Panawagan upang Manumbalik sa Dios
1May sinabi ang Panginoon kay Propeta Zacarias noong ikawalong buwan ng ikalawang taon ng paghahari ni Darius sa Persia. Si Zacarias ay anak ni Berekia na anak ni Iddo. 2-3Inutusan ng Panginoong Makapangyarihan si Zacarias na sabihin ito sa mga mamamayan ng Israel:
“Matindi ang galit ko sa inyong mga ninuno. Kaya magbalik-loob na kayo sa akin at manunumbalik1:2-3 manunumbalik: o, tutulong. ako sa inyo. 4Huwag ninyong gayahin ang ginawa ng inyong mga ninuno. Inutusan ko noon ang mga propeta na pagsabihan silang talikuran na nila ang kanilang mga ginagawang masama, ngunit hindi sila nakinig. Hindi sila sumunod sa akin. 5Ang inyong mga ninuno at ang mga propetang iyon ay namatay na. 6Ngunit nangyari sa inyong mga ninuno ang aking mga sinabi at mga babala sa pamamagitan ng aking mga lingkod na propeta. Kaya nagsisi sila at sinabi, ‘Pinarusahan tayo ng Panginoong Makapangyarihan ayon sa ating ginawa, gaya ng kanyang napagpasyahang gawin sa atin.’ ”
Ang Pangitain tungkol sa mga Kabayo
7-8May sinabi ang Panginoon kay Zacarias sa pamamagitan ng isang pangitain. Nangyari ito noong gabi ng ika-24, buwan ng Shebat (ika-11 buwan), noong ikalawang taon ng paghahari ni Darius. At ito ang ipinahayag ni Zacarias:
Nakita ko ang isang tao na nakasakay sa kabayong kulay pula na nakatigil sa isang patag na lugar na may mga puno ng mirto. Sa likuran niya ay may nakasakay sa kabayong pula, kayumanggi, at puti. 9Itinanong ko sa anghel na nakikipag-usap sa akin, “Ano po ang ibig sabihin ng mga ito?” At sinabi niya sa akin, “Ipapaliwanag ko sa iyo ang ibig sabihin nito.”
10Ang taong nakatayo malapit sa mga puno ng mirto ang siyang nagpaliwanag sa akin. Sinabi niya, “Ang mga mangangabayong iyon ay ipinadala ng Panginoon upang umikot sa buong mundo.”
11Sinabi ng mga mangangabayo sa anghel ng Panginoon na nakatayo malapit sa mga puno ng mirto, “Nalibot na namin ang buong mundo at nakita naming tahimik ito.”
12Sinabi ng anghel ng Panginoon, “Makapangyarihang Panginoon, hanggang kailan nʼyo pa pahihirapan ang Jerusalem at ang iba pang bayan ng Juda? May 70 taon na po kayong galit sa kanila.” 13Ang isinagot ng Panginoon sa anghel ay magagandang salita at nakapagbigay ng kaaliwan.
14At sinabi sa akin ng anghel na sabihin ko itong mga sinabi ng Makapangyarihang Panginoon: “Totoong nagmamalasakit ako sa Jerusalem na tinatawag ding Zion, 15pero matindi ang galit ko sa mga bansang nagpapasarap sa buhay. Hindi ako gaanong galit sa kanila noon, ngunit sila na rin ang nagpaningas ng aking galit sa kanila. 16Kaya babalik1:16 babalik: o, tutulong. akong may awa sa Jerusalem, at itatayo kong muli1:16 itatayo kong muli: sa literal, susukatin kita gamit ang taling panukat. ang lungsod na ito pati na ang aking templo.”
17Sinabi ng anghel na sabihin ko pa itong ipinapasabi ng Makapangyarihang Panginoon: “Uunlad muli ang aking mga bayan sa Juda. At aaliwin kong muli ang Zion, ang lungsod ng Jerusalem, at muli ko itong ituturing na hinirang kong bayan.”
Ang Pangitain tungkol sa Apat na Sungay at Apat na Panday
18Pagkatapos, tumingala ako at nakita ko ang apat na sungay. 19Tinanong ko ang anghel na nakikipag-usap sa akin, “Ano ang ibig sabihin ng mga sungay na ito?” Sumagot siya, “Ang mga sungay ay ang mga bansang nagpakalat sa mga mamamayan ng Israel, Juda, at Jerusalem.”
20Pagkatapos, ipinakita sa akin ng Panginoon ang apat na panday. 21Itinanong ko, “Ano ang gagawin nila?” Sumagot siya, “Sisindakin nila at wawasakin ang mga sungay. Ang mga sungay na ito ay ang mga bansang lubusang nagwasak sa Juda at nagpangalat sa kanyang mga mamamayan.”
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.”
