokuwa cha fahari kimeteketezwa! Ombolezeni, enyi mialoni ya Bashani, kwani msitu wenye nguvu umeshushwa.
Your cypress/pine [trees] [APO] should [also] wail because the cedar [trees] have been cut down. Those glorious/great trees have been destroyed. The oak trees in the Bashan [region] should also wail, because the other trees in the forest have been cut down.
3 Wachungaji wanapiga yowe, kwa kuwa utukufu wao umeharibiwa! Sauti ya mungurumo wa wana simba, kwa kuwa kiburi cha Mto Yordani kimeharibiwa!
And listen to the shepherds crying because the fertile pastures have been ruined. Listen to the lions roar; they roar because the delightful forest [where they live] near the Jordan [River] has been ruined.
4 Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Yahwe Mungu wangu, “Lichungeni kundi la kondoo lililotiyari kuchinjwa!
This is what Yahweh my God said [to me]: “[I want you to] become a shepherd for a flock [of sheep that are about] to be slaughtered.
5 (Wanaowanunua wanawachinja bila kuhadhibiwa, nao wawauzao husema, 'Atukuzwe Yahwe! Nimetajirika! Kwa maana wachungaji wafanyao kazi kwa wenye kondoo hawawahurumii.)
The people who are going to buy the sheep will kill the sheep, and they will not be punished. Those who are selling the sheep say, ‘[I] praise Yahweh, [because] I will become rich!’ Even the shepherds do not feel sorry for the sheep.
6 Kwa maana hiyo sitawahurumia tena wenyeji wa nchi! - hivi ndivyo asemavyo Yahwe. Tazama! Mimi mwenyewe nipo tiyari kumwelekeza kila mtu katika mkono wa jirani yake na katika mkono wa mfalme wake, nao wataiharibu nchi na hakuna hata mmoja wao nitakayemwokoa kutoka katika mkono wao.”
And similarly, I no longer feel sorry for the people of this country. I am going to allow many of them [HYP] to be captured by other people or by their king. Those who capture them will ruin this country, and I will not rescue any [of the people].”
7 Hivyo nikawa mchungaji wa kondoo walioamriwa kuchinjwa, kwa wanaowashughulikia kondoo. Nilichukua fimbo mbili; fimbo moja nikaiita “Neema” na nyingine nikaiita “Umoja.” Kwa njia hii niliwachunga kondoo.
So I became the shepherd of a flock [of sheep that were about] to be slaughtered [for their meat to be sold] to the dealers. [I took good care of the sheep, even the ones that were the weakest sheep. Then] I took two [shepherds’] /walking sticks). I named the one [staff] ‘Kindness’ and the other [staff] ‘Union’. And I took good care of the sheep.
8 Ndani ya mwezi mmoja niliwaangamiza wachungaji watatu, kwa maana sikuwavumilia tena, wao pia walinichukia.
But the three shepherds [who had been working with me] detested me, and I became impatient with them. Within one month I (dismissed/got rid of) those shepherds.
9 Ndipo nilipowaambia wamiliki, “Sitafanya kazi kama mchungaji wenu tena. Wakondoo wafao - na wafe; kondoo wanaoangamizwa - na waangamizwe. Na kondoo wasaliao kila mmoja ale nyama ya jirani yake.”
So I said [to the dealers], “I will no [longer] be the shepherd. I will allow the ones that are dying to die. I will allow the ones that are getting lost to get lost. And I will not prevent those that remain from destroying each other.”
10 Hivyo nikaichukua fimbo yangu “Neema” na nikaivunja kuvunja agano nililokuwa nimelifanya na kabila zangu zote.
Then I took the staff that I had named ‘Kindness’ and I broke it. [That showed that Yahweh] was annulling/canceling the agreement that he had made with all the people-groups.
11 Katika siku hiyo agano lilivunjwa, na wale wanaoshughulika na kondoo na waliokuwa wakiniangalia walifahamu kwamba Yahwe amesema.
So that agreement was ended immediately. And the men who bought and sold sheep who were watching me knew [by seeing what I was doing] that I was giving them a message from Yahweh.
12 Nikawaambia, “Ikiwa itawapendeza, nilipeni ujira wangu. Kama sivyo, msifanye hivyo.” Hivyo wakapima ujira wangu - vipande thelathini vya fedha.
I told them, “If you think it is what you should do, pay me [for taking care of the sheep]. If you do not think that is what you should do, do not pay me.” So they paid me [only] 30 pieces of silver.
13 Kisha Yahwe akaniambia, “Weka fedha katika hazina, thamani nzuri zaidi ambayo walikupa!” Hivyo nikachukua vipande thelathini vya fedha na kuviweka katika hazina ndani ya nyumbani Yahwe.
Then Yahweh said to me, “[That is a ridiculously small amount of money that they have paid you]! [So] throw it to the man who makes clay pots!” So I took the silver to the temple of Yahweh, and I threw it in the chest where the offerings/money is kept.
14 Kisha nikavunja fimbo yangu ya pili, “Umoja,” kuvunja undugu kati ya Yuda na Israeli.
Then I broke my second staff, [the one that I named] ‘Union’. That [indicated that] Judah and Israel would no longer be united.
15 Yahwe akaniambia, “Tena, chukua chombo cha mchungaji mpumbavu kwa ajili yako mwenyewe,
Then Yahweh said to me, “Take again the things that a foolish shepherd uses,
16 kwa maana tazama, niko tiyari kumweka mahali mchungaji katika nchi. Hataangalia kondoo wanaoangamia. Hatatafuta kondoo wapoteao, wala kuwaponya kondoo wachechemeao. Hatawalisha kondoo wenye afya, lakini atakula nyama ya kondoo walionona naye atapasua kwato zao.
because I am going to appoint a new king for the people, [one who will not take care of my people. He will be like a foolish shepherd]: [MET] He will not take care of those who are dying, those who are very young, those who have been injured, or those who do not have enough food. Instead, he will [treat them very cruelly, like a shepherd who would] [MET] kill and eat the best sheep and tear off their hoofs.
17 Ole kwa wachungaji wasiofaa wanaoliacha kundi la kondoo! Upanga na uje dhidi ya mkono wake na jicho lake la kulia! Mkono wake na ukauke na jicho lake la kulia lipofuke!
But terrible things will happen to that foolish/useless king who abandons the people [MET] over whom he rules. [His enemies] will strike his arm and his right eye with their swords. [The result will be that] he will have no strength in his arm, and his right eye will become completely blind.”
