Zechariah 7
1 In the fourth year of the reign of King Darius, on the fourth day of Chislev, the ninth month, the message of the Lord came to Zechariah.
Mugore rechina raMambo Dhariasi, shoko raJehovha rakasvika kuna Zekaria pazuva rechina romwedzi wepfumbamwe, mumwedzi weKisirevhi.
2 The city of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men, to entreat the favour of the Lord,
Vanhu veBhetieri vakanga vatuma Sharezeri naRegemi-Mereki, pamwe chete navanhu vavo, kuti vaende kuna Jehovha
3 and to ask the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts, and the prophets ‘Should I continue to mourn in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done for many years?’
kundokumbira kuvaprista veimba yaJehovha Wamasimba Ose nokuvaprofita vachiti, “Ndochema nokutsanya nomwedzi wechishanu here, sezvandakaita kwamakore mazhinji aya?”
4 Then this message of the Lord of hosts came to me:
Ipapo shoko raJehovha Wamasimba Ose rakasvika kwandiri richiti,
5 Tell all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month, for these seventy years, did you really fast for me?
“Bvunza vanhu vose venyika uye navaprista kuti, ‘Pamakatsanya uye mukachema mumwedzi wechishanu nowechinomwe kwamakore makumi manomwe akapfuura, makatsanyira ini zvechokwadi here?
6 When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?
Uye pamaidya nokunwa, makanga musingangozvifadzi here?
7 Wasn’t it this which the Lord proclaimed by the earlier prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, and her towns surrounding her and the Negreb and the Shephelah were inhabited?’
Aya haasiwo here mashoko aJehovha akaparidzwa kubudikidza navaprofita vekare, Jerusarema namaguta aro akaripoteredza parakanga riri parugare uye richibudirira, uye nyika yeNegevhi nomujinga mezvikomo zvokumavirira muchakagarwa navanhu?’”
8 The Lord gave this message to Zechariah:
Uye shoko raJehovha rakasvikazve kuna Zekaria richiti,
9 The Lord of hosts says, execute true judgments. Show kindness and mercy to each other.
“Zvanzi naJehovha Wamasimba Ose, ‘Tongai nokururamisira kwezvokwadi; muitirane tsitsi nenyasha.
10 Do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the resident foreigner or the poor. Let none of you devise evil against another in your hearts.
Musamanikidza chirikadzi kana nherera, mutorwa kana murombo. Musafungirana zvakaipa mumwoyo menyu.’
11 But they refused to listen, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears so they wouldn’t hear.
“Asi vakaramba kuteerera; mukuzvikudza vakafuratira uye vakadzivira nzeve dzavo.
12 They made their hearts as hard as stone so they wouldn’t accept the teaching and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his spirit through the earlier prophets. Great was the anger of the Lord of hosts:
Vakaomesa mwoyo yavo sedombo romusarasara uye vakasateerera kumurayiro kana kumashoko aJehovha Wamasimba Ose aakanga atuma noMweya wake kubudikidza navaprofita vekare. Saka Jehovha Wamasimba Ose akatsamwa zvikuru.
13 I called and they would not hear, so they call and I do not hear, says the Lord of hosts.
“‘Pandakadana, havana kuteerera; saka pavakadana, handina kuvateerera,’ ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha Wamasimba Ose.
14 I scattered them by a whirlwind out among nations unknown to them. The land was left desolate behind them, with no one crossing or returning, for they made the pleasant land a desolation.
‘Ndakavaparadzira nechamupupuri pakati pendudzi dzose, uko kwavakava vatorwa. Nyika yakava dongo shure kwavo zvokuti hapana aizogona kupinda kana kubudamo. Izvi ndizvo zvavakaita kunyika yaifadza, ikava dongo.’”
