Zakari 1

1 Nan uityèm mwa dizyèm lanne rèy wa Dariyis, Seyè a pale ak pwofèt Zakari, ki te pitit Berekya, pitit pitit Ido. Li ba li mesaj sa a pou pèp la.

[I am] Zechariah, a prophet, the son of Berekiah and grandson of Iddo. When Darius [had been the emperor of Persia] for almost two years, during November [of that year], Yahweh gave me this message:

2 Li di li: -Mwen menm Seyè a, mwen te fache anpil sou zansèt nou yo.

“I was very angry with your ancestors.

3 Men koulye a, mwen menm Seyè ki gen tout pouvwa a, men sa m' voye di nou: Tounen vin jwenn mwen, m'a tounen vin jwenn nou tou. Se vre wi sa m'ap di nou la a.

So tell this to the people: [I, ] the Commander of the armies of angels, say, ‘Return to me, and [if you do that], I will [help] you again.

4 Pa fè tankou zansèt nou yo. Nan tan lontan pwofèt yo te ba yo mesaj mwen. Yo te di yo: Men sa Seyè a di nou: Kite move chemen n'ap swiv la. Sispann fè sa ki mal. Men, yo pa t' koute m', yo fè tankou se pa avè yo m' t'ap pale. Se vre wi sa m'ap di la a.

Do not be like your ancestors. [Other] prophets, who have now died, [continually] proclaimed to your ancestors that they should stop doing the evil things that they were continually doing. But they refused to pay attention to what I said.

5 Kote zansèt nou yo ye koulye a? Eske pwofèt yo te ka viv san yo pa janm mouri?

Your ancestors [have died and are now in their graves] [RHQ]. And the prophets did not [RHQ] live forever, [either].

6 Men, sa m' te di nan pawòl ak lòd mwen te bay pwofèt yo, sèvitè m' yo, pou zansèt nou yo, èske sa pa rive yo vre? Lè sa a, yo vin règrèt sa yo te fè a. Yo rekonèt mwen menm, Seyè ki gen tout pouvwa a, mwen te pini yo pou jan yo t'ap viv la, pou tou sa yo te fè ki mal, jan mwen te soti pou m' fè l' la.

But I punished [IDM] [the people for disobeying] the commands and the decrees which I commanded my servants the prophets [to tell to the people]. Then they (repented/turned away from their evil behavior) and said, ‘The Commander of the armies of angels has done to us what we deserved for our evil behavior, just like he said that he would do.’”

7 Nan dezyèm lanne rèy wa Dariyis, vennkatriyèm jou nan onzyèm mwa a, mwa yo rele Cheba a, Seyè a bay pwofèt Zakari, pitit Berekya, pitit pitit Ido a, yon mesaj.

[Three months later], on February 15, Yahweh gave [another] message to me.

8 Men ki jan pwofèt la rakonte l': -Mwen fè yon vizyon nan mitan lannwit: Mwen wè yon nonm sou yon chwal wouj. Li te kanpe nan mitan yon bann pye jasmen ki te nan yon ti fon anba pyebwa. Te gen yon chwal wouj, yon chwal alzan ak yon chwal blan kanpe dèyè do l'.

During the night [I had a vision. In the vision] I saw an [angel] who was on a red horse. He was in a narrow valley among some myrtle trees. Behind him were [angels on] red, brown, and white horses.

9 Mwen mande: -Kisa chwal sa yo ye menm, mèt? Zanj ki t'ap pale avè m' lan reponn mwen: -Mwen pral fè ou wè sa yo ye.

I asked the angel who had been talking to me, “Sir, who are those [angels on the horses]?” He replied, “I will show you who they are.”

10 Nonm ki te kanpe nan mitan pye jasmen yo pran lapawòl, li di m' konsa: -Se moun Seyè a te voye al wè sa k'ap pase toupatou sou latè.

Then the [angel] who had been under the myrtle trees explained. [He said, ] “They are the [angels] whom Yahweh sent [to (patrol/see what is happening in)] the [entire] world.”

11 Chwal yo pale ak zanj Bondye a ki te kanpe nan mitan pye jasmen yo, yo di l' konsa: -Nou te ale toupatou sou latè. Nou te wè tout moun chita byen dousman lakay yo, san bri san kont.

Then those angels reported to the angel who was [there] among the myrtle trees, “We have traveled throughout the world, and we have found out that [the army of the emperor of Persia has conquered nations] throughout the world, [and that] those nations are now (helpless/unable to resist his army).”

12 Lè sa a, zanj Seyè a pran lapawòl, epi li di: -Seyè ki gen tout pouvwa, sa fè swasanndizan depi ou ankòlè sou lavil Jerizalèm ak sou lavil Jida yo. Kilè w'a resi gen pitye pou yo?

Then the angel asked, “Commander of the armies of angels, how long will you continue to not be merciful to Jerusalem and the [other] towns in Judah? You have been angry with them for 70 years!”

13 Seyè a reponn zanj ki t'ap pale avè m' lan. Li ba li bon pawòl pou remoute kouraj li.

[So] Yahweh spoke kindly to the angel who had talked to me, saying things that comforted/encouraged him.

14 Lèfini, zanj ki t'ap pale avè m' lan di m': -Men sa pou ou fè moun yo konnen: Seyè ki gen tout pouvwa a pale. Li di: Mwen renmen lavil Jerizalèm ki sou mòn Siyon an anpil anpil.

Then the angel who had been talking with me said to me, “Proclaim this [to the people of Jerusalem]: The Commander of the armies of angels says that he is very concerned about [the people who live on] Zion [Hill] and [in the other parts of] Jerusalem.

15 Men, mwen move anpil sou nasyon k'ap mennen lavi dous yo. Mwen te fache sou pèp mwen an, se vre. Men, mwen pa t' twò fache pase sa. Men, nasyon yo pwofite, yo fè gwo malè sou li.

But he is very angry with the nations that are [proud and feel] safe. He was only a little bit angry [with the people of Judah], but [he is very angry with the surrounding nations because] they caused [the people of Judah to experience] complete disaster.

16 Se poutèt sa, men sa Seyè a di: M'ap tounen vin jwenn lavil Jerizalèm ankò, m'ap gen pitye pou li. Yo pral rebati tanp mwen an nan lavil la. Jerizalèm pral kanpe ankò. Se mwen men, Seyè a, ki di sa:

Therefore, this is what he says: ‘I will again be merciful to [the people of] Jerusalem, and they will rebuild my temple. Men will measure [all the land in] the city [before they start rebuilding the houses].’

17 Zanj lan di m': -Men yon lòt bagay pou fè yo konnen ankò. Seyè a pale, li di konsa: Lavil mwen yo pral wè zafè yo mache byen ankò. M'ap gen pitye pou mòn Siyon an ankò. Mwen pral chwazi lavil Jerizalèm pou li rele m' pa m' ankò.

The Commander of the armies of angels [also] said this: ‘Tell the people that [the people in] my towns [in Judah] will soon be very prosperous again, and I will encourage [the people of] Jerusalem, and their city will again be my chosen [city].’”

18 Apre sa, mwen fè yon lòt vizyon, mwen leve je m' gade. Mwen wè kat kòn bèf.

Then I looked up, and I saw in front of me four [animal] horns.

19 Mwen mande zanj ki t'ap pale avè m' lan: -Kisa kòn sa yo ye, mèt? Li reponn mwen: -Kòn sa yo, se nasyon ki te depòte moun peyi Jida yo, pèp Izrayèl la ansanm ak moun lavil Jerizalèm yo.

I asked the angel who had been speaking to me, “What are those [horns]?” He replied, “Those horns [represent the armies that] forced [the people of] Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah and Israel to go [to other countries].”

20 Apre sa, Seyè a fè m' wè kat bòs fòjon ak mato nan men yo.

Then Yahweh showed me four (craftsmen/men who make things from metal).

21 Mwen mande l': -Kisa moun sa yo vin fè la a? Li reponn mwen: -Kòn sa yo, se nasyon ki te depòte tout pèp peyi Jida a, ki te fè tout moun Jida yo t'ap mache tèt bese. Men, bòs fòjon sa yo vini pou yo fè nasyon yo pè, pou kraze pouvwa tout nasyon ki t'ap pwofite sou pèp peyi Jida a, lèfini ki te gaye yo toupatou.

I asked, “What are those men coming to do?” He replied, “[The armies represented by] those horns caused [the people of] Judah to be scattered, with the result that they suffered greatly. But the craftsmen have come to cause those who attacked [IDM] Judah to be terrified and crushed.”