< Zacharias 7 >

1 And it came to pass in the fourth year of Darius the king, [that] the word of the Lord came to Zacharias on the fourth [day] of the ninth month, which is Chaseleu.
Awo olwatuuka mu mwaka ogwokuna ogw’obufuzi bwa kabaka Daliyo, ekigambo kya Mukama ne kijjira Zekkaliya, ku lunaku olwokuna olw’omwezi ogw’omwenda oguyitibwa Kisuleevu.
2 And Sarasar and Arbeseer the king and his men sent to Bethel, and [that] to propitiate the Lord,
Abayudaaya mu Beseri baali batumye Salezeeri omukungu wa kabaka ne Legemumereki n’abantu baabwe mu Yerusaalemi okwogerako ne bakabona babegayiririre eri Mukama,
3 speaking to the priests that were in the house of the Lord Almighty, and to the prophets, saying, The holy offering has come in hither in the fifth month, as it has done already many years.
n’okusaba bakabona b’omu nnyumba ya Mukama ow’Eggye ne bannabbi nti, “Nkaabe era nsiibe mu mwezi ogwokutaano nga bwe mbadde nkola okumala emyaka gino gyonna?”
4 And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying,
Awo ekigambo kya Mukama ow’Eggye ne kinzijira nga kigamba nti,
5 Speak to the whole people of the land, and to the priests, saying, Though you fasted or lamented in the fifth or seventh [months] (yes, behold, these seventy years) have you at all fasted to me?
“Gamba abantu bonna abali mu nsi, ne bakabona nti, ‘Bwe mwasiiba ne mukungubaga mu mwezi ogwokutaano ne mu gw’omusanvu mu myaka gino ensanvu, mwali musiibira nze?
6 And if you eat or drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves?
Era bwe mulya ne munywa, muba temulya ku lwammwe era n’okunywa ku lwammwe?
7 Are not these the words which the Lord spoke by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and her cities round about her, and the hill country and the low country was inhabited?
Bino si bye bigambo Mukama bye yalangirira mu bannabbi ab’edda, Yerusaalemi bwe kyali kikyalimu abantu era nga kikyakulaakulana, nga n’ebibuga byakyo bikyetoolodde, nga ne mu bukiikaddyo ne mu bitundu eby’ensenyi mukyalimu abantu?’”
8 And the word of the Lord came to Zacharias, saying,
Ekigambo kya Mukama ne kijjira Zekkaliya nate nti,
9 Thus says the Lord Almighty; Judge righteous judgement, and deal mercifully and compassionately every one with his brother:
“Bw’ati bw’ayogera Mukama ow’Eggye nti, ‘Musalenga emisango egy’ensonga, mukwatirweganenga ekisa n’okusaasiragananga buli muntu eri muganda we.
10 and oppress not the widow, or the fatherless, or the stranger, or the poor; and let not one of you remember in his heart the injury of his brother.
Temutulugunyanga bannamwandu, n’abatalina bakitaabwe, n’abatambuze wadde abaavu, era tewateekwa kubaawo muntu n’omu ku mmwe alowooza mu mutima gwe okukola obulabe ku muganda we!’
11 But they refused to attend, and madly turned their back, and made their ears heavy, so that they should not hear.
“Naye baagaana okuwuliriza ne bakakanyaza emitima gyabwe ne baziba n’amatu gaabwe baleme okuwulira.
12 And they made their heart disobedient, so as not to listen to my law, and the words which the Lord Almighty sent forth by his Spirit by the former prophets: so there was great wrath from the Lord Almighty.
Ne bakakanyaza emitima gyabwe ng’ejjinja, ne batawuliriza mateeka wadde ebigambo Mukama ow’Eggye bye yaweereza n’Omwoyo we mu mukono gwa bannabbi ab’edda. Mukama ow’Eggye kyeyava abanyiigira ennyo.
13 And it shall come to pass, [that] as he spoke, and they listened not, so they shall cry, and I will not listen, says the Lord Almighty.
“‘Bwe nabakoowoola ne batafaayo, nange ne ŋŋaana okufaayo nga bankowodde,’ bw’ayogera Mukama ow’Eggye.
14 And I will cast them out amongst all the nations, whom they know not; and the land behind them shall be made utterly destitute of any going through or returning: yes they have made the choice land a desolation.
Era nabasaasaanya n’omuyaga ogukunta mu mawanga ge baali batamanyi. Ensi gye baaleka n’ebeera matongo nga tewali agibeeramu, ensi ennungi esanyusa, kyeyava efuuka eddungu.”

< Zacharias 7 >