Turn to the Lord
1 I am the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah and the grandson of Iddo.
In the eighth month of the second year that Darius was king of Persia, the Lord told me to say:
2-3 Israel, I, the Lord All-Powerful, was very angry with your ancestors. But if you people will return to me, I will turn and help you. 4 Don't be stubborn like your ancestors. They were warned by the earlier prophets to give up their evil and turn back to me, but they paid no attention.
5 Where are your ancestors now? Not even prophets live forever. 6 But my warnings and my words spoken by the prophets caught up with your ancestors. So they turned back to me and said, “Lord All-Powerful, you have punished us for our sins, just as you had planned.”
First Vision: Horses and Riders
7-8 On the twenty-fourth day of Shebat, which was the eleventh month of that same year, the Lord spoke to me in a vision during the night: In a valley among myrtle trees, I saw someone on a red horse, with riders on red, brown, and white horses behind him. 9 An angel was there to explain things to me, and I asked, “Sir, who are these riders?”
“I'll tell you,” the angel answered.
10 At once, the man standing among the myrtle trees said, “These are the ones the Lord has sent to find out what's happening on earth.”
11 Then the riders spoke to the Lord's angel, who was standing among the myrtle trees, and they said, “We have gone everywhere and have discovered that the whole world is at peace.”
12 At this, the angel said, “Lord All-Powerful, for 70 years you have been angry with Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. When are you ever going to have mercy on them?”
13 The Lord's answer was kind and comforting. 14 So the angel told me to announce:
I, the Lord All-Powerful, am very protective of Jerusalem. 15 For a while I was angry at the nations, but now I am furious, because they have made things worse for Jerusalem and are not the least bit concerned. 16 And so, I will have pity on Jerusalem. The city will be completely rebuilt, and my temple will stand again. 17 I also promise that my towns will prosper—Jerusalem will once again be my chosen city, and I will comfort the people of Zion.
Second Vision: Animal Horns
18 Next, I saw four animal horns. 19-21 The angel who was sent to explain was there, and so I asked, “What do these mean?”
His answer was, “These horns are the nations that scattered the people of Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem, and took away their freedom.”
Then the Lord showed me four blacksmiths, and I asked, “What are they going to do?”
He replied, “They are going to terrify and crush those horns.”
Ekumaido lokulidilulula
1 Momudo omutivali waDarius mohani onhihetatu ondjovo yOmwene ya hanga omuxunganeki Sakaria yaBerekia yaIddo, ndele tai ti: 2 “Ooxokulu, Omwene okwa li e va uditile ehandu linene. 3 Osho hano u noku va lombwela ngaha: ‘Omwene womatanga ovakwaita ta ti ngaha: Alukileni kwaame, Omwene womatanga ovakwaita osho ta ti, opo nee naame ohandi mu alukile, Omwene womatanga ovakwaita ota ti.’ 4 Inamu kala ngaashi ooxokulu ovo va udifilwa kovaxunganeki vonale eshi va tya: Omwene womatanga ovakwaita osho ta ti: Lidilululeni nye mu aluke keendjila deni dii nokoilonga yeni ii. Ndelenee vo inava uda noinava pwilikina nge, Omwene ta ti. 5 Ooxokulu ove li peni? Novaxunganeki otava kala tuu ve nomwenyo alushe? 6 Ndelenee eendjovo dange neenghedimhango dange odo nde di lombwelele ovapiya vange ovaxunganeki, inadi hanga ngeno ooxokulu, opo nee ve lidilulula ndele tava ti: Ngaashi Omwene womatanga ovakwaita a diladila oku tu ningila paendjila detu nopailonga yetu, hano osho e tu ningila.”
Emoniko leenghambe
7 Mefiku etimilongo mbali netine lohani onhimulongo naimwe nokutya, mohani Sebat, momudo omutivali waDarius, ondjovo yOmwene oye uya komuxunganeki Sakaria yaBerekia yaIddo, ndele tai ti:
8 Oufiku ame onda mona emoniko: pa kala omulumenhu a londa onghambe yediya ya kala ofika momiti damirti mefilu. Konima yaye okwa kala eenghambe domadiya noditilyana noditoka. 9 Ame onda pula: “Omwene, eshi otashi ti ngahelipi?” Nomweengeli ou a popya naame, okwa nyamukula nge, ta ti: “Ohandi ke ku ulikila osho tashi ti. 10 Nomulumenhu ou a li a kala ofika mokati komiti damirti, okwa popya ndele ta ti: Ovo ovava va tumwa kOmwene va endaende edu alishe.” 11 Opo nee vo ova nyamukula omweengeli wOmwene, ou a kala ofika mokati komiti damirti, ndele tava ti: “Fye otwa endaenda edu alishe, ndele tala, edu alishe la mwena, la tya filu.” 12 Opo nee omweengeli wOmwene okwa nyamukula ndele ta ti: “Omwene womatanga ovakwaita, fiyo onaini to kala ngaha ito filonghenda Jerusalem noilando yaJuda, oyo we i handukila omido omilongo heyali nokuli?” 13 Opo nee Omwene okwa nyamukula omweengeli, ou a popya naame, noku mu lombwela eendjovo diwa dehekeleko. 14 Opo nee omweengeli, ou a popya naame, okwa lombwela nge, ndele ta ti: “Udifa u tye: Omwene womatanga ovakwaita ota ti ngaha: Ame ohandi fi ouladi okukondjela Jerusalem naSion nouladi unene. 15 Ndelenee Ame onda handuka unene omolwoiwana ihe noshisho, ei Ame eshi nda handuka kanini, oya hapupalifa omupya. 16 Onghee hano Omwene ta ti ngaha: Ame ohandi pungulukile kuJerusalem nefilonghenda. Otembeli yange tai ka tungululwa, Omwene womatanga ovakwaita ta ti. Noshiyelekifongodi tashi ka shilwa kombada yaJerusalem.” 17 Udifa natango u tye: “Omwene womatanga ovakwaita osho ta ti: Oilando yange tai kala i yadi ndoo oinima iwa, nOmwene ta ka hekeleka vali Sion, ndele ta ka hoololulula Jerusalem.”
Emoniko leembinga nhee novahambwidi vane
18 Ndele ame nda lyaamena ko nonda tala, pa li eembinga nhee. 19 Opo nee nda tya komweengeli, ou a popifa nge: “Odo otadi ti shike?” Ndele ye okwa nyamukula nge: “Eembinga odo tuu odo de lihanifa Juda naIsrael naJerusalem.” 20 Opo Omwene okwa ulikila nge ovahambwidi vane. 21 Opo nee ame nda tya: “Vo ove uya okulonga shike?” Ndele ye okwa nyamukula ndele ta ti: “Eembinga odo tuu odo de lihanifa Juda, opo paha kale nande umwe ta yelula omutwe, ndele ovo ove uya oku va halwifa nokuumbila pedu eembinga doiwana, oyo ya yelula oluvinga lokukondjifa oshilongo shaJuda i shi halakanife po.”
