The Lord Condemns Insincere Fasting
1 In the fourth year that Darius was emperor, on the fourth day of the ninth month (the month of Kislev), the Lord gave me a message.
2 The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and their men to the Temple of the Lord Almighty to pray for the Lord's blessing 3 and to ask the priests and the prophets this question: “Should we continue to mourn because of the destruction of the Temple, by fasting in the fifth month as we have done for so many years now?”
4 This is the message of the Lord that came to me. 5 He said, “Tell the people of the land and the priests that when they fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during these seventy years, it was not in honor of me. 6 And when they ate and drank, it was for their own satisfaction.”
7 This is what the Lord said through the earlier prophets at the time when Jerusalem was prosperous and filled with people and when there were many people living not only in the towns around the city but also in the southern region and in the western foothills.
Disobedience, the Cause of Exile
8 The Lord gave this message to Zechariah: 9 “Long ago I gave these commands to my people: ‘You must see that justice is done, and must show kindness and mercy to one another. 10 Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners who live among you, or anyone else in need. And do not plan ways of harming one another.’
11 “But my people stubbornly refused to listen. They closed their minds 12 and made their hearts as hard as rock. Because they would not listen to the teaching which I sent through the prophets who lived long ago, I became very angry. 13 Because they did not listen when I spoke, I did not answer when they prayed. 14 Like a storm I swept them away to live in foreign countries. This good land was left a desolate place, with no one living in it.”
OPI ka Akpa se Ko Ŋgye 'do Kozina
1 Ndroa lisu vomiri 'Bädri'ba Dariyasi ro rosi, u'du lisu imba njidriesu rosi, anjioko imba Kiselevu rosi oko, OPI ezo lazo te ma Zekaria ri.
2 'Dooko lidri Betele ro zoyi Sareze ago Regemeleka ndi lidri ànyaro yibe te Yekalu ya OPI Mbaraekye mätune ta yauni OPI ro rota 3 ago ta ono ejine ni kohanii ndi nebii be sisi ekye: “Inye'do muguna gi ndi 'du liyi ta Yekalu rota akpa si imba linji ya oso se mayete ndroa na amba ono ronye ya?”
4 'Dooko OPI Mbaraekye atate märi ekye. 5 “Nyata lidri cini wari ono ro ndi kohanii be ri mikye; tuse ànya kakpabe ago kiliyiyibe imba linji ndi njidrieri be ya, ndroa 'butenjidrieri kwoi ya ono, inye'do ànya yeyi ma oroza ya? 6 Ago tuse ànya kayibe ŋgaonya ago ŋgaumvu ana si inye'do ro ko, orivoya ya andivo ànyaro ri ogaza ya?”
7 Ono ro ko ni ata se OPI kayobe nebii se kyeno kai si tuse 'dooko Yerusalema bedri orivoya lidri be kici ago ŋgaamba be, ago tuse 'dooko lidri dri orivoya amba, 'ba'desii se gbikyi 'bakici lomvosi yasi oko kpa wari ŋgäṛiŋwadrisi ndi wari se lutui pasi aŋgoyasi 'do be yasi owo ya?
Taoroako 'ba 'Di ni oyine Midiro 'Bädri Atra ya
8 OPI atate Zekaria ri ekye: 9 “Ma OPI Mbaraekye mozo ota te makye: ‘Beṛo ämiri ta'diri oyene ayani, ago beṛo takado ndi yauni be ka'dane ayani azi ri. 10 Mìye ävuzii, kenvoi ndi atrai se kayibe ori ami lako iyi kode lemeri'bai ko koziro ago mi'ba 'diaza kusu takozi aza ko azi lomvo.’
11 “Oko lidri maro gayizo ta erine, tuyi iyi te teterete ro, tisiyi bi ànyaro te ago eriyi ta kote. 12 Ànya 'bayi ya ànyaro te a'done oso kuni ṛatararo ronye. Tana ukyi ànya eriyi ŋgaemba ndi lazo se mozobe nebii se kyeno kai si ana 'da. Ta'doro ma OPI Mbaraekye ma'dote kyilaro ndra. 13 Tana mäzi läzi be, ànya eriyi ta maro ko; ta'dota ànya kämätuyite mazatadrina kote. 14 Mepere ànya te oso oligbiriṛibe kabe vo pere ronye lozo orine 'bädri se ànya kuni kätina ko 'do ya. E'be 'bädri se kado ono te tandro ro, 'diaza alona ri kote kigye.”