Zechariah 8
1 Now this message of the Lord of hosts came to me:
Asafo Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn bio.
2 The Lord of hosts says: I passionately care for Zion, and I am fiercely protective of her.
Yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ: “Metwe Sion ho ninkunu pa ara; metwe ne ho ninkunu anibereɛ so.”
3 The Lord says, I have returned to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and Jerusalem will be called, ‘The City of Truth’ and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, ‘The Holy Mountain.’
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 The Lord of hosts says: Old men and old women will sit again in the squares of Jerusalem, each leaning on a staff because of old age.
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 will be full of boys, and of girls playing in its squares.
Na mmarimaa ne mmaayewa a wɔredi agorɔ bɛhyɛ kuropɔn no mmɔntene so ma.”
6 The Lord of hosts says: Just because it seems impossible to the remnant of this people in these days, is it also impossible for me? says 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 The Lord of hosts says: I will rescue my people from the land of the east and the land of the west.
Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Mɛgye me nkurɔfoɔ afiri aman a ɛwɔ apueeɛ ne atɔeɛ no so.
8 I will bring them and they will live in Jerusalem, and they will be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness.
Mede wɔn bɛsane aba abɛtena Yerusalem; wɔbɛyɛ me nkurɔfoɔ, na mayɛ wɔn Onyankopɔn wɔ nokorɛ ne tenenee mu.”
9 The Lord of hosts says: Let your hands be strong, you who hear in these days the words of the prophets spoken when the foundations for the house of the Lord of hosts were laid.
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 were no wages for people or animals. No one could go out or return safe from enemies, because I set each against their 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 will treat the remnant of the people differently from former days, says the Lord of hosts.
Nanso, afei deɛ, merenyɛ nkaeɛfoɔ yi sɛdeɛ meyɛɛ kane no,” sɛdeɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie.
12 Peace will be sown. The vine will bear its fruit and the ground will yield its produce, and the skies will give their dew. I will give 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 Just as you were accursed among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but 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 the Lord of hosts says: As I planned to do evil to you when your ancestors provoked me to anger, says the Lord of hosts, and I did not relent,
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 again have I planned in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not be afraid.
saa ara na afei mayɛ mʼadwene sɛ, mɛyɛ Yerusalem ne Yuda yie. Monnsuro.
16 These are the things that you should do: Speak the truth to each other. Render peaceful decisions in your gates.
Deɛ ɛsɛ sɛ moyɛ nie: Monni mo ho mo ho nokorɛ. Mommu atɛntenenee wɔ mo asɛnniiɛ;
17 Let none of you devise evil in your heart against one another. Do not love perjury. All these are things I hate, says 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 this message of the Lord of hosts came to me:
Asafo Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn bio.
19 The Lord of hosts says: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, will be festivals of joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore love 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 The Lord of hosts says: Peoples, and the inhabitants of many cities will come,
Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie, “Nnipa bebree ne wɔn a wɔtete nkuropɔn bebree so bɛba ara,
21 and the inhabitants of one city will go to another, saying, “Let us go speedily to entreat the favor of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts; I will go also.”
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 Many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of the Lord.
Na nnipa bebree ne aman akɛseɛ bɛba Yerusalem abɛhwehwɛ Asafo Awurade no, na wɔakoto asrɛ no.”
23 The Lord of hosts says: In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, “We will 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.’”
