The Lord Promises to Bless Jerusalem
1A message came to me from the Lord who rules over all.
He said, 2“I am very jealous for my people in Zion. In fact, I am burning with jealousy for them.”
3He continued, “I will return to Zion. I will live among my people in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City. And my mountain will be called the Holy Mountain.”
4He continued, “Once again old men and women will sit in the streets of Jerusalem. All of them will be using canes because they are old. 5The city streets will be filled with boys and girls. They will be playing there.”
6He continued, “All of that might seem hard to believe to the people living then. But it will not be too hard for me.”
7He continued, “I will save my people. I will gather them from the countries of the east and the west. 8I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem. They will be my people. I will be their faithful God. I will keep my promises to them.”
9The Lord who rules over all says to his people, “Now listen to these words, ‘Let your hands be strong so that you can rebuild the temple.’ This also was said by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. They spoke to you when the work on my temple began again. 10Before the work was started again, there was no pay for the people. And there was no money to rent animals. People could not go about their business safely because of their enemies. I had turned all of them against one another. 11But now I will not punish you who are living at this time. I will not treat you as I treated your people before you,” announces the Lord who rules over all.
12“Your seeds will grow well. Your vines will bear fruit. The ground will produce crops for you. And the heavens will drop their dew on your land. I will give all these things to those who are still left alive here. 13Judah and Israel, in the past you have been a curse among the nations. But now I will save you. You will be a blessing to others. Do not be afraid. Let your hands be strong so that you can do my work.”
14The Lord who rules over all says, “Your people of long ago made me angry. So I decided to bring trouble on them. I did not show them any pity. 15But now I plan to do good things to Jerusalem and Judah again. So do not be afraid. 16Here is what you must do. Speak the truth to one another. Make true and wise decisions in your courts. 17Do not make evil plans against one another. When you promise to tell the truth, do not lie. Many people love to do that. But I hate all these things,” announces the Lord.
18Another message came to me from the Lord who rules over all.
He said, 19“You have established special times to go without eating. They are your fasts in the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months. They will become days of joy. They will be happy times for Judah. It will happen if you take delight in telling the truth and bringing about peace.”
20He continued, “Many nations will still come to you. And those who live in many cities will also come. 21The people who live in one city will go to another city. They will say, ‘Let’s go right away to ask the Lord for his blessing. Let’s look to him as our God. We ourselves are going.’ 22Large numbers of people and nations will come to Jerusalem. They will look to me. They will ask me to bless them.”
23He continued, “At that time many people of all nations and languages will take hold of one Jew. They will grab hold of the hem of his robe. And they will say, ‘We want to go to Jerusalem with you. We’ve heard that God is with you.’ ”
Yehova Alonjeza Kudalitsa Yerusalemu
1Awa ndi mawu amene Yehova Wamphamvuzonse ananena. 2Yehova Wamphamvuzonse akuti, “Ine ndikuchitira nsanje yayikulu Ziyoni. Mtima wanga ukupweteka chifukwa cha nsanje pa iyeyo.”
3Yehova akuti, “Ndidzabwerera ku Ziyoni ndi kukakhala ku Yerusalemu. Pamenepo Yerusalemu adzatchedwa Mzinda wa Choonadi ndipo phiri la Yehova Wamphamvuzonse lidzatchedwa Phiri Lopatulika.”
4Yehova Wamphamvuzonse akuti, “Abambo ndi amayi okalamba adzakhalanso mʼmisewu ya mu Yerusalemu, aliyense ali ndi ndodo mʼmanja mwake chifukwa cha kuchuluka kwa masiku ake. 5Ndipo misewu ya mu mzindamo idzadzaza ndi anyamata ndi atsikana akusewera.”
6Yehova Wamphamvuzonse akuti, “Ngati zikuoneka kuti nʼzosatheka kwa anthu otsala pa nthawi ino, kodi zidzakhala zosathekanso kwa Ine?” akutero Yehova Wamphamvuzonse.
7Yehova Wamphamvuzonse akuti, “Taonani ndidzapulumutsa anthu anga kuchokera ku mayiko a kummawa ndi kumadzulo. 8Ndidzawabweretsa kuti adzakhale mu Yerusalemu; adzakhala anthu anga, ndipo Ine ndidzakhala Mulungu wawo, wokhulupirika ndi wolungama pakati pawo.”
9Yehova Wamphamvuzonse akuti, “Inu amene tsopano mukumva mawu awa amene akuyankhula aneneri amene analipo pamene ankayika maziko a nyumba ya Yehova Wamphamvuzonse, ‘limbani mtima kuti mumange Nyumba ya Yehova.’ 10Mpaka nthawi imeneyi panalibe munthu wolandira malipiro pa ntchito kapena ndalama zolipirira nyama zogwira ntchito. Panalibe munthu amene ankadzigwirira ntchito mwamtendere chifukwa choopa adani ake, pakuti Ine ndinkawayambanitsa. 11Koma tsopano sindidzachitira otsala mwa anthu awa zomwe ndinachita kale,” akutero Yehova Wamphamvuzonse.
12“Pakuti mbewu zidzamera bwino, mpesa udzabala zipatso zake, nthaka idzatulutsa zomera zake, ndi thambo lidzagwetsa mame. Ndidzapereka zonse kukhala cholowa cha otsala mwa anthu awa. 13Monga mwakhala muli chinthu chotembereredwa pakati pa mitundu ina ya anthu, inu Yuda ndi Israeli, choncho ndidzakupulumutsani, ndipo mudzakhala dalitso. Musachite mantha, koma limbani mtima.”
14Yehova Wamphamvuzonse akuti, “Monga ndinatsimikiza mtima kubweretsa choyipa pa inu, komanso osakuchitirani chisoni pamene makolo anu anandikwiyitsa,” akutero Yehova, 15“Choncho tsopano ndatsimikiza mtima kuchitiranso zabwino Yerusalemu ndi Yuda. Musachite mantha. 16Zinthu zoti muchite ndi izi: Muziwuzana zoona zokhazokha, muziweruza moona ndi mwachilungamo mʼmabwalo anu; 17musamachitire mnzanu chiwembu, musamakonde kulumbira zonama. Zonsezi Ine ndimadana nazo,” akutero Yehova.
18Yehova Wamphamvuzonse anayankhulanso nane. 19Ndipo ananena kuti, “Kusala zakudya kwa pa mwezi wachinayi, chisanu, chisanu ndi chiwiri ndi wakhumi, kudzakhala nthawi yachimwemwe, ya chisangalalo ndi nthawi ya madyerero chikondwerero kwa Yuda. Nʼchifukwa chake muzikonda choonadi ndi mtendere.”
20Yehova Wamphamvuzonse akuti, “Anthu a mitundu yambiri ndi anthu okhala mʼmizinda yambiri adzabwerabe, 21ndipo nzika za mzinda wina zidzapita ku mzinda wina, kukanena kuti, ‘Tiyeni mwamsanga tikapemphe madalitso kwa Yehova ndi kukapembedza Yehova Wamphamvuzonse. Inenso ndikupita kumeneko.’ 22Anthu ambiri ndiponso a ku mayiko amphamvu adzabwera ku Yerusalemu kudzapembedza Yehova Wamphamvuzonse ndi kudzapempha madalitso.”
23Yehova Wamphamvuzonse akuti, “Masiku amenewo anthu khumi ochokera ku mitundu ya anthu a ziyankhulo zosiyana adzagwira mkanjo wa Myuda ndi kunena kuti, ‘Tipite nawo, chifukwa tamva kuti Mulungu ali nanu.’ ”
