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.”
Okudulika kondjovo yOmwene ku dule elidiliko
1 Ndele momudo omutine wohamba Darius, efiku etine lohani onhimugoi hai lukwa Kislev, ondjovo yOmwene ye uya kuSakaria. 2 Betel a tumine Shareser naRegem-Melek novanhu vaye okwiindila va mone onghenda koshipala shOmwene 3 okupula kovapristeli votembeli yOmwene womatanga ovakwaita nokovaxunganeki nokutya: “Ame nandi lile mohani onhinhano, ndele ndi lidilike ngaashi nda ningile omido dihapu?” 4 Opo ame nda hangwa kondjovo ei yOmwene womatanga ovakwaita tai ti: 5 “Lombwela ovanhu aveshe vomoshilongo novapristeli, ove u tye: Onye eshi mwe lidilika ndele mwa lile keshe mohani onhinhano nomonhihetatu, nomwe shi ningile omido omilongo heyali nokuli, aame tuu mbela mwe lidilikilile nge? 6 Ndele eshi mwa lya ndele mwa nwa, inamu lilila, nye inamu linwina nye vene?” 7 Hado mbela eendjovo, Omwene e di udififa ovaxunganeki, fimbo Jerusalem sha li shi novanhu nosha kala shi nombili ndele sha dingililwa koilando yasho, nomanga edu lolanghele lwokoumbuwanhu nolufilufuka la li li novanhu.
8 Ondjovo yOmwene ye uya vali kuSakaria tai ti: 9 “Omwene womatanga ovakwaita osho ta ti: ‘Tokoleni omatokolo a yuka ndele holafaneni, nye mu filafane onghenda. 10 Ndelenee inamu hepeka omufiyekadi nofiye onghwailongo nomukwanaluhepo, ndele momitima deni inamu diladilila omukweni owii.’ 11 Ndelenee ova anya okupwilikina nomokwaanya va pilamena ko, ndele va fitika omatwi avo, vaha ude ko. 12 Ova kukutika omitima davo ngaashi emanya ladiamande, vaha ude ko omhango neendjovo odo, Omwene womatanga ovakwaita, e di tuma neenghono dOmhepo yaye naado da dile movaxunganeki vonale. Osho hano ehandu linene lOmwene womatanga ovakwaita le uya. 13 Onghee hano ngaashi ye e va ifana, ndele vo inava uda ko, osho yo otava ka ifana, ndele itandi ka uda ko, Omwene womatanga ovakwaita ta ti. 14 Ndelenee Ame ohandi ke va pepa po nomhepo inene noku ve lihanifila noiwana aishe ei inai shiivika kuvo, fimbo oshilongo tashi ningi eputu konima yavo, paha kale vali ou te uya mo ile ou ta piti mo. Osho ngaha oshilongo shiwa sha wapala, ovo ve shi ninga ofuka.”
