The Lord Condemns Insincere Fasting
1 In the fourth year that Darius was emperor, on the fourth day of the ninth month (the month of Kislev), the Lord gave me a message.
2 The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and their men to the Temple of the Lord Almighty to pray for the Lord's blessing 3 and to ask the priests and the prophets this question: “Should we continue to mourn because of the destruction of the Temple, by fasting in the fifth month as we have done for so many years now?”
4 This is the message of the Lord that came to me. 5 He said, “Tell the people of the land and the priests that when they fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during these seventy years, it was not in honor of me. 6 And when they ate and drank, it was for their own satisfaction.”
7 This is what the Lord said through the earlier prophets at the time when Jerusalem was prosperous and filled with people and when there were many people living not only in the towns around the city but also in the southern region and in the western foothills.
Disobedience, the Cause of Exile
8 The Lord gave this message to Zechariah: 9 “Long ago I gave these commands to my people: ‘You must see that justice is done, and must show kindness and mercy to one another. 10 Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners who live among you, or anyone else in need. And do not plan ways of harming one another.’
11 “But my people stubbornly refused to listen. They closed their minds 12 and made their hearts as hard as rock. Because they would not listen to the teaching which I sent through the prophets who lived long ago, I became very angry. 13 Because they did not listen when I spoke, I did not answer when they prayed. 14 Like a storm I swept them away to live in foreign countries. This good land was left a desolate place, with no one living in it.”
Omeritjaerero omahasemba kovikurya
1 Mombura oitjaine Darius tja ri ombara, meyuva oritjaine komueze outjamuvyu, okutja omueze Kislev, Muhona we ndji pa ombuze.
2 Ovature va Betel va hindire Sareser na Rekem-Melek puna ovarumendu vawo kondjuwo ya Muhona Omunamasaaehe kutja ve kakumbire okumuna ondaya ya Muhona 3 nokukapura ovapristeri novaprofete epuriro ndi: “Twa sokupanḓera pomutambo mena romanyoneno wondjuwo ya Muhona mokuritjaera kovikurya momueze outjatano otja pu tu tjita oure wozombura azehe nga mba are?”
4 Ombuze ya Muhona Omunamasaaehe ndje ya ku ami, 5 oyo ndji: “Raera ovature vehi novapristeri kutja owo tjaave ritjaere kovikurya nokuṱoruhoze momueze outjatano noutjahamboumwe moure wozombura nḓa omirongo hambombari, owo kaave tjitire okundjiyozika. 6 Nu tjaave ri nokunwa, ave tjitire okurikovisa oveni.”
7 Ombuze ndji Muhona ondja hungira novinyo vyovaprofete ovatenga moruveze ndwi Jerusalem mu tja ri otjiṋingandu, nu mu tja ri novandu ovengi mbe ha turire movirongo mbye tji kondoroka porwavyo, nungwari wina mba turire morukondwa rwehi rokeyuva kokumuho na meṋe yovivanda vyokongurova.
Okukara nokuhinonḓuviro oku kwa eta omahuuriro
8 Muhona wa yandja ombuze ndji ku Sakaria: 9 “Rukuru ami mba yandjere omarakiza nga kotjiwaṋa tjandje: ‘Kondjeye kutja ousemba u tjitwe nu mu raise orusuvero nouwa kovakweṋu. 10 Amu ṋiṋikiza ko ovahepundu nozosewa novandu wozonganda mba tura mokati keṋu, nu amu ṋiṋikiza ko ngamwa auhe ngu nouhepe. Amu kara ko nomeripura wokuhihamisasana.’ ”
11 “Nungwari otjiwaṋa tjandje tja ri otjirangaranga, nu tja panḓa okupuratena. Wina tje riworoparisa kutja atji ha zuu. 12 Novandu vatjo va kukutisa omitima vyawo tjimuna oruuwa. Owo tjinga ave ha puratenene komahongero ngu mba hindire ku wo novinyo vyovaprofete, ami otji mba pindika tjinene. 13 Nowo tjinga ave ha puratenene tjiye hungire, ami otji mbi he ve zirire ko indu tjaave kumbu ku ami. 14 Otja otjivepo ami mbe ve piza kutja ve kature momahi wozonganda. Ehi rawo ewa ndi ra isiwa ongaango, amu hi nomundu ngwa tura mu ro.”
