Zekaria 8
1 Neno la Yahwe wa majeshi likanijia kusema,
And the word of the Lord Almighty came, saying,
2 “Yahwe wa majeshi asema hivi: Nina huzuni kwa ajili ya Sayuni kwa wivu mkuu na ninamaumivu kwa hasira nyingi!
Thus says the Lord Almighty; I have been jealous for Jerusalem and for Sion with great jealousy, and I have been jealous for her with great fury.
3 Yahwe wa majeshi asema hivi: Nitairudia Sayuni nami nitakaa kati ya Yerusalemu, kwa kuwa Yerusalemu itaitwa mji wa kweli na mlima wa Yahwe wa majeshi utaitwa Mlima Mtakatifu!
Thus says the Lord; I will return to Sion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a true city, and the mountain of the Lord Almighty a holy mountain.
4 Yahwe wa majeshi asema hivi: Kwa mara nyingine tena kutakuwa na vikongwe katika mitaa ya Yerusalemu, na kila mtu ataitaji mkongojo mkononi mwake kwa vile alivyo mzee.
Thus says the Lord Almighty; There shall yet dwell old men and old women in the streets of Jerusalem, every one holding his staff in his hand for age.
5 Pia mitaa ya mji itajazwa na vijana wa kiume na kike wachezao.
And the broad places of the city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.
6 Yahwe wa majeshi asema hivi: ikiwa jambo laonekana haliwezekani katika macho ya masalia ya watu hawa katika siku hizo, je haliwezekani pia machoni pangu? - asema Yahwe.
Thus says the Lord Almighty; If it shall be impossible in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, shall it also be impossible in my sight? says the Lord Almighty.
7 Yahwe wa majeshi asema hivi: Tazama, nipo tayari kuwaokoa watu wangu kutoka nchi ya mawio na ya machweo ya jua!
Thus says the Lord Almighty; Behold, I [will] save my people from the east country, and the west country;
8 Kwa maana nitawarudisha tena, nao wataishi ndani ya Yerusalemu, hivyo watakuwa watu wangu tena, nami nitakuwa Mungu wao katika kweli na utakatifu!
and I will bring them in, and cause [them] to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be to me a people, and I will be to them a God, in truth and in righteousness.
9 Yahwe wa majeshi asema hivi: Ninyi mnaoendelea kusikia maneno yaleyale yaliyotoka katika vinywa vya manabii msingi wa nyumba yangu ulipowekwa - hii nyumba yangu, Yahwe wa majeshi: Itieni nguvu mikono yenu ili hekalu lijengwe.
Thus says the Lord Almighty; Let your hands be strong, [you that] hear in these days these words out of the mouth of the prophets, from the day that the house of the Lord Almighty was founded, and from the time that the temple was built.
10 Kwani kabla ya siku hizo hakuna mazao yaliyokusanywa na yeyote ndani yake, hakukuwa na faida siyo kwa mtu hata mnyama, na hakukuwa na amani kutoka kwa adui kwa kila aliyekwenda au kuja. Nilimfanya kila mtu kuwa kinyume cha mwenzake.
For before those days the wages of men could not be profitable, and there could be no hire of cattle, and there could be no peace by reason of the affliction to him that went out or to him that came in: for I would have let loose all men, every one against his neighbor.
11 Lakini sasa haitakuwa kama mwanzo, nitakuwa pamoja na masalia ya watu hawa - asema Yahwe wa majeshi.
But now I [will] not do to the remnant of this people according to the former days, says the Lord Almighty.
12 Kwani mbegu za amani zitapandwa; mzabibu unaokua utatoa matunda yake na nchi itatoa mazao yake; anga zitatoa umande, kwa maana nitawapa masalia ya watu hawa kumilki haya yote.
But I will show peace: the vine shall yield her fruit, and the land shall yield her produce, and the heaven shall give its dew: and I will give as an inheritance all these things to the remnant of my people.
13 Ulikuwa mfano wa laana kwa mataifa mengine, enyi nyumba ya Yuda na nyumba ya Israeli. Hivyo nitawaokoa nanyi mtakuwa baraka. Msiogope; haya mikono yenu itiwe nguvu!
And it shall come to pass, as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Juda, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing: be of good courage, and strengthen your hands.
14 Kwa maana Yahwe wa majeshi asema hivi: Kama nilivyopanga kuwatenda mabaya babu zenu walipochokoza hasira yangu - asema Yahwe wa majeshi - na wala sikujuta,
For thus says the Lord Almighty; As I took counsel to afflict you when your fathers provoked me, says the Lord Almighty, and I repented not:
15 ndivyo nitakavyoazimia kuutenda mema tena Yerusalemu na nyumba ya Yuda katika siku hizi! Msiogope!
so have I prepared and taken counsel in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Juda: be you of good courage.
16 Haya ndiyo mambo mnayopaswa kufanya: Kasemeni kweli, kila mtu na jirani yake. Hukumuni kwa haki, usawa na amani katika malango yenu.
These [are] the things which you shall do; speak truth every one with his neighbor; judge truth and peaceful judgment in your gates:
17 Na asiwepo miongoni mwenu anayeazimu uovu moyoni mwake dhidi ya jirani yake, wala kuvutwa na viapo vya uongo; kwani haya yote ndiyo mambo ninayoyachukia! - asema Yahwe.”
and let none of you devise evil in his heart against his neighbor; and love not a false oath: for all these things I hate, says the Lord Almighty.
18 Kisha neno la Yahwe wa majeshi likanijia kusema,
And the word of the Lord Almighty came to me, saying,
19 “Yahwe wa majeshi asema hivi: Mifungo ya mwezi wa nne, mwezi wa tano, mwezi wa saba na mwezi wa kumi itakuwa nyakati za furaha ya kila aina, kwa nyumba ya Yuda! Kwa hiyo pendeni kweli na amani!
Thus says the Lord Almighty, The fourth fast, and the fifth fast, and the seventh fast, and the tenth fast, shall be to the house of Juda for joy and gladness, and for good feasts; and you shall rejoice; and love you the truth and peace.
20 Yahwe wa majeshi asema hivi: Watu watakuja tena, hata wanaoishi miji mingine.
Thus says the Lord Almighty; Yet shall many peoples come, and the inhabitants of many cities;
21 Watu wa mji mmoja watakwenda mji mwingine na kusema, “Haya twendeni haraka mbele ya Yahwe tukaombe na kumtafuta Yahwe wa majeshi! Sisi wenyewe tunakwenda pia.
and the inhabitants of five cities shall come together to one city, saying, Let us go to make supplication to the Lord, and to seek the face of the Lord Almighty; I will go also.
22 Watu wengi na mataifa yenye nguvu yatakuja kumtafuta Yahwe wa majeshi huko Yerusalemu na kuomba upendeleo kwa Yahwe!
And many peoples and many nations shall come to seek earnestly the face of the Lord Almighty in Jerusalem, and to obtain favor of the Lord.
23 Yahwe wa majeshi asema hivi: Katika siku hizo watu kumi kutoka katika kila lugha na taifa watashika upindo wa kanzu zenu na kusema, “Haya sisi nasi tutakwenda pamoja nanyi, kwani tumesikia kwamba Mungu yu pamoja nayi!”
Thus says the Lord Almighty; In those days [my word shall be fulfilled] if ten men of all the languages of the nations should take hold—even take hold of the hem of a Jew, saying, We will go with you; for we have heard that God is with you.
