< Zechariah 1 >

1 The Lord sent a message to Zechariah the prophet, son of Berekiah, son of Iddo, in the eighth month of the second year of king Darius' reign, saying:
Ɔsram a ɛto so awotwe wɔ ɔhene Dario adedi afe a ɛto so abien mu no, Awurade asɛm baa odiyifo Sakaria a ɔyɛ Berekia babarima na ɔno nso yɛ Ido babarima nkyɛn se:
2 The Lord was very angry with your forefathers.
“Awurade bo fuw mo tete agyanom.
3 So tell the people this: Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty.
Enti ka kyerɛ nkurɔfo no se: Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade se: ‘Monsan mmra me nkyɛn, na mɛsan aba mo nkyɛn,’ nea Asafo Awurade se ni.
4 You must not be like your forefathers. They were told by previous prophets: Give up your evil ways, and the evil things you do. But they would not listen or pay any attention to me, says the Lord.
Monnyɛ sɛ mo tete agyanom, a adiyifo a wodii kan no pae mu ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, ‘Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade se: Monnan mfi mo akwammɔne ne nneyɛe bɔne ho,’ nanso wɔantie na wɔanyɛ aso amma no.
5 Where are your forefathers now? And the prophets, did they live forever?
Mo tete agyanom wɔ he mprempren? Na adiyifo no, wɔte ase daa ana?
6 But didn't all my instructions and warnings that I ordered my servants the prophets to communicate, didn't all that I said happen to your forefathers? So they repented and said, “What the Lord Almighty planned to do to us was what we deserved because of our ways and our actions. He did what he said he would.”
Na me nsɛm a menam mʼasomfo adiyifo so kae no, amma mo tete agyanom no so ana? “Afei wonuu wɔn ho na wɔkae se, ‘Asafo Awurade ayɛ yɛn nea ɛfata yɛn akwan ne nneyɛe, sɛnea ɔyɛɛ nʼadwene sɛ ɔbɛyɛ no.’”
7 The Lord sent a message to Zechariah the prophet, son of Berekiah, son of Iddo, on the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month (the month of Shebat) of the second year of king Darius' reign:
Na da a ɛto so aduonu anan wɔ ɔsram a ɛto so dubaako a wɔfrɛ no Sebat, wɔ ɔhene Dario adedi afe a ɛto so abien so no, Awurade asɛm baa odiyifo Sakaria a ɔyɛ Ido babarima Berekia babarima no nkyɛn.
8 During the night I saw a man sitting on a red horse that stood among some myrtle trees in a narrow valley. Behind him were red, brown, and white horses with their riders.
Anadwo no minyaa anisoadehu, mihuu ɔbarima bi a ɔte ɔpɔnkɔ kɔkɔɔ so wɔ mʼanim! Na ogyina ohuamnnua bi ntam wɔ obon a mu dɔ mu. Na apɔnkɔ kɔkɔɔ, nnodoe ne fitaa wɔ nʼakyi.
9 I asked him, “My lord, what are these?” The angel I was talking to replied, “I will show you.”
Mibisae se, “Eyinom ase ne dɛn, me wura?” Ɔbɔfo a ɔne me rekasa no buae se, “Mɛkyerɛ wo dekode a wɔyɛ.”
10 The man who was there among the myrtle trees said, “These are the ones the Lord has sent out to patrol the earth.”
Enti ɔbarima a ogyina ohuamnnua ntam no kyerɛɛ ase se, “Wɔyɛ wɔn a Awurade asoma wɔn sɛ wɔnkɔ wiase afanan nyinaa no.”
11 The riders reported to the angel of the Lord who was among the myrtle trees, “We have been patrolling the earth and saw that the whole earth has been pacified.”
Na wɔbɛka kyerɛɛ Awurade bɔfo a ogyina ohuamnnua no mu no se, “Yɛakyin afa asase no so nyinaa, na yehuu sɛ wiase nyinaa wɔ ahomegye ne asomdwoe.”
12 Then the angel of the Lord said, “Lord Almighty, how long will it be before you have mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah which you have been angry with for the past seventy years?”
Afei Awurade bɔfo no kae se, “Asafo Awurade, enkosi da bɛn na wubeyi wʼahummɔbɔ afi Yerusalem ne Yuda nkurow a wo bo afuw wɔn mfirihyia aduɔson ni no so?”
13 So the Lord replied to the angel I was talking to with kind and comforting words.
Enti Awurade kaa akomatɔyamsɛm ne awerɛkyekyesɛm kyerɛɛ ɔbɔfo a ɔne me kasae no.
14 Then the angel I was talking with told me, This is what you are to announce. The Lord Almighty says this: I am jealously protective of Jerusalem and Mount Zion,
Afei ɔbɔfo a ɔne me rekasa no kae se, “Pae mu ka saa asɛm yi: Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade se: ‘Metwe Yerusalem ne Sion ho ninkunu yiye,
15 and I am extremely angry with the arrogant nations who think they are secure. I was only a little angry with my people, but they made the punishment far worse.
nanso me bo afuw aman a wɔn aso mu adwo wɔn no. Na anka me bo mfuw wɔn bebree, nanso wɔmaa Israel amanehunu no boroo so.’
16 Therefore this is what the Lord says: I have returned to be merciful to Jerusalem. My Temple shall be rebuilt there, as well as the city, declares the Lord Almighty.
“Enti nea Awurade se ni: ‘Mɛsan abehu Yerusalem mmɔbɔ, na hɔ na wɔbɛsan asi me fi. Na wɔbɛtwe susuhama mu wɔ Yerusalem so,’ nea Asafo Awurade se ni.
17 Announce this as well, says the Lord Almighty: Prosperity will flood out of my cities. I the Lord will comfort Zion, and Jerusalem will be my chosen city.
“Kɔ so pae mu ka se, sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade se: ‘Nnepa bebu so wɔ me nkurow yi so bio, na Awurade bɛkyekye Sion werɛ bio, na wafa Yerusalem.’”
18 Then I looked and saw four animal horns.
Afei, memaa mʼani so, na mihuu mmɛn anan!
19 “What are these?” I asked the angel I was talking to. “These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem,” he replied.
Mibisaa ɔbɔfo a ɔne me rekasa no se, “Eyinom yɛ dɛn?” Obuaa me se, “Saa mmɛn yi na ɛbɔɔ Yuda, Israel ne Yerusalem petee no.”
20 Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen.
Na Awurade kyerɛɛ me adwumfo anan.
21 “What are these men coming to do?” I asked. The angel replied, “The four horns—these nations—scattered Judah, humbling the people so that they could not lift up their heads. These craftsmen have to come to terrify these nations, and to destroy them—those who used their power against the land of Judah, scattering the people.”
Mibisae se, “Dɛn na eyinom rebɛyɛ?” Obuae se, “Mmɛn anan no bɔɔ Yuda petee a obiara antumi amma ne ti so, nanso adwumfo yi aba sɛ wɔrebehunahuna wɔn, na watutu aman no mmɛn a wɔmemaa so tiaa Yudaman na wɔbɔɔ nnipa no petee no.”

< Zechariah 1 >