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, the word of Yahweh “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations. came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying,

²Jehovha akatsamwira madzibaba enyu zvikuru.

²“Yahweh was very displeased with your fathers.

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

³Therefore tell them: Thus says Yahweh of Armies: ‘Return to me,’ says Yahweh of Armies, ‘and I will return to you,’ says Yahweh of Armies.

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.

⁴Don’t you be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying: Thus says Yahweh of Armies, ‘Return now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings;’ but they did not hear, nor listen to me, says Yahweh.

⁵Madzibaba enyu aripiko? Naivo vaporofita vangararama nokusingaperi here?

⁵Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?

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.

⁶But my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, didn’t they overtake your fathers? “Then they repented and said, ‘Just as Yahweh of Armies determined to do to us, according to our ways, and according to our practices, so he has dealt with 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-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the 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.

⁸“I had a vision in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in a ravine; and behind him there were red, brown, and white horses.

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

⁹Then I asked, ‘My lord, what are these?’” The angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what these are.”

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

¹⁰The man who stood among the myrtle trees answered, “They are the ones Yahweh has sent to go back and forth through the earth.”

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

¹¹They reported to the angel of Yahweh who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, “We have walked back and forth through the earth, and behold, all the earth is at rest and in peace.”

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

¹²Then the angel of Yahweh replied, “O Yahweh of Armies, how long will you not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which you have had indignation these seventy years?”

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

¹³Yahweh answered the angel who talked with me with kind and comforting words.

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

¹⁴So the angel who talked with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh of Armies: “I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.

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

¹⁵I am very angry with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, but they added to the calamity.”

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

¹⁶Therefore thus says Yahweh: “I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy. My house shall be built in it,” says Yahweh of Armies, “and a line shall be stretched forth over Jerusalem.”’

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

¹⁷“Proclaim further, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh of Armies: “My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and Yahweh will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem.”’”

¹⁸Zvino ndakarinzira meso angu ndikatarira, ndikaona nyanga ina.

¹⁸I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold, four horns.

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

¹⁹I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these?” He answered me, “These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”

²⁰Jehovha akandiratidza vapfuri vana.

²⁰Yahweh showed me four craftsmen.

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.

²¹Then I asked, “What are these coming to do?” He said, “These are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man lifted up his head; but these have come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations, which lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.”