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.”
A call to return to the Lord
1In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo:
2‘The Lord was very angry with your ancestors. 3Therefore tell the people: this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Return to me,” declares the Lord Almighty, “and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty. 4Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.” But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. 5Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live for ever? 6But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors?
‘Then they repented and said, “The Lord Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to do.” ’
The man among the myrtle trees
7On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo.
8During the night I had a vision, and there before me was a man mounted on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses.
9I asked, ‘What are these, my lord?’
The angel who was talking with me answered, ‘I will show you what they are.’
10Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, ‘They are the ones the Lord has sent to go throughout the earth.’
11And they reported to the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, ‘We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace.’
12Then the angel of the Lord said, ‘Lord Almighty, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah, which you have been angry with these seventy years?’ 13So the Lord spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who talked with me.
14Then the angel who was speaking to me said, ‘Proclaim this word: this is what the Lord Almighty says: “I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion, 15and I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry, but they went too far with the punishment.”
16‘Therefore this is what the Lord says: “I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,” declares the Lord Almighty.
17‘Proclaim further: this is what the Lord Almighty says: “My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.” ’
Four horns and four craftsmen
18Then I looked up, and there before me were four horns. 19I asked the angel who was speaking to me, ‘What are these?’
He answered me, ‘These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.’
20Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. 21I asked, ‘What are these coming to do?’
He answered, ‘These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no-one could raise their head, but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people.’1:21 In Hebrew texts 1:18-21 is numbered 2:1-4.
