¹Nomwedzi worusere, negore rechipiri raDhariusi, shoko raJehovha rakasvika kuna Zekariya, mwanakomana waBherekia, mwanakomana womuporofita Idho, richiti,

¹In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, hath a word of Jehovah been unto Zechariah, son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, the prophet, saying:

²Jehovha akatsamwira madzibaba enyu zvikuru.

²`Jehovah was wroth against your fathers — wrath!

³Naizvozvo chiti kwavari Zvanzi naJehovha wehondo , Dzokerai kwandiri, ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha wehondo neni ndichadzokera kwamuri, ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha wehondo.

³And thou hast said unto them, Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, turn back unto Me, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, And I turn back unto you, said Jehovah of Hosts.

⁴Regai kuva samadzibaba enyu, nekuti vaporofita vokutanga vakadanidzira kwaari, vachiti, zvanzi naJehovha wehondo, Dzokai, zvino panzira dzenyu dzakaipa napazvakaipa zvenyu zvamunoita; asi havana kunzwa kana kunditeerera, ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha.

⁴Ye shall not be as your fathers, To whom the former prophets called, saying: Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, Turn back I pray you, From your evil ways and from your evil doings, And they did not hearken, Nor attend to Me — an affirmation of Jehovah.

⁵Madzibaba enyu aripiko? Naivo vaporofita vangararama nokusingaperi here?

⁵Your fathers — where [are] they? And the prophets — to the age do they live?

⁶Asi mashoko angu nemitemo yangu, zvandakaraira varanda vangu, ivo vaporofita, hazvina kubata madzibaba enyu here? Ivo vakadzoka, vakati, Jehovha wehondo sezvaakafunga kutiitira, zvakafanira mabasa edu nezvakafanira zvatakaita, ndizvo zvaakatiitira.

⁶Only, My words, and My statutes, That I commanded My servants the prophets, Have they not overtaken your fathers, And they turn back and say: As Jehovah of Hosts designed to do to us, According to our ways, and according to our doings, So He hath done to us?`

⁷Nezuva ramakumi namana romwedzi wegumi nomumwe, uri mwedzi weShabhati, negore rechipiri raDhariusi, shoko raJehovha rakasvika kuna Zekariya mwanakomana waBherekia, mwanakomana womuporofita Idho, richiti,

⁷On the twenty and fourth day of the eleventh month, (it [is] the month of Sebat,) in the second year of Darius, hath a word of Jehovah been unto Zechariah, son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, the prophet, saying:

⁸Ndakatarira usiku, ndikaona murume akatasva bhiza dzvuku, akamira pakati pemiti yemimirite yaiva mumupata; shure kwake kwakanga kunamabhiza matsvuku namashora namachena.

⁸I have seen by night, and lo, one riding on a red horse, and he is standing between the myrtles that [are] in the shade, and behind him [are] horses, red, bay, and white.

⁹Ipapo ndikati, Nhai, ishe wangu, zvinyiko izvi? Mutumwa akanga achitaurirana neni akati kwandiri, Ndichakuratidza kuti izvi zvinyi.

⁹And I say, `What [are] these, my lord?` And the messenger who is speaking with me saith unto me, `I — I do shew thee what these [are].`

¹⁰Murume akanga amire pakati pemiti yemimirite akapindura, akati, Ava ndivo vakatumwa naJehovha kupota-pota nenyika yose.

¹⁰And the one who is standing between the myrtles doth answer and say, `These [are] they whom Jehovah hath sent to walk up and down in the land.`

¹¹Ivo vakapindura mutumwa waJehovha akanga amire pakati pemiti yemimirite, vakati, Takapota-pota nenyika yose, wane nyika yose inyerere ichizorora.

¹¹And they answer the messenger of Jehovah who is standing between the myrtles, and say, `We have walked up and down in the land, and lo, all the land is sitting still, and at rest.`

¹²Ipapo mutumwa waJehovha wakapindura, akati, Aiwa, Jehovha wehondo, mucharamba musinganzwiri nyasha Jerusaremu namaguta aJudha amakatsamwira makore ano ana makumi manomwe kusvikira riniko?

¹²And the messenger of Jehovah answereth and saith, `Jehovah of Hosts! till when dost Thou not pity Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, that Thou hast abhorred these seventy years?`

¹³Ipapo Jehovha akapindura mutumwa akanga achitaurirana neni, mashoko akanaka anonyaradza.

¹³And Jehovah answereth the messenger, who is speaking with me, good words, comfortable words.

¹⁴Ipapo mutumwa, akanga achitaurirana neni, akati kwandiri, Danidzira, uti, Zvanzi naJehovha wehondo, ndine godo pamusoro peJerusaremu, godo guru.

¹⁴And the messenger who is speaking with me, saith unto me, `Call, saying: Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: I have been zealous for Jerusalem, and for Zion [with] great zeal.

¹⁵Ndakatsamwira kwazvo ndudzi dzavanhu dzakazorora, nekuti ndakanga ndakatsamwa zvishoma, asi ivo vakanyanyisa kuipa.

¹⁵And [with] great wrath I am wroth against the nations who are at ease, For I was a little wroth, and they assisted — for evil.

¹⁶Naizvozvo zvanzi naJehovha, Ndakadzokera Jerusaremu ndine nyasha zhinji; imba yangu ichavakwamo ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha wehondo uye rwonzi rwokuyera ruchatambanudzirwa pamusoro peJerusaremu.

¹⁶Therefore, thus said Jehovah: I have turned to Jerusalem with mercies, My house is built in it, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, And a line is stretched over Jerusalem.

¹⁷Danidzirazve, uti, Zvanzi naJehovha wehondo, Maguta angu achapa fuma mufarozve, uye Jehovha achangonyaradza Ziyoni, achazvisanangurirazve Jerusaremu.

¹⁷Again call, saying: Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, Again do my cities overflow from good, And Jehovah hath again comforted Zion, And He hath fixed again on Jerusalem.`

¹⁸Zvino ndakarinzira meso angu ndikatarira, ndikaona nyanga ina.

¹⁸And I lift up mine eyes, and look, and lo, four horns.

¹⁹Ipapo ndikati kumutumwa, wakange achitaurirana neni, Zvinyiko izvi? Akandipindura, akati, Ndidzo nyanga dzakaparadzira Judha naIsiraeri neJerusaremu.

¹⁹And I say unto the messenger who is speaking with me, `What [are] these?` And he saith unto me, `These [are] the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.`

²⁰Jehovha akandiratidza vapfuri vana.

²⁰And Jehovah doth shew me four artizans.

²¹Ipapo ndikati, Ava vauya kuzobateiko? Iye akataura, akati, Ndidzo nyanga dzakaparadzira Judha, kusvikira kusino munhu akasimudza musoro wake; asi ava vauya kuzovatyisa, kuwisira pasi nyanga dzendudzi dzavanhu dzakasimudzira nyika yaJudha runyanga rwavo vachida kuvaparadzira.

²¹And I say, `What [are] these coming in to do?` And He speaketh, saying: `These [are] the horns that have scattered Judah, so that no one hath lifted up his head, and these come in to trouble them, to cast down the horns of the nations who are lifting up a horn against the land of Judah — to scatter it.`