¹Zvino negore rechina ramambo Dhariusi shoko raJehovha rakasvika kuna Zekariya nezuva rechina romwedzi wepfumbamwe, iwo weKisirevhi.

¹And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of Jehovah came unto Zechariah on the fourth [day] of the ninth month, [even] in Chislev,

²Zvino vanhu veBhetieri vakanga vatuma Sharezeri naRegemimereki, navanhu vavo, kundokumbira nyasha kuna Jehovha,

²when Bethel had sent Sherezer and Regem-melech, and his men, to supplicate Jehovah,

³nokutaura navapristi veimba yaJehovha wehondo navaporofita, vachiti, Ko ndochema nomwedzi wechishanu, ndichizviparadzanisa navamwe, sezvandaiita makore awa mazhinji here?

³[and] to speak unto the priests that were in the house of Jehovah of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done now so many years?

⁴Ipapo shoko raJehovha wehondo rakasvika kwandiri, richiti,

⁴And the word of Jehovah of hosts came unto me, saying,

⁵Taura navanhu vose venyika ino, navapristi, uti, Zvamaitsanya muchichema nomwedzi wechishanu nowechinomwe, makore ano anamakumi manomwe, maitongotsanya nokuda kwangu, nokuda kwangu here?

⁵Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh [month], even those seventy years, did ye really fast unto me, [even] unto me?

⁶Kana muchidya, kana muchimwa, hamuzvidyiri nokuzvimwira here?

⁶And when ye ate, and when ye drank, was it not you that were eating and drinking?

⁷Ko haazi mashoko aJehovha aakadanidzira navaporofita vakare, Jerusaremu richakagarwa navanhu richinomufaro, iro namaguta aro ose akaripoteredza, nenyika yezasi yenyika yamapani dzichina vanhu.

⁷Are not these the words that Jehovah cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and at peace, and her cities round about her, when the south and the lowland were inhabited?

⁸Zvino shoko raJehovha rakasvika kuna Zekariya, richiti,

⁸And the word of Jehovah came unto Zechariah, saying,

⁹Ndizvo zvakataura Jehovha wehondo, achiti, Ruramisirai kwazvo pakutonga, mumwe nomumwe aitire hama yake unyoro netsitsi;

⁹Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew loving-kindness and mercies one to another,

¹⁰regai kumanikidza chirikadzi, kana nherera, kana mutorwa, kana murombo; kurege kuva nomumwe wenyu anofungira hama yake zvakaipa pamwoyo pake.

¹⁰and oppress not the widow and the fatherless, the stranger and the afflicted; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.

¹¹Asi vakaramba kuteerera, vakabvisa fudzi ravo, nokudzivira nzeve dzavo kuti varege kunzwa.

¹¹But they refused to hearken, and turned a rebellious shoulder, and made their ears heavy, that they should not hear.

¹²Zvirokwazvo, mwoyo yavo vakaiita sedhaimani, kuti varege kunzwa murayiro namashoko akatumwa naJehovha wehondo noMweya wake navaporofita vakare; saka kutsamwa kukuru kwakabuda kuna Jehovha wehondo.

¹²And they made their heart [as] an adamant, that they should not hear the law, and the words that Jehovah of hosts sent by his Spirit by the hand of the former prophets: therefore was there great wrath from Jehovah of hosts.

¹³Zvino sezvaakadana, ivo vakaramba kunzwa, saizvozvo ivo vachadanawo ini ndicharamba kunzwa ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha wehondo;

¹³And it came to pass, like as he called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear, saith Jehovah of hosts;

¹⁴asi ndichavaparadzira nechamupupuri pakati pendudzi dzose dzavakanga vasingazivi. nekuti nyika yakava dongo shure kwavo, kukasava nomunhu akaenda kana kudzoka neko; nekuti vakaparadza nyika yakanga ichifadza.

¹⁴and I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not, and the land was desolate after them, so that no one passed through nor returned; and they laid the pleasant land desolate.