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.”
Ìpè láti padà sí ọ̀dọ̀ Ọlọ́run
1Ní oṣù kẹjọ ọdún kejì ọba Dariusi, ọ̀rọ̀ Olúwa tọ wòlíì Sekariah ọmọ Berekiah, ọmọ Iddo pé:
2“Olúwa ti bínú sí àwọn baba ńlá yín. 3Nítorí náà sọ fún àwọn ènìyàn: Èyí ni ohun tí Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí: ‘Ẹ padà sí Ọ̀dọ̀ mi,’ Báyìí ní Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí, ‘èmi náà yóò sì padà sí ọ̀dọ̀ yín,’ ni Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí. 4Ẹ má dàbí àwọn baba yín, àwọn tí àwọn wòlíì ìṣáájú ti ké sí wí pé: Báyìí ní Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí: ‘Ẹ yípadà nísinsin yìí kúrò ní ọ̀nà búburú yín,’ àti kúrò nínú ìwà búburú yín; ṣùgbọ́n wọn kò gbọ́, bẹ́ẹ̀ ni wọn kò fetí sí ti èmi, ni Olúwa wí. 5Àwọn baba yín, níbo ni wọ́n wà? Àti àwọn wòlíì, wọ́n ha wà títí ayé? 6Ṣùgbọ́n ọ̀rọ̀ mi àti ìlànà mi, ti mo pa ní àṣẹ fún àwọn ìránṣẹ́ mi wòlíì, kò ha tún bá àwọn baba yín?
“Wọ́n sì padà wọ́n wí pé, ‘Gẹ́gẹ́ bí Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun ti rò láti ṣe sí wa, gẹ́gẹ́ bi ọ̀nà wa, àti gẹ́gẹ́ bí ìṣe wa, bẹ́ẹ̀ ní o ti ṣe sí wa.’ ”
Ènìyàn láàrín àwọn igi miritili
7Ní ọjọ́ kẹrìnlélógún oṣù kọkànlá, tí ó jẹ́, oṣù Sebati, ní ọdún kejì Dariusi, ni ọ̀rọ̀ Olúwa tọ wòlíì Sekariah, ọmọ Bẹrẹkiah ọmọ Iddo wá, pé.
8Mo rí ìran kan ni òru, si wò ó, ọkùnrin kan ń gun ẹṣin pupa kan, òun sì dúró láàrín àwọn igi maritili tí ó wà ní ibi òòji; lẹ́yìn rẹ̀ sì ni ẹṣin pupa, adíkálà, àti funfun gbé wà.
9Nígbà náà ni mo wí pé, “Kí ni wọ̀nyí olúwa mi?”
Angẹli tí ń ba mi sọ̀rọ̀ sì wí fún mi pé, “Èmi ó fi ohun tí àwọn wọ̀nyí jẹ́ hàn ọ́.”
10Ọkùnrin tí ó dúró láàrín àwọn igi maritili sì dáhùn ó sì wí pé, “Wọ̀nyí ní àwọn tí Olúwa ti rán láti máa rìn sókè sódò ni ayé.”
11Wọ́n si dá angẹli Olúwa tí ó dúró láàrín àwọn igi maritili náà lóhùn pé, “Àwa ti rìn sókè sódò já ayé, àwa sí ti rí i pé gbogbo ayé wà ní ìsinmi àti àlàáfíà.”
12Nígbà náà ni angẹli Olúwa náà dáhùn ó sì wí pé, “Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun, yóò ti pẹ́ tó tí ìwọ kì yóò fi ṣàánú fún Jerusalẹmu, àti fún àwọn ìlú ńlá Juda, ti ìwọ ti bínú sí ni àádọ́rin ọdún wọ̀nyí?” 13Olúwa sì fi ọ̀rọ̀ rere àti ọ̀rọ̀ ìtùnú dá angẹli tí ń bá mi sọ̀rọ̀ lóhùn.
14Angẹli ti ń bá mi sọ̀rọ̀ sì wí fún mi pé, “Ìwọ kígbe wí pé: Báyìí ni Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí: ‘Èmi ń fi ìjowú ńlá jowú fún Jerusalẹmu àti fún Sioni. 15Èmi sì bínú púpọ̀púpọ̀ si àwọn orílẹ̀-èdè tí ó rò wí pé òun ní ààbò. Nítorí nígbà tí mo bínú díẹ̀, wọ́n ran ìparun lọ́wọ́ láti tẹ̀síwájú.’
16“Nítorí náà, báyìí ni Olúwa wí: ‘Mo padà tọ Jerusalẹmu wá pẹ̀lú àánú; ni Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí, a ó kọ́ ilé mi sínú rẹ̀, a o sí ta okùn ìwọ̀n kan jáde sórí Jerusalẹmu.’
17“Máa ké síbẹ̀ pé: Báyìí ni Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí: ‘A o máa fi ìre kún ìlú ńlá mi síbẹ̀; Olúwa yóò sì máa tu Sioni nínú síbẹ̀, yóò sì yan Jerusalẹmu síbẹ̀.’ ”
Ìwo mẹ́rin àti alágbẹ̀dẹ mẹ́rin
18Mo si gbé ojú sókè, mo sì rí, sì kíyèsi i, ìwo mẹ́rin. 19Mo sì sọ fún angẹli tí ó ń bá mi sọ̀rọ̀ pé, “Kí ni nǹkan wọ̀nyí?”
Ó si dà mí lóhùn pé, “Àwọn ìwo wọ̀nyí ni ó tí tú Juda, Israẹli, àti Jerusalẹmu ká.”
20Olúwa sì fi alágbẹ̀dẹ mẹ́rin kan hàn mí. 21Nígbà náà ni mo wí pé, “Kí ni àwọn wọ̀nyí wá ṣe?”
O sì sọ wí pé, “Àwọn wọ̀nyí ni ìwo tí ó ti tú Juda ká, tó bẹ́ẹ̀ tí ẹnikẹ́ni kò fi gbé orí rẹ̀ sókè? Ṣùgbọ́n àwọn wọ̀nyí wá láti dẹ́rùbà wọ́n, láti lé ìwo àwọn orílẹ̀-èdè jáde, ti wọ́n gbé ìwo wọn sórí ilẹ̀ Juda láti tú ènìyàn rẹ̀ ká.”
