1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
Katika mwezi wa nane, mwaka wa pili wa Dario, neno la Bwana lilimjia Zekaria, mwana wa Berekia, mwana wa Ido, nabii, kusema,
2 The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.
Bwana amewakasirikia sana baba zenu.
Call to Repentance
3 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.
Basi, uwaambie, Bwana wa majeshi asema hivi, Nirudieni mimi, asema Bwana wa majeshi, nami nitawarudia ninyi, asema Bwana wa majeshi.
4 Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.
Msiwe ninyi kama baba zenu, ambao manabii wa zamani waliwalilia, wakisema, Bwana wa majeshi asema hivi, Rudini sasa, na kuziacha njia zenu mbovu, na matendo yenu maovu; lakini hawakusikia, wala kunisikiliza, asema Bwana.
5 Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?
Je! Baba zenu wako wapi? Nao manabii je! Waishi milele?
6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.
Lakini maneno yangu, na amri zangu nilizowaagiza hao manabii, watumishi wangu, je! Hazikuwapata baba zenu? Nao wakageuka na kusema, Vile vile kama Bwana wa majeshi alivyoazimia kututenda, sawasawa na njia zetu, na sawasawa na matendo yetu, ndivyo alivyotutenda.
Visions of the Night
Among the Myrtle Trees
7 Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,
Siku ya ishirini na nne ya mwezi wa kumi na moja, yaani, mwezi uitwao Shebati, katika mwaka wa pili wa Dario, neno la Bwana lilimjia Zekaria, mwana wa Berekia, mwana wa Ido, nabii, kusema,
8 I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white.
Naliona wakati wa usiku, na tazama, mtu amepanda farasi mwekundu, akasimama kati ya mihadasi iliyokuwa mahali penye uvuli; na nyuma yake walikuwapo farasi wengine wekundu, na wa rangi ya kijivujivu, na weupe.
9 Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be .
Ndipo nikasema, Ee Bwana wangu, ni nini hawa? Basi yule malaika aliyesema nami akaniambia, Nitakuonyesha ni nini hawa.
10 And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.
Na yule mtu aliyesimama kati ya mihadasi akajibu, akasema, Hawa ndio Bwana aliowatuma, waende huko na huko duniani.
11 And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.
Nao wakamjibu yule malaika wa Bwana aliyesimama kati ya mihadasi, wakasema, Tumekwenda huko na huko duniani, na tazama, dunia yote inatulia, nayo imestarehe.
12 Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?
Ndipo yule malaika wa Bwana akajibu, akasema, Ee Bwana wa majeshi, hata lini utakataa kuurehemu Yerusalemu, na miji ya Yuda uliyoikasirikia miaka hii sabini?
13 And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.
Naye Bwana akamjibu yule malaika aliyesema nami kwa maneno mazuri, maneno yenye faraja.
14 So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.
Basi yule malaika aliyesema nami akaniambia, Haya, piga kelele na kusema, Bwana wa majeshi asema hivi, Naona wivu kwa ajili ya Yerusalemu, na kwa ajili ya Sayuni; naona wivu mkuu sana.
15 And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.
Nami ninawakasirikia sana mataifa wanaokaa hali ya raha; kwa maana mimi sikukasirika ila kidogo tu, na wao waliyahimiza mateso.
16 Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.
Kwa sababu hiyo Bwana asema hivi, Ninaurudia Yerusalemu kwa rehema nyingi; nyumba yangu itajengwa ndani yake, asema Bwana wa majeshi, na kamba itanyoshwa juu ya Yerusalemu.
17 Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.
Piga kelele tena, na kusema, Bwana wa majeshi asema hivi, Miji yangu kwa kufanikiwa itaenezwa huko na huko tena; naye Bwana ataufariji Sayuni tena, atauchagua Yerusalemu tena.
Four Horns
18 Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.
Nami nikainua macho yangu, nikaona, na tazama, pembe nne.
19 And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.
Nami nikamwuliza yule malaika aliyesema nami, Nini hizi? Naye akanijibu, Hizi ndizo pembe zilizowatawanya watu wa Yuda, na Israeli, na Yerusalemu.
20 And the LORD shewed me four carpenters.
Kisha Bwana akanionyesha wafua chuma wanne.
21 Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.
Ndipo nikauliza Hawa wanakuja kufanya nini? Akasema kwamba, Hizi ndizo pembe zilizowatawanya watu wa Yuda, hata ikawa hakuna mtu aliyeinua kichwa chake; lakini hawa wamekuja kuzifukuza, kuziangusha pembe za mataifa, walioinua pembe yao juu ya nchi ya Yuda, ili kuwatawanya watu wake.
