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 Darius, this message of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo:
2 “Yawhe alikuwa na hasira sana juu ya baba zenu!
The Lord was furious with your ancestors.
3 Wambie, 'Yahwe wa majeshi asema hivi: Nirudieni! - nami nitawarudia ninyi, asema Yahwe wa majeshi.
So tell the people this message of 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 ancestors to whom the former prophets cried, ‘The Lord of hosts says to turn now from your evil ways, and from your evil deeds’. They did not heed nor listen to me,” says the Lord.
5 Wako wapi baba zenu? Na manabii, je wapo hapa daima?
“Your ancestors, 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 did not my words and my statutes with which I charged my servants the prophets overtake your ancestors? And they repented and said, ‘Just as the Lord of hosts planned to do to us, according to our ways, and according to our deeds, 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,
In the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, this message of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo:
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 saw in the night a man on a red horse, among the myrtle trees that were in the valley-bottom. Behind him there were horses, red, sorrel, and white.
9 Nikauliza, “Bwana, hivi ni vitu gani?” Malaika aliyesema nami akaniambia, “Nitakueleza vitu hivi ni nini.”
Then said I, “My Lord, what are these?” And the messenger who was talking with me said, “I will show you what they are.”
10 Kisha mtu aliyesimama kati ya miti ya mihadasi akajibu na kusema, “Hawa ndiyo Yahwe aliowatuma kuzunguka katika dunia yote.”
And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, “They are those whom the Lord has sent to patrol 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.”
And the riders answered the messenger of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have gone up and down through the world and behold, all the earth is still and at 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 messenger of the Lord said, “Lord of hosts, how long will you have no pity for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah with which you have been angry for seventy years?”
13 Yahwe akamjibu malaika aliyekuwa amesema nami, kwa maneno mazuri, maneno ya faraja.
And the Lord answered the messenger who was talking 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 messenger who was talking with me said to me, “Proclaim now that the Lord of hosts says: I am deeply concerned for Jerusalem.
15 Nami nina hasira juu ya mataifa yaliyo na utulivu. Kwa maana nilikasirika kidogo tu, lakini wao wakasababisha madhara mabaya.
But I am deeply angry with the arrogant, complacent nations. I was only a little angry with Israel but they made the suffering worse.
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, says the Lord, I am turning to show mercy to Jerusalem. My temple will be rebuilt in it, says the Lord of hosts, and a measuring line will be stretched 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 again: Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities will again overflow with prosperity and the Lord will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.”
18 Kisha nikainua macho na kuona pembe nne!
Now I looked up and saw four horns.
19 Nikaongea na malaika aliyesema nami, “Hivi ni vitu gani? Akanijibu “hizi ni pembe zilisosababisha kutawanyika kwa Yuda, Israeli, na Yerusalemu.”
I said to the messenger who was talking with me, “What are these?” He answered, “These are the horns which scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.”
20 Kisha Yahwe akanionesha mafundi stadi wanne.
Then the Lord showed me four smiths.
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.”
I said, “What are these coming to do?” He answered, “The horns scattered Judah, so that no one dared lift their head. But the smiths have come to terrify them, to crush the horns of the nations which lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter its people.”
