Sakalaia 7

1 Pea naʻe hoko ʻo pehē, ʻi hono fā taʻu ʻoe tuʻi ko Talaiasi, naʻe hoko mai ʻae folofola ʻa Sihova kia Sakalaia, ʻi hono fā ʻoe ʻaho ʻi hono hiva ʻoe māhina ko Kisilu.

When Darius had been the emperor for almost four years, on December 7, Yahweh gave me [another] message.

2 Ka kuo nau fekau ʻa Selesa, mo Likemeleki, mo ʻena kau tangata, ki he fale ʻoe ʻOtua, ke nau lotu ʻi he ʻao ʻo Sihova,

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 Pea ke lea ki he kau taulaʻeiki, naʻe ʻi he fale ʻo Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau, pea ki he kau palōfita, ʻo pehē, “He te u tangi ʻi hono nima ʻoe māhina, mo vaheʻi au, ʻo hangē ko ia kuo u fai ʻi he ngaahi taʻu lahi ni?”

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 Hili ia naʻe hoko mai kiate au, ʻae folofola ʻa Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau, ʻo pehē,

Then the Commander of the armies of angels gave me a message.

5 “Lea ki he kakai kotoa pē ʻoe fonua, pea mo e kau taulaʻeiki, ʻo pehē, He kuo mou fai ʻa hoʻomou ʻaukai, mo hoʻomou tangi mamahi, ʻi hono nima pea mo hono fitu ʻoe māhina, ʻi he taʻu ko eni ʻe fitungofulu, ʻio, ko hoʻomou ʻaukai na naʻe momoʻi fai ia kiate au?

[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 Ko hoʻomou kai, pea mo hoʻomou inu, ʻikai naʻa mou kai mo inu maʻamoutolu pe?”

And when they ate and drank, it was really [RHQ] to [benefit] themselves.

7 ‌ʻIkai ʻoku totonu ʻa hoʻomou fanongo ki he ngaahi folofola ʻa Sihova, ʻaia kuo ne fakahā ʻi he kau palōfita ʻi muʻa, ʻi heʻene kei kakai, mo kei monūʻia ʻa Selūsalema, mo e ngaahi kolo naʻe tuʻu takatakai ʻiate ia, ʻi he kuonga naʻe kei kakai ʻae potu tonga, pea mo e potu tokalelei?

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 Pea naʻe hoko mai ʻae folofola ʻa Sihova kia Sakalaia, ʻo pehē,

Yahweh gave another message to me, saying

9 “ʻOku folofola ʻa Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau, ʻo pehē, ‘Fai ke totonu ʻae fakamaau, pea feʻofaʻaki mo manavaʻofa ʻae tangata taki taha ki hono kāinga:

“[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 Pea ʻoua naʻa fakamālohiʻi ʻae fefine kuo mate hono husepāniti, pe ko e tamai mate, pe ko e muli, pe ko e masiva; pea ʻoua naʻa ai ha taha te ne fai fakakākā ʻi hono loto ki hono kāinga.’

Do not (oppress/treat cruelly) widows or orphans or foreigners or poor people. Do not even think about doing evil to anyone else.’”

11 Ka naʻa nau talangataʻa ke fanongo, mo nau hamusi mai honau uma, pea naʻa nau fakaongotuli honau telinga, ke ʻoua naʻa nau ongoʻi.

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 ‌ʻIo, naʻa nau ngaohi honau loto ke hangē ko e maka fefeka ʻaupito, telia naʻa nau ongoʻi ʻae fono, mo e ngaahi lea kuo fai mai ʻe Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau, ʻi hono laumālie, ʻi he kau palōfita naʻe ʻi muʻa, pea ko ia kuo hoko ai ʻae houhau lahi meia Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau.

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 Ko ia kuo hoko ʻo pehē, ʻi heʻene kalanga naʻe ʻikai te nau fie fanongo; pea ko ia, kuo nau kalanga, ka naʻe ʻikai te u fanongo,” ʻoku pehē ʻa Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau.

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 “Ka kuo u vilingiaʻi ʻaki ʻakinautolu ʻae ʻahiohio ki he ngaahi puleʻanga, ʻaia naʻe ʻikai te nau ʻiloʻi. Ko ia naʻe hili ange ia kuo lala ʻae fonua, pea naʻe ʻikai kei feʻaluʻaki ai ha tangata: he naʻa nau ʻai ke lala ʻaupito ʻae fonua matamatalelei.”

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).”