Zechariah 7
1 Ó sì ṣe ní ọdún kẹrin Dariusi ọba, ọ̀rọ̀ Olúwa tọ́ Sekariah wá ni ọjọ́ kẹrin oṣù Kisleu tí ń ṣe oṣù kẹsànán.
When Darius had been the emperor for almost four years, on December 7, Yahweh gave me [another] message.
2 Nígbà tí wọ́n ènìyàn Beteli rán Ṣareseri àti Regemmeleki, àti àwọn ènìyàn wọn sí ilé Ọlọ́run láti wá ojúrere Olúwa.
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 Àti láti bá àwọn àlùfáà tí ó wà ní ilé Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun, àti àwọn wòlíì sọ̀rọ̀ wí pé, “Ṣé kí èmi ó sọkún ní oṣù karùn-ún kí èmi ya ara mi sọ́tọ̀, bí mo ti ń ṣe láti ọdún mélòó wọ̀nyí wá bí?”
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 Nígbà náà ni ọ̀rọ̀ Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun tọ̀ mí wá pé,
Then the Commander of the armies of angels gave me a message.
5 “Sọ fún gbogbo àwọn ènìyàn ilẹ̀ náà, àti fún àwọn àlùfáà pé, ‘Nígbà tí ẹ̀yin gbààwẹ̀, tí ẹ sì ṣọ̀fọ̀ ní oṣù karùn-ún àti keje, àní fun àádọ́rin ọdún wọ̀nyí, ǹjẹ́ èmi ni ẹ̀yin ha ń gbààwẹ̀ yín fún?
[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 Nígbà tí ẹ sì jẹ, àti nígbà tí ẹ mu, fún ara yín kọ́ ni ẹ̀yin jẹ, àti fún ara yín kọ́ ni ẹ̀yin mú bí?
And when they ate and drank, it was really [RHQ] to [benefit] themselves.
7 Wọ̀nyí kọ́ ni ọ̀rọ̀ ti Olúwa ti kígbe láti ọ̀dọ̀ àwọn wòlíì ìṣáájú wá, nígbà tí a ń gbé Jerusalẹmu, tí ó sì wà ní àlàáfíà, pẹ̀lú àwọn ìlú rẹ̀ tí ó yí i káàkiri, nígbà tí a ń gbé gúúsù àti pẹ̀tẹ́lẹ̀.’”
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 Ọ̀rọ̀ Olúwa sì tọ Sekariah wá, wí pé,
Yahweh gave another message to me, saying
9 “Báyìí ni Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí pé, ‘Ṣe ìdájọ́ òtítọ́, kí ẹ sì ṣe àánú àti ìyọ́nú olúkúlùkù sí arákùnrin rẹ̀.
“[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 Má sì ṣe ni opó lára tàbí aláìní baba, àlejò, tàbí tálákà; kí ẹnikẹ́ni nínú yín má ṣe gbèrò ibi ní ọkàn sí arákùnrin rẹ̀.’
Do not (oppress/treat cruelly) widows or orphans or foreigners or poor people. Do not even think about doing evil to anyone else.’”
11 “Ṣùgbọ́n wọ́n kọ̀ láti gbọ́, wọ́n sì gún èjìká, wọ́n sì pa ẹ̀yìn dà, wọ́n di etí wọn, kí wọn má ba à gbọ́.
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 Wọ́n sé ọkàn wọn bí òkúta líle, kí wọn má ba à gbọ́ òfin, àti ọ̀rọ̀ tí Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun ti fi ẹ̀mí rẹ̀ rán nípa ọwọ́ àwọn wòlíì ìṣáájú wá. Ìbínú ńlá sì dé láti ọ̀dọ̀ Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun.
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 “‘Ó sì ṣe, gẹ́gẹ́ bí ó ti kígbe, tí wọn kò sì fẹ́ gbọ́, bẹ́ẹ̀ ni wọ́n kígbe, tí èmi kò sì fẹ́ gbọ́,’ ni Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí.
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 ‘Mo sì fi ìjì tú wọn ká sí gbogbo orílẹ̀-èdè tí wọn kò mọ̀. Ilẹ̀ náà sì dahoro lẹ́yìn wọn, tí ẹnikẹ́ni kò là á kọjá tàbí kí ó padà bọ̀, wọ́n sì sọ ilẹ̀ ààyò náà dahoro.’”
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).”
