Zechariah 8

1 And the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying,

Asafo Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn bio.

2 Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, I am jealous for Zion with a great jealousy, and with great fury am I jealous for her.

Yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ: “Metwe Sion ho ninkunu pa ara; metwe ne ho ninkunu anibereɛ so.”

3 Thus hath said the Lord, I return unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called, The city of truth; and the mount of the Lord of hosts, The holy mount.

Deɛ Awurade seɛ nie, “Mɛsane akɔ Sion na makɔtena Yerusalem. Afei wɔbɛfrɛ Yerusalem Nokorɛ Kuropɔn, na Asafo Awurade bepɔ no, wɔbɛfrɛ no Bepɔ Kronkron.”

4 Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, Again shall there sit old men and old women in the streets of Jerusalem, and every one with his staff in his hand because of their multitude of years.

Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Nkɔkoraa ne mmerewa bɛtenatena Yerusalem mmɔntene so bio a obiara kura poma, ɛsiane onyini enti.

5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in her streets.

Na mmarimaa ne mmaayewa a wɔredi agorɔ bɛhyɛ kuropɔn no mmɔntene so ma.”

6 Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, If it should be marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my eyes? saith the Lord of hosts.

Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Nkaeɛfoɔ yi deɛ, ɛbɛyɛ wɔn nwanwa saa ɛberɛ no, na me nso ɛbɛyɛ me nwanwa anaa?”

7 Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the country of the setting of the sun;

Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Mɛgye me nkurɔfoɔ afiri aman a ɛwɔ apueeɛ ne atɔeɛ no so.

8 And I will bring them [back], that they may dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be unto me for a people, and I will be unto them for a God, in truth and in righteousness.

Mede wɔn bɛsane aba abɛtena Yerusalem; wɔbɛyɛ me nkurɔfoɔ, na mayɛ wɔn Onyankopɔn wɔ nokorɛ ne tenenee mu.”

9 Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words out of the mouth of the prophets, who [spoke] on the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, when the temple was to be built.

Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Mo a afei na morete nsɛm a adiyifoɔ no kaeɛ no; adiyifoɔ a na wɔwɔ hɔ ɛberɛ a wɔtoo Asafo Awurade fie fapem no, monhyɛ mo ho den, na moatumi asi asɔredan no.

10 For before those days there was no reward for man, nor any reward for beast; and for him that went out or came in there was no peace, because of the oppressor: and I let loose all men, every one against his neighbor.

Ɛberɛ no nnya nsoeɛ no, na wɔntua apaadie ho ka mma nnipa anaa mmoa. Atamfoɔ enti, na obiara ntumi nkɔ nʼadwuma so asomdwoeɛ mu, ɛfiri sɛ na mede mpaapaemu aba wɔn mu.

11 But now I am no more as in the former days unto the residue of this people, saith the Lord of hosts.

Nanso, afei deɛ, merenyɛ nkaeɛfoɔ yi sɛdeɛ meyɛɛ kane no,” sɛdeɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie.

12 For the seed shall be undisturbed; the vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give her production, and the heavens shall give their dew: and I will bestow on the remnant of this people all these things.

“Aba no bɛnyini yie, bobe bɛso nʼaba, asase no bɛbɔ nʼaduane na ɔsoro nso bɛtɔ ne bosuo. Mede saa nneɛma yi nyinaa bɛma nkaeɛfoɔ yi sɛ wɔn agyapadeɛ.

13 And it shall come to pass, that, in the same degree as ye have been a curse among the nations, O house of Judah, and house of Israel, so will I save you and ye shall be a blessing: fear not; let your hands be strong.

Mo, Yuda ne Israel, moayɛ nnome wɔ aman no mu, nanso mɛgye mo na moayɛ nhyira. Monnsuro, na monhyɛ mo ho den.”

14 For thus hath said the Lord of hosts, As I had purposed to do you evil, when your fathers incensed me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I bethought myself not:

Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Sɛdeɛ meyɛɛ mʼadwene sɛ mede atoyerɛnkyɛm bɛba mo so, na mannya ahummɔborɔ ɛberɛ a mo agyanom fuu me bo no,

15 So do I again purpose in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear ye not.

saa ara na afei mayɛ mʼadwene sɛ, mɛyɛ Yerusalem ne Yuda yie. Monnsuro.

16 These are the things that ye shall do, Speak ye the truth every man to his neighbor; [with] truth and the judgment of peace judge ye in your gates;

Deɛ ɛsɛ sɛ moyɛ nie: Monni mo ho mo ho nokorɛ. Mommu atɛntenenee wɔ mo asɛnniiɛ;

17 And let none of you think evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love not a false oath, for all these are what I hate, saith the Lord.

mommmɔ po bɔne ntia mo ho mo ho, na monnnɔ ntam hunu. Mekyiri saa nneɛma yi nyinaa,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.

18 And the word of the Lord of hosts came unto me, saying,

Asafo Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn bio.

19 Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, The fast of the fourth, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth [month], shall become to the house of Judah gladness and joy, and merry festivals: only love ye the truth and peace.

Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Abosome ɛnan, enum, nson ne edu mu mmuadadie no bɛyɛ anigyeɛ ne ahosɛpɛ mmerɛ, na ɛbɛyɛ anigyeɛ afahyɛ ama Yuda. Enti monnɔ nokorɛ ne asomdwoeɛ.”

20 Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, [A time] shall yet be! when there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities;

Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie, “Nnipa bebree ne wɔn a wɔtete nkuropɔn bebree so bɛba ara,

21 And the inhabitants of one [city] shall go to another, saying, Let us only go to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I too will likewise go.

na nnipa a wɔfiri kuropɔn baako so bɛkɔ foforɔ so akɔka sɛ, ‘Momma yɛnkɔ seesei ara nkɔsrɛ Awurade na yɛnhwehwɛ Asafo Awurade. Me deɛ, merekɔ.’

22 And many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord.

Na nnipa bebree ne aman akɛseɛ bɛba Yerusalem abɛhwehwɛ Asafo Awurade no, na wɔakoto asrɛ no.”

23 Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, In those days [it shall happen], that ten men out of all the languages of the nations shall take hold—yea, they shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, Let us go with you; for we have heard that God is with you.

Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Nna no mu, nnipa edu a wɔka kasa ahodoɔ na wɔfiri aman ahodoɔ so bɛba abɛsɔ Yudani atadeɛ mmuano mu na wɔbɛka sɛ, ‘Wo ne yɛn nkɔ, ɛfiri sɛ yɛate sɛ Onyankopɔn ka wo ho.’”