The Lord Wants His People to Return to Him
1A message from the Lord came to Zechariah the prophet. Zechariah was the son of Berekiah. Berekiah was the son of Iddo. It was the eighth month of the second year that Darius was king of Persia. Here is what Zechariah said.
2The Lord who rules over all was very angry with your people of long ago. 3And now he says to us, “Return to me. Then I will return to you,” announces the Lord. 4“Do not be like your people of long ago. The earlier prophets gave them my message. I said, ‘Stop doing what is evil. Turn away from your sinful practices.’ But they would not listen to me. They would not pay any attention,” announces the Lord. 5“Where are those people now? And what about my prophets? Do they live forever? 6I commanded my servants the prophets what to say. I told them what I planned to do. But your people refused to obey me. So I had to punish them.
“Then they had a change of heart. They said, ‘The Lord who rules over all has punished us because of how we have lived. He was fair and right to do that. He has done to us just what he decided to do.’ ”
A Vision of a Horseman Among Some Myrtle Trees
7A message from the Lord came to Zechariah the prophet. Zechariah was the son of Berekiah. Berekiah was the son of Iddo. The message came during the second year that Darius was king. It was the 24th day of the 11th month. That’s the month of Shebat.
8I had a vision at night. I saw a man sitting on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a valley. Behind him were red, brown and white horses.
9An angel was talking with me. I asked him, “Sir, what are these?”
He answered, “I will show you what they are.”
10Then the man standing among the myrtle trees spoke. He said, “They are the messengers the Lord has sent out. He told them to go all through the earth.”
11They brought a report to the angel of the Lord. He was standing among the myrtle trees. They said to him, “We have gone all through the earth. We’ve found the whole world enjoying peace and rest.”
12Then the angel of the Lord spoke up. He said, “Lord, you rule over all. How long will you keep from showing your tender love to Jerusalem? How long will you keep it from the towns of Judah? You have been angry with them for 70 years.” 13So the Lord replied with kind and comforting words. He spoke them to the angel who talked with me.
14Then the angel said, “Announce this message. Say, ‘The Lord who rules over all says, “I am very jealous for my people in Jerusalem and Zion. 15And I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry with my people. But the nations went too far and tried to wipe them out.”
16“ ‘So the Lord says, “I will return to Jerusalem. I will show its people my tender love. My temple will be rebuilt there. Workers will use a measuring line when they rebuild Jerusalem,” announces the Lord.
17“ ‘He says, “My towns will be filled with good things once more. I will comfort Zion. And I will choose Jerusalem again.” ’ ”
A Vision of Four Horns and Four Skilled Workers
18Then I looked up and saw four animal horns. 19I spoke to the angel who was talking with me. “What are these horns?” I asked.
He said, “They are the powerful nations that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.”
20Then the Lord showed me four skilled workers. 21I asked, “What are they coming to do?”
He answered, “The horns are the powerful nations that scattered the people of Judah. That made Judah helpless. But these four skilled workers have come to terrify the horns. The workers will destroy the power of those nations. Those nations had used their power to scatter Judah’s people.”
Isiraeli Gwĩtwo Macookerere Jehova
11:1 Ezar 4:24; Neh 12:4Na rĩrĩ, mweri wa ĩnana wa mwaka wa keerĩ wa ũthamaki wa Dario, ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova nĩyakinyĩire mũnabii Zekaria, mũrũ wa Berekia, mũrũ wa Ido, akĩĩrwo atĩrĩ:
2“Jehova nĩarakaririo mũno nĩ maithe manyu ma tene. 31:3 Mal 3:7; Jak 4:8Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ĩra andũ atĩrĩ, Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga ũũ: ‘Njookererai, nĩguo Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga, na niĩ nĩngũmũcookerera,’ ũguo nĩguo Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga. 41:4 Jer 6:17; Thab 106:6Mũtikahaane ta maithe manyu ma tene arĩa maahunjagĩrio nĩ anabii a tene, makeerwo atĩrĩ: Ũũ nĩguo Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga: ‘Garũrũkai mũtige mĩthiĩre yanyu mĩũru o na mĩtugo yanyu mĩũru.’ No makĩaga kũnjigua kana kũrũmbũiya uuge wakwa, nĩguo Jehova ekuuga. 5Maithe manyu ma tene makĩrĩ kũ rĩu? Nao anabii-rĩ, nĩmatũũraga nginya tene? 61:6 Isa 44:26; Maca 2:17No rĩrĩ, githĩ ndũmĩrĩri yakwa na irĩra ciakwa cia kũrũmĩrĩrwo, iria ndaathĩte ndungata ciakwa cia anabii itiahingĩirio maithe manyu ma tene?
“Hĩndĩ ĩyo makĩĩrira makiuga atĩrĩ, ‘Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe atwĩkĩte kũringana na ũrĩa mĩthiĩre na mĩtugo iitũ ĩtariĩ, o ta ũrĩa aatuĩte nĩegwĩka.’ ”
Mũndũ ũrĩa warĩ Mĩtĩ-inĩ ya Mĩhandathi
7Mũthenya wa mĩrongo ĩĩrĩ na ĩna wa mweri wa ikũmi na ũmwe, mweri ũcio wa Shebati, mwaka-inĩ wa keerĩ wa ũthamaki wa Dario, ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova nĩyakinyĩire mũnabii Zekaria, mũrũ wa Berekia, mũrũ wa Ido.
81:8 Kũg 6:4; Zek 6:2-7Nĩndonire kĩoneki ũtukũ, na rĩrĩ, mbere yakwa ngĩona mũndũ wahaicĩte mbarathi ndune! Mũndũ ũcio aarũgamĩte mĩtĩ-inĩ ya mĩhandathi yarĩ handũ mũkuru-inĩ. Thuutha wake nĩ haarĩ mbarathi ĩmwe ndune, na ingĩ cia gĩĩtĩĩri na ingĩ njerũ.
91:9 Zek 4:1, 4-5; Dan 7:16Na niĩ ngĩũria atĩrĩ, “Mwathi wakwa, ici nacio nĩ cia kĩ?”
Mũraika ũcio waaragia na niĩ akĩnjookeria atĩrĩ, “Nĩngũkwĩra nĩ cia kĩ.”
10Nake mũndũ ũcio warũngiĩ mĩtĩ-inĩ ya mĩhandathi akĩndaarĩria akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, “Aya nĩo Jehova atũmĩte mathiĩ thĩ yothe.”
111:11 Isa 14:7; Kĩam 16:7Nao magĩcookia ũhoro kũrĩ mũraika wa Jehova, ũrĩa warũngiĩ mĩtĩ-inĩ ya mĩhandathi, makĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Nĩtũthiĩte thĩ yothe na tũkoona atĩ thĩ nĩĩhooreire na ĩrĩ na thayũ.”
121:12 Thab 6:3; Jer 40:5Ningĩ mũraika ũcio wa Jehova akĩũria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ nginya rĩ, Wee Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe, ũkwaga kũiguĩra Jerusalemu na matũũra ma Juda tha, marĩa ũkoretwo ũrakarĩire mĩaka mĩrongo mũgwanja?” 131:13 Ayub 15:11; Zek 4:1Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Jehova agĩkĩarĩria mũraika ũcio twaragia nake na ciugo njega na cia kũhoorerania.
14Nake mũraika ũcio wanjaragĩria akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, “Anĩrĩra ndũmĩrĩri ĩno: Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩnjiguaga ũiru nĩ ũndũ wa Jerusalemu na Zayuni, 151:15 2Maũ 28:9; Amos 1:11no rĩrĩ, nĩndakarĩtio mũno nĩ ndũrĩrĩ iria ciĩiguaga irĩ ngitĩre. Ndaarakarĩire andũ akwa o hanini, no ndũrĩrĩ icio igĩkĩrĩrĩria kũmanyamaria.’
161:16 Zek 2:1-2; Ezar 1:1“Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, Jehova ekuuga ũũ: ‘Nĩngacooka itũũra rĩa Jerusalemu ndĩrĩiguĩre tha, nayo nyũmba yakwa yakwo kuo rĩngĩ. Naruo rũrigi rũa gũthima nĩrũgatambũrũkio Jerusalemu,’ ũguo nĩguo Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga.
171:17 Isa 40:1; Ezar 9:9“Ningĩ ũthiĩ na mbere na kwanĩrĩra uuge atĩrĩ: Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga ũũ, ‘Matũũra makwa nĩmakaiyũrĩrĩra ũgaacĩru rĩngĩ, nake Jehova nĩakahooreria Zayuni rĩngĩ na ethuurĩre Jerusalemu.’ ”
Hĩa Inya na Mabundi Mana
18Ningĩ ngĩtiira maitho, na rĩrĩ, mbere yakwa ngĩona hĩa inya! 191:19 Amos 6:13Ngĩũria mũraika ũcio wanjaragĩria atĩrĩ, “Ici nacio nĩ cia kĩ?”
Nake akĩnjookeria atĩrĩ, “Ici nĩcio hĩa iria ciaharaganirie Juda, na Isiraeli, na Jerusalemu.”1:19 Hĩa icio inya ciarĩ mabũrũri ma Ashuri, na Misiri, na Babuloni, na Perisia.
20Nake Jehova agĩcooka akĩnyonia mabundi mana. 211:21 Thab 75:10Na niĩ ngĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Aya-rĩ, marooka gwĩka atĩa?”
Nake akĩnjookeria atĩrĩ, “Ici nĩcio hĩa iria ciaharaganirie Juda nĩguo gũtigacooke kuoneka mũndũ ũkwĩhaanda, no mabundi maya, mokĩte kũmamakia na magũithie hĩa icio cia ndũrĩrĩ, iria ciambararirie hĩa ciao igĩũkĩrĩra bũrũri wa Juda, nĩguo andũ akuo maharaganio.”
