Zacarias 7
1 At nangyari, nang ikaapat na taon ng haring si Dario, na ang salita ng Panginoon ay dumating kay Zacarias nang ikaapat na araw ng ikasiyam na buwan, sa makatuwid baga'y sa Chislev.
When Darius had been the emperor for almost four years, on December 7, Yahweh gave me [another] message.
2 Sinugo nga ng mga taga Beth-el si Sareser at si Regem-melech, at ang kanilang mga lalake, upang hilingin ang lingap ng Panginoon,
The people of Bethel [city] sent two men, Sharezer and Regem-Melech, along with some other men, [to the temple of Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of angels, ] to request that Yahweh bless them.
3 At upang magsalita sa mga saserdote ng bahay ng Panginoon ng mga hukbo, at sa mga propeta, na sabihin, Iiyak baga ako sa ikalimang buwan, na ako'y hihiwalay, gaya ng aking ginawa nitong maraming taon?
They also asked the priests at Yahweh’s temple and the prophets [this question]: “For many years, during the fifth month [and during the seventh month of each year], we have mourned and (fasted/abstained from eating food). Should we [continue to do that]?”
4 Nang magkagayo'y dumating ang salita ng Panginoon ng mga hukbo sa akin, na nagsasabi,
Then the Commander of the armies of angels gave me a message.
5 Salitain mo sa lahat ng tao ng lupain at sa mga saserdote, na iyong sabihin, Nang kayo'y magayuno, at tumangis ng ikalima at ikapitong buwan, nito ngang pitong pung taon, kayo baga'y nagayunong lubos sa akin, para sa akin?
[He said], “Tell [RHQ] the priests and all the [other] people of Judah that during the past 70 years, when they mourned and fasted during the fifth and seventh months [of each year], it was not really [RHQ] me, [Yahweh], whom they were [honoring].
6 At pagka kayo'y nagsisikain, at pagka kayo'y nagsisiinom, di baga kayo'y nagsisikain sa ganang inyong sarili at nagsisiinom, sa ganang inyong sarili?
And when they ate and drank, it was really [RHQ] to [benefit] themselves.
7 Di baga ninyo dapat dinggin ang mga salita na isinigaw ng Panginoon sa pamamagitan ng mga unang propeta, nang ang Jerusalem ay tinatahanan at nasa kaginhawahan, at ang mga bayan niyaon na nangasa palibot niya, at ang Timugan, at ang mababang lupain ay tinatahanan?
That is certainly [RHQ] what I continually told the former prophets to proclaim [to the people], when Jerusalem and the nearby towns were prosperous and filled with people, and people [also] lived in the desert area to the south and in the foothills [to the west].”
8 At ang salita ng Panginoon ay dumating kay Zacarias na nagsasabi,
Yahweh gave another message to me, saying
9 Ganito ang sinalita ng Panginoon ng mga hukbo, na nagsasabi, Mangaglapat kayo ng tunay na kahatulan, at magpakita ng kaawaan at ng kahabagan ang bawa't isa sa kaniyang kapatid,
“[Tell the people that] this is what the Commander of the armies of angels says: ‘Do what is just/right, and act kindly and mercifully toward each other.
10 At huwag ninyong pighatiin ang babaing bao, ni ang ulila man, ang taga ibang lupa, ni ang dukha man; at sinoman sa inyo ay huwag magisip ng kasamaan sa inyong puso laban sa kaniyang kapatid.
Do not (oppress/treat cruelly) widows or orphans or foreigners or poor people. Do not even think about doing evil to anyone else.’”
11 Nguni't kanilang tinanggihang dinggin, at kanilang iniurong ang balikat, at nagtakip ng pakinig, upang huwag nilang marinig.
But the people refused to pay attention [to what Yahweh said]. They turned their backs [to him], and put their hands over their ears in order to not hear [what he said].
12 Oo, kanilang ginawa na parang batong diamante ang kanilang puso upang huwag magsidinig ng kautusan, at ng mga salita na ipinasugo ng Panginoon ng mga hukbo sa pamamagitan ng kaniyang Espiritu, ng mga unang propeta: kaya't dumating ang malaking poot na mula sa Panginoon ng mga hukbo.
They were very stubborn [IDM], and they would not listen to the laws [that God gave to Moses] or the messages that the Commander of the armies of angels told his Spirit to give to the prophets who were now dead. So the Commander of the armies of angels was very angry.
13 At nangyari, na kung paanong siya'y sumigaw, at hindi nila dininig, ay gayon sila sisigaw, at hindi ko didinggin, sabi ng Panginoon ng mga hukbo;
The Commander of the armies of angels says, “When I called/spoke [to the people], they would not listen. So when they called/prayed [to me], I did not listen.
14 Kundi aking pangangalatin sila sa pamamagitan ng ipoipo sa gitna ng lahat na bansa na hindi nila nakilala. Ganito nasira ang lupain pagkatapos nila, na anopa't walang tao na nagdadaan o nagbabalik: sapagka't kanilang inihandusay na sira ang kaayaayang lupain.
And I caused them to be scattered among many nations, where they were strangers. [It was as though] [MET] a whirlwind [picked them up and carried them away from their country]. The country/land that they [were forced to] leave was ruined, with the result that no one could [live there or even] travel through it. [It was previously] a delightful land, but they caused it to become (desolate/like a desert).”
